Last chance saloon for England's fringe players - Andy Goode
Despite Eddie Jones acknowledging that his mind is made up about his squad, the selection of a largely second string team for Wales on Sunday has to be seen as one final shot for fringe players.
And, those fringe players have remarkably few caps between them. This starting XV have just 377 caps between them and three players are responsible for over half of those.
The Australian has gone on record before saying that you need a boat load of caps to win a World Cup but he’s jettisoned a lot of players with a lot of international experience and there are as many as five players making their debuts in this game.
Piers Francis only has four caps as well and he has been picked ahead of Ben Te’o, who has been in every squad when fit in the past few years, although it still wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the former rugby league man named in the squad on Monday.
I’m all for giving players opportunities on merit and there are certain experienced players that have fallen by the wayside through no fault of the head coach but there does seem to have been a late change of tack as well.
Injuries to the likes of Dylan Hartley and James Haskell are one thing but Chris Robshaw exited stage left just a year ago, Danny Care hasn’t managed to force his way back in since the autumn and now other players with caps into double figures are being cut even closer to the tournament.
Eddie has always said judge him on the World Cup and that is what people will do but this wasn’t all part of the plan. Of course, people come and go in World Cup cycles but it all seems to be happening for England towards the back end of it.
In terms of the team selection this weekend, there’s no doubt he’s giving all of the fringe players an opportunity but, in reality, he knows his squad already and there is only one place up for grabs. Two at most.
There are only four players starting tomorrow who would be in the first XV if it was the World Cup final, whereas Wales have gone full noise and picked their strongest team.
The Welsh haven’t lost for 18 months as well and are looking for a 15thconsecutive Test victory so, despite home advantage and the Twickenham factor, there is no doubt they are huge favourites.
It’d be a big achievement for this understrength England side to win against the team that is the number one in the Northern Hemisphere at the moment and could be number one in the world come Monday morning.
It might be a masterstroke by Eddie because a narrow defeat could certainly be passed off as a success given the respective team sheets and a win would be a major statement.
He spent so long playing with two sixes in the back row that it’ll be fascinating to see how Tom Curry and Sam Underhill dovetail as a pair of opensides. Mark Wilson is surely nailed on to start at blindside at the World Cup but David Pocock and Michael Hooper have shown how effective having two fetchers can be and it could give England a new option.
And, after Dan Robson didn’t get much of a chance and Ben Spencer was only given a handful of minutes, it’ll be interesting to see how Willi Heinz gets on at scrum half. He may be the oldest England starter on debut for 36 years and many will say he’s picked the wrong Gloucester halfback but he’s been named vice captain and Jones clearly sees leadership in him.
It’s also brilliant to see Anthony Watson back in an England shirt because he was outstanding before his Achilles injury and will offer competition for Elliot Daly at full back as well as being a top class winger.
More often than not in the past in World Cup warm-up matches the home side has picked a first team and the visitors have sent a second string but that has been turned on its head in this one.
Wales broke English hearts at Twickenham in the last World Cup but they’ve only won three of their last 19 Tests against England there in the last few decades. This could make it four in the last 20 and the margin might be 10 points looking at the teams.
Second-guessing Eddie Jones is an impossible task but, despite him saying his mind is made up, this selection has all the hallmarks of a last chance saloon for a few fringe players to scrap it out for the final place or two in the squad. All will be revealed at 1pm on Monday.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments