3 hot takes as Steve Borthwick names England team to play Scotland
After 45 days in the England hot seat, Steve Borthwick named the first team of his tenure on Thursday afternoon and it was a selection that certainly got tongues wagging. There were eight changes to the starting XV that Eddie Jones named for his last match in charge, the November loss to the Springboks.
And yet, away from the debate over the axing of Manu Tuilagi, the excitement of newly capping Ollie Hassell-Collins on the left wing and the unveiling of a starting back row containing Alex Dombrandt and so on signifying the changes from the Jones era, the head coach steadfastly stuck by the experiment that Jones had failed to finesse – the combination of Marcus Smith as the starting No10 with skipper Own Farrell at inside centre.
Bar some glimpses, such as in the closing 10 minutes in the November draw when England went for broke versus the All Blacks, evidence that this fledgling partnership of two of the Gallagher Premiership’s most consistent out-halves is gelling at Test level was in short supply.
Martin Gleeson was the attack coach who tried and failed to get the best out of playing both alongside each other as a 10/12 combo rather than having one of them starting ahead of the other as a No10. The assistant paid for that failure with his job and it now remains to be seen if a mere fortnight of Test level coaching by Nick Evans can produce a very different result.
Evans, of course, knows Smith inside out as he continues to be an assistant at Harlequins, the club that royally entertained when winning the Premiership title in 2021. But can an uplift in the Smith/Farrell axis quickly materialise now that coach Evans has been added to the Borthwick ticket for the Six Nations?
Borthwick seems to be convinced that it can happen, with the names of Smith and Farrell now officially pencilled in at No10 and 12 respectively for the Calcutta Cup clash with the Scots. What is interesting is that the identity of the No8 and No13 on either side of this 10/12 combo is now filled by Harlequins players who also Smith know very well.
Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant are the duo tasked with adding more oomph now that Billy Vunipola and Manu Tuilagi have been usurped in the selection, giving Harlequins three picks in an England XV where seven clubs are represented: Saracens four players, Harlequins and Leicester three each, Bristol two, and one each from London Irish, Northampton and Sale. We’ll soon know how good a mix this is around the playmaking Quins trio. With it will come the intel suggesting whether or not this is the beginning of the end for Jones-favourite Tuilagi at Test level.
The Cole return
Warren Gatland was criticised earlier this week when he went for a ‘Dad’s Army’ type Wales selection to host Ireland this Saturday in Cardiff, but the heat coming Borthwick’s way after his selection of the veteran Dan Cole on the England bench has been in very short supply.
Not since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final has the Leicester tighthead been capped at Test level but he is now primed to add to his 95-cap England tally following his inclusion as the bench backup to Kyle Sinckler, the prop he replaced just minutes into the decider four years ago in Yokohama after the starting tighthead was concussed.
That outing was one to forget for Cole as the Springboks’ power at the scrum was a decisive factor in securing them the glory and with Jones overlooking him in the years since then, the 35-year-old’s international career looked to be over. Not so.
Borthwick and his defence coach Kevin Sinfield were the pair who overhauled Leicester, taking them from 11th in the Premiership to winning the title last June at Twickenham. Cole didn’t look out of place in that club triumph and with Will Stuart, the two-try sub versus the All Blacks, sidelined with the injury suffered the following week against South Africa, the new England management have now turned to Cole to provide the scrum safety net from the bench.
It’s a gutsy recall and it caps a remarkable upturn for Cole who will be one of three Leicester players – along with Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson – on the five-three forwards/back split bench that also has three Saracens players and one each from Harlequins and Bath.
Pairing Chessum with Maro
Is Ollie Chessum the daredevil who can help lift the performances of Maro Itoje back into world-class territory? Itoje looked like he was getting pulled from pillar to post during the November series with Jones starting him at lock and also at blindside.
That positional flexibility didn’t have the desired effect as Itoje struggled to reach the very high standards he is cherished for. There was a level of encouraging defiance but that determination wasn’t matched by some of the others named in those Jones packs.
With the axing of Jonny Hill, a Jones favourite, from the second row and the return of Lewis Ludlam as the preferred England No6, the stage is now set for Itoje as a starting lock to remind everyone that class is permanent – and what better way for him to do that by winning back the Calcutta Cup from Scotland under the very watchful eye of coach Borthwick, whose own playing position was second row.
The 22-year-old Chessum is benefiting from his Leicester allegiance with Borthwick. His development at Welford Road was very much nurtured by Borthwick when he was at the helm and that respect has now carried over into the international scene with his inclusion to start at Twickenham.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
3 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
3 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
3 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to comments