Farrell/Smith drama masks the real selection controversy - Andy Goode
The news of Owen Farrell’s positive Covid test and Marcus Smith’s likely promotion to the starting XV will steal the headlines but it is the omissions elsewhere that should ring alarm bells.
First and foremost, we all hope the England captain is ok but I actually think Eddie Jones was spot on to select him and not Smith in the original starting XV, despite the criticism he has received from elsewhere.
The Harlequin is clearly the in-form man and would have started had fitness not been an issue but he hasn’t trained fully this week and the mantra that ‘if you’re fit to be on the bench, you’re fit to start’ is nonsense.
As a fly half, especially at international level, you need to be running the show throughout the whole week or at the very least doing the bulk of the training and that just hasn’t been the case for Smith because of his lower leg injury.
Add to that, the fact that he has just two England caps to his name and that only five of this starting XV against Tonga played alongside him in those couple of Tests against weaker opposition over the summer and it’s an even more understandable decision.
He’s never played with a lot of these frontline England players so to choose to throw him in without being able to even work on those combinations properly in training would have been unfair on him as well as not right for the team.
As it turns out, Farrell’s positive Covid test means Jones’ hand has been forced and he is thrust in at the deep end though. It isn’t ideal but needs must and a mixture of his rugby instincts, having top class players around him and the opposition not being of the highest calibre means I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
One upside to not being able to start Smith and Farrell together is that we actually get to see what I think is England’s best centre partnership in action and it’s brilliant to see Manu Tuilagi back playing international rugby after another 18 months away.
While the England fly half situation is attracting all the attention, it’s the lack of new faces elsewhere that should be of more concern. I’m not calling for wholesale changes by any stretch but Alex Dombrandt surely had to start this Test at number eight.
If he isn’t going to start against Tonga, then he’s unlikely to be parachuted in against Australia or South Africa unless there is an injury or Tom Curry has a real nightmare at the base of the scrum.
Sam Simmonds was sent back to Exeter earlier in the week as well but we all know that he struggles to get a look in with Jones. Dombrandt, on the other hand, impressed for England in the summer and has continued to do so for Harlequins.
The balance of the back row is important so I can see why he would go for Courtney Lawes at blindside and Sam Underhill and Curry are both top drawer players but if Dombrandt doesn’t start this week, then when does he?
Smith aside, the only two fresh faces in the starting XV are Freddie Steward and Adam Radwan. Both were impressive against the USA and Canada but we’ll never know if both would have started had the likes of Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly and Max Malins been fit.
So, this is hardly the bright new dawn that a lot of people were expecting in terms of personnel but we are less than two years away from the 2023 World Cup now and, regardless of who is selected, we need to see England developing a game plan to win it.
All the drama around the number 10 jersey isn’t ideal preparation for a Test match but, in truth, it shouldn’t matter too much against a Tonga side that shipped over 100 points against New Zealand recently and 60 against Scotland at Murrayfield last week.
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They have been able to bring in nine of their frontline France and England-based players but England should still be aiming to hit somewhere between what the Scots and the All Blacks managed.
It’s almost a no-win situation because anything short of a gargantuan victory will be considered a disappointment but Eddie has talked a good game in regard to changing the style of play after a woeful Six Nations this year and now we have to see that in action.
A double-figure try tally and a much bolder attacking approach will be expected, despite all the upheaval in the build-up, but the real tests lie ahead in the next two weekends to come.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments