'Combine him and Marcus Smith, you'd have the best attacking 10/12 in the Six Nations'
Gloucester boss George Skivington has endorsed the suggestion by ex-England international Austin Healey that Eddie Jones must pick Mark Atkinson at outside centre to face Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations in order to get the best out of Marcus Smith at out-half. Before it emerged that Owen Farrell had suffered a fresh ankle injury, media pundit Healey had called on England to pick an Andre Esterhuizen-type player at No12.
“The closest option England have with (Manu) Tuilagi out to replicate what Smith gets from Andre Esterhuizen at Harlequins is Gloucester’s Mark Atkinson. If you are going to pick Smith, you have to play either Atkinson or Luke Northmore, Smith’s uncapped Harlequins teammate, at inside centre,” wrote Healey last week in his UK Telegraph column.
After Farrell was subsequently injured and ruled out of the entire Six Nations campaign following an operation on Wednesday, England boss Jones suggested what he might do to fill the vacancy. “We have got other experienced backs. We may move Sladey [Henry Slade] in one spot from 13 to twelve.
“It’s important for any ten in the world, whether it is Marcus Smith or Finn Rusell or whether it is (Romain) Ntamack for France that the twelve is a good communicator, takes some of the pressure away from the ten in terms of the defence role. Marcus’ situation is no different from any other ten in the world.”
While Slade is indeed an option to start at Murrayfield at inside centre (he moved to No12 just eight minutes into the November win over South Africa after the Tuilagi injury), Jones also has form for looking elsewhere. Only last February he elected to pick the unheralded Ollie Lawrence to play the No12 role when Farrell started at out-half in the 2021 Six Nations opener versus Scotland at Twickenham. That didn’t work out well as England were beaten 11-6.
However, with the 22-year-old Smith now the favoured England out-half having brought his game to new heights at Harlequins in recent times where he has had Esterhuizen constantly creating go-forward ball to help create space at club level, Gloucester boss Skivington believes the No12 jersey versus Scotland is readymade for Atkinson, the 31-year-old who made his Test debut in the November win over Tonga.
“Mark is the best attacking twelve in the league,” insisted Skivingon when quizzed by RugbyPass at his weekly Gloucester media briefing ahead of this Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to Newcastle. “He can straighten the line, he can carry hard, he has got soft hands and he can offload. He has got a great vision for where the space is.
“If you want to play an attacking brand of rugby there is no one better than Mark Atkinson at twelve and if you put him with Marcus Smith, you are seriously going to challenge defences because they are not going to know where to go.
“He smashes people in D as well, he is a very good defender. Again, he is the best English twelve in the league. I don’t think that anyone else consistently does what he does and when he is on his mettle he is a game-changer. It would be very, very exciting to get him stringing a string of games together for England and you combine him and Marcus Smith, you’d have the best attacking 10/12 in the Six Nations.”
What type of character is Atkinson, a relatively unknown player with the potential to be thrown into the maelstrom of the upcoming Six Nations with England? “The thing about Mark is he is quite a relaxed character. He is intense when he is on the field but around the place, he is a core member of that cultural group and he has a good time. He enjoys what he does, he enjoys being with the boys, he enjoys the social side of having some fun with the lads but there has certainly been a growth in him over the last 18 months.
“He has become a leader in the group, he is more vocal than he was 18 months ago. He gets involved, helps lead the attack, he is very vocal if the squad has an issue or is discussing something amongst themselves. Getting that cap was well deserved. He deserves some more and if he gets the opportunity he will be great, but it [his Test debut] just gave him a chance.
“If I am honest it probably made him realise how good he could be and the window is there for him, and Eddie certainly backs him enough to have him in the squad and hopefully backs him to play. The realisation that he could be an absolute world-class player was just good for him because everyone else has known it for a long time and to be given that vote of confidence because he is a little bit older is just massive for him.
“He is a big presence, he is a massive part of this club, he is a big part of the spine of the squad and if he plays more and more he will just grow. Again, someone like Mark, he can get better and better. I am not sure what his ceiling is.
“He came into top-flight rugby a little bit later, he did some lower league stuff and fought his way up and he has got better and better as the years have gone on. Like I say, he has had massive growth in the last twelve months in the hard-edge part of the game if you like and I still think he has got more and more improvement to be made, which is exciting for Gloucester and exciting for England. I don’t think how old he really matters at this point.”
Comments on RugbyPass
True Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
21 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
10 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
78 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
21 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
10 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
16 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
21 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
21 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
21 Go to comments