Nine England players facing the chop before France 2023
Head coach Eddie Jones has suggested as little as 40 per cent of the current crop of England players will be on hand for the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023. A 20 per cent year on year cut is on the cards, as Jones’ looks to evolve his team in the midst of the increasing arms-race that Test rugby has become.
“I don’t think this group can have another World Cup in them,” Jones told BBC Sport. “While there will be core members of the team who will be able to continue to the next World Cup, there will be a new influx of members coming in. If you look at the squad this year we have changed it by 20%. There will be another 20 per cent change in the second year, and another 20 per cent in the third year.
“By the time we get to the World Cup it could be 40 per cent of the squad from the 2019 World Cup and 60 per cent new members.”
So who faces the chop? Here are nine candidates that could be on Eddie’s butcher’s block sooner rather than later.
George Kruis
Kruis appears to be on his way out of the country, with Japan looking the most likely destination. His England career will naturally come to an end as result, and at 30 and with 45 caps, it is unlikely he’ll be invited back should he return.
Joe Marler
Marler could well take the decision out of his head coach’s hands. He’s already retired from international duty before, and his recent Six Nations controversy might see the colourful prop call time on his Test career once again.
Dan Cole
Cole could well have already played his last game for England. At 32, Cole was not named in Eddie’s most recent Six Nations squad and will be 35 in 2023. Jones is highly unlikely to select the Tiger’s stalwart unless his hand is forced by injury.
Ben Youngs
Although a favourite for Jones and a crucial part of England’s game management system, the 30-year-old Youngs’ 99-cap mileage may mean a 2023 tournament could be beyond him. Could he go to France as second choice nine, form allowing? Yes, but a succession plan is surely now in place.
Courtney Lawes
Another of the first names on the current England teamsheet, Lawes will be 34 in 2023. His ability to play 5.5 has been a huge plus point for the Northampton Saint but he’s at the tail end of an 11-year-England career, and Eddie doesn’t lack for options at either blindside or lock.
Willi Heinz
His England debut came late in his career, but the New Zealander will be nearly 36 by when the first ball is struck in three years time. The pandemic could mean his 10 cap run could have already come to an end.
Manu Tuilagi
He may be just 28-years-old, but the Leicester Tiger’s body has been through the mill. Cursed by injury, the centre always seems to be teetering on the brink of his next layoff.
The blockbusting centre has managed just 40 Test caps since he made his 2011 debut, injury the main culprit in robbing him of at least that number of appearances again. When fit, he’s England’s clear first choice 13, but his injury profile is unlikely to improve with increasing age and Eddie might place continuity ahead of his game-busting abilities.
Can he make his three of four World Cups at 32? Maybe, if his load is managed and he gets a decent run of injury luck.
Mark Wilson
Wilson has never been first choice for England but his versatility, durability and workrate make him a useful all-rounder in the mould of a Robshaw or a Haskell. Father time is not on the 30-year-old’s side however and one imagines the next generation of explosive English backrows – the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Ted Hill – will render him obsolete before the French tournament comes round.
Jonny May
Arguably still England’s sharpest weapon in attack, May will be 34 by October, 2023 – veritable dotage for a rugby union winger. While he’ll still likely be faster than his eventual replacement, it’s hard to see May surviving another three and half years in a position seemingly never lacking for the next bright young thing coming through.
Wing centurions are the rarest of rare things at Test level.
England squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Backs: J Cokanasiga (Bath), E Daly (Saracens), O Farrell (Saracens, capt), G Ford (Leicester), P Francis (Northampton), W Heinz (Gloucester), J Joseph (Bath), J May (Leicester), R McConnochie (Bath), J Nowell (Exeter), H Slade (Exeter), M Tuilagi (Leicester), A Watson (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester).
Forwards: D Cole (Leicester), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), T Curry (Sale Sharks), E Genge (Leicester), J George (Saracens), M Itoje (Saracens), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), L Ludlam (Northampton), J Marler (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Harlequins), J Singleton (Worcester), S Underhill (Bath), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), M Wilson (Newcastle/Sale Sharks).
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben 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.
26 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….
26 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….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments