As the dust settles on the makeup of Eddie Jones’ first England squad, people can start to look past the names that have been left out and instead concentrate on the names that have been included. They will then start to realise that the first ever foreign coach of an England team has got his selection absolutely right.
An article submitted by Andrew Daniel (@scrum5ive).
Eddie Jones’ Exciting Six Nations Squad will stand the Test of Time
The squad that he inherited from England’s woeful World Cup Campaign was stale and less than dynamic in certain areas of the playing staff and with a limited amount of changes available to him Jones has been forced to be inventive in selection. He has, however, managed to find the perfect blend of youthful exuberance and experienced heads to guide the squad to success.
The former Japan national coach has also given us an insight to both the way he expects his team to play and the sort of player that he feels will be successful in the environment that he is trying to create.
Tom Youngs’ exclusion not that surprising
Tom Youngs’ omission from the squad is the perfect example to help demonstrate what Jones expects from his players.
There is no doubting that the Leicester hooker offers you a great deal in the loose and can make a clean break through the midfield to put you on the front foot but that should purely be a bonus that compliments the basic skill set that is required from a hooker. Dylan Hartley and Jamie George have moved in front of him in the pecking order because they too offer substantial support in the loose and at the breakdown but their core skills of throwing in at the lineout and actually hooking the ball in the scrum are superior to Youngs. It’s all well and good making the odd clean break in broken play but if you are liable to missing your jumper at pivotal moments of the game then you will be punished as a team in the unforgiving cauldron of test rugby. Youngs needs to go back to his club and hone these skills so that he can fight for his place back.
Back Row Balance
In his press conference on Wednesday, Jones made it perfectly clear that he will not be viewing Chris Robshaw as an openside flanker but as a blindside instead. He even mentioned, with tongue firmly placed in cheek, that he is definitely not a six and a half. Robshaw has conducted himself as the consummate professional on and off the field since his media-led assassination post World Cup but he seems to have found solace and comfort with the number six on his back and also the assumption that he is no longer the Red Rose captain.
Jones, unlike his predecessor, is not a fan of having three big ball carriers in his back row and a straight shootout between Jack Clifford and Matt Kvesic for the open side berth. Both are classed as stereotypical open sides that can cause turnovers and link play in attack. James Haskell’s name was also on the 33 man list but if Jones is to stick to his want and need for a scavenging openside then Haskell will fight Robshaw to wear the number six.
Billy Vunipola will most likely start against Scotland at number eight but selecting Josh Beaumont over Ben Morgan may well be one of the biggest statements of intent from Jones. Beaumont has a very long international career ahead of him and he is also a name that England fans should be getting excited about. At the age of 22, the man who plies his trade in Sale is very bit of what a modern number eight should be. Athletic, quick, ball handling skills of some international backs and unlike Morgan, he offers yet another line out option. Vunipola is the current incumbent of the shirt but he most certainly has his work cut out to keep it.
‘Ford or Farrell’ argument may never materialise
The fly half and centre selections will be a headache that Jones will struggle to get right first time purely due to the fact that he has an embarrassment of riches in this area.
One thing that we can take from Jones coaching methods and past international selections is that he tends to go for a ball player at inside centre rather than a big ball carrier. It was he that introduced Matt Giteau to the international scene in 2002 at inside centre even though he was viewed by many as a fly half. Giteau’s introduction was not initially successful as Jonny Wilkinson smashed him within minutes of him coming on in both his debut and the 2003 World Cup final but his persistence paid off and Giteau is now revered around the world as one of the best players at both fly half and inside centre.
This selection policy would lead us to believe that there may be space for both George Ford and Owen Farrell in the English starting line-up with Ford at fly half and Farrell outside of him. Playing this way could be utilised by England to aid them to unleash the running power of Jonathan Joseph or the uncapped Elliot Daly outside of them.
The cat that will be thrown amongst the pigeons though comes in the form of Manu Tuilagi. After 15 months out Tuilagi is now back playing at Leicester and although he will not be ready for the first two rounds of the Six Nations, he is likely to feature as the competition unfolds. The Samoan-born centre may just find himself out in the cold however. His distribution is a weakness and needs to be improved on if he is to fit Jones’ style of play and he doesn’t offer a kicking option that, in the modern game, helps take pressure off the fly half as well as keeping the opposition guessing.
The Captain
The rumour mill of who will captain the England team at Murrayfield has been moving at a pace and betting has stopped on Dylan Hartley being given the honour. However, your captain needs to be the first name on the team sheet and able to set an example to the younger players both on and off the field.
Hartley may struggle to convince on all of the above but his confrontational side may just be what Jones is looking for to add edge to his team. His disciplinary record must also been taken into consideration. His bans total 53 weeks and he has also had the ignominy of missing both a Lions Tour and World Cup because of his bad behavioural record.
Another option could be Joe Launchbury. The Wasps second row will be one of the first names on the team sheet for every match in the next four years and at the age of 24 he already has 28 caps to his name so international experience has a big tick in the captains checklist box.
The second row is one of the most hotly contested areas for selection as Courtney Lawes, George Kruis and Maro Itoje will battle Launchbury for those two coveted spots.
Even with that impressive talent pool Launchbury is a guaranteed starter which just goes to show the calibre of man that the England coaching staff are dealing with.
Whoever does eventually lead this squad will be safe in the knowledge that the next four years leading up to the Japanese World Cup will be an extremely exciting time to be part of this England Squad but in the short term all eyes will be on Murrayfield rather than Twickenham on the 6th February.
Main Photo
