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England explain six/two bench split that ends Simmonds' long wait

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Sam Simmonds is finally a giant step closer to winning his first England Test cap since March 2018, Eddie Jones opting for a six-two forwards/backs split on his Twickenham bench for this Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series clash with the Wallabies. Having appeared off the bench for the Lions in their recent Test series decider versus the Springboks, Simmonds was left disappointed when he was cut from the England squad for last week’s match versus Tonga.

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Exeter coach Rob Baxter reported at the time: “To me, he [Simmonds] seems like probably a bit frustrated and a bit annoyed, which he should be. He wants to play so I expect those emotions but at the same time, he also looks like he completely understands what he wants to do this weekend and what he needs to do to give himself the best opportunity to be involved next week (against Australia).

“He will go back into camp on Sunday and he has got every opportunity to play next week. You have got to keep looking forward as an athlete and as a player. There is no point reflecting too long on this week, he has got to move forward to next week as quick as he can.

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“Sam has had his review and I get the impression that Eddie Jones is actually pretty happy with him. From what Sam said he has trained well, it’s just he has missed out this time around but has every opportunity to play in the next couple of games (versus Australia and South Africa). 

“I don’t think there is any major fault, it’s just time in the squad and some little improvements and work-ons within how England play. Sam has discussed it with me and has discussed it with Eddie and I don’t think there is any more than that.”

The 27-year-old Simmonds has now been rewarded for his patience as he is the beneficiary of the decision by Jones to switch from a five/three forwards/backs England bench split to a six/two split for the clash versus the Wallabies, joining fellow back-rower Alex Dombrandt among the replacements behind the starting combination of Courtney Lawes, Sam Underhill and Tom Curry. “We think it is going to be a pretty high volume game, which it usually is against Australia,” explained the England coach. 

“A lot of work in the forwards and with Sam Simmonds and Dombrandt, they give us flexibility and variety in terms of their skills and we believe they will add to the mix in the last 20 minutes of the game. I have been involved in I don’t know how many Australia-England at Twickenham, but they always seem to fall in the last 20 minutes and I don’t think this game will be any different.   

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“This England game is always one of the most awaited games of the season. I know as an Australian it is probably hard for the English to understand what an important game this is for Australia. It doesn’t matter whether it is Olympics, Test cricket, rugby league, this is the game that defines their season.

“We know the Australian side had a great run recently, they won five in a row (before losing to Scotland) and they are playing some really good rugby under Dave Rennie. A number of the staff that have worked with me are on his staff so they will be very well prepared, good people involved there and this is a game (where) they don’t go away. 

“This is the game they want to win. We have a bit of an inferiority complex against the English, the Australians, so they will want to take us to where they want to. For us, it’s another step in our progression. We have got a young developing side here, we really like the look of the team. We have added two new caps in Raffi Quirke and Bevan Rodd and so we have had a great preparation and we are looking forward to this very, very tough contest we are going to have.”

Jones added what has impressed him about the uncapped Rodd before commenting on what Marcus Smith might bring to the contest as the starting England No10. “We have always looked at him [Rod] as a young developing prop. We looked at him on the summer tour, brought him into the squad, he has gone back to Sale, played well at the start of the season. He is a good scrummager, a very good defensive player and he has got an unbelievable desire to want to keep getting better.

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“Marcus knows he has got to build his game. I have been really impressed since I started working with him on a daily basis since the summer tour. He is progressing in a nice way but it is his biggest Test. He hasn’t played a tier-one country yet.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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