Predicting a 37-man England 'Autumn Nations Series' squad
The first taste of international rugby following a British and Irish Lions tour is always interesting for those nations involved with the invitational side and that is no different for Eddie Jones and England this year, as they prepare for the Autumn Nations Series.
England are set to play Tonga, Australia and South Africa in November and it should be the side’s first experience of a full Twickenham since before the Covid-19 pandemic, with the majority of restrictions now having been lifted in the country.
With England having provided 13 of Warren Gatland’s tourists to South Africa earlier this summer, Jones will be facing dilemmas across the board as to who he rests, who he gives an opportunity to stake a claim and whether or not early season form in the Gallagher Premiership is something he will be influenced by.
Saracens are back among England’s elite and many of their players will be keen to stamp their authority ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, whilst Harlequins and Bristol Bears both flew high in the 2020/21 season and many will feel like their players have been underappreciated by England over the past couple of years.
Now is the time for Jones to hone his preferred combinations ahead of rugby’s showpiece tournament descending on France in two years’ time and his squad selection in the coming months will be illuminating as to what the composition might look like at the RWC.
Trying to predict Jones might be a fool’s errand, but nevertheless we have taken a look at how the upcoming England Autumn Nations Series squad could be made up.
FRONT ROW
Luke Cowan-Dickie could be a candidate to be rested given his heavy involvement in South Africa, though Jones has never shown much conviction in moving away from he and Jamie George as England’s two first-choice hookers. Barring injury or a sharp drop in form, it would be surprising to see either omitted. Could it be Alfie Barbeary’s moment to join them? If he’s fit, don’t be surprised to see him in the mix.
The performances of Ellis Genge over the summer should give Jones the confidence to rest Mako Vunipola if he feels it’s necessary, although the veteran loosehead has always been one of the mainstays of any England pack under Jones. Beno Obano would give England some strength in depth, whilst Bevan Rodd could be viewed in an apprentice role and a like-for-like replacement for Genge.
Kyle Sinckler’s stock remains high following the Lions tour and would be one of the Lions most likely to be selected, you would think. Harry Williams remains in contention at Exeter Chiefs, Joe Heyes could also be in the mix with a run of games for Leicester Tigers and don’t rule out the talented Fin Baxter from an apprentice role.
SECOND ROW
It would be very surprising if Maro Itoje is rested but Courtney Lawes, who turns 33 this season, could be someone whose playing time is managed, with the Six Nations and the RWC in mind. With George Kruis still ineligible for selection, Jonny Hill and Charlie Ewels will have strong cases to be among the locks in Jones’ squad.
It seems unlikely that Joe Launchbury will return from his ruptured ACL in time, something which could prompt Jones to deny Lawes a rest, or give an opportunity to George Martin to add to his solitary England cap, although both may well be blindside flankers in Jones’ eyes. If Chunya Munga hits the ground running with London Irish this season, he would offer an option, as would Saracens’ Joel Kpoku.
BACK ROW
Tom Curry should return to England this autumn, although Jones has never shown himself to be a fan of Sam Simmonds and the Lion could miss out and not add to his seven caps, the last of which he won in 2018.
After being rested this summer, a strong start to the season should see Bully Vunipola back in an England jersey, whilst Sam Underhill was exceptional in the absence of his flank partner Curry. Alex Dombrandt and Ted Hill both offer physicality, whilst Ben Earl should be back from injury and pushing for inclusion, too.
In March Eddie Jones said he expected to shed about 30 per cent of the current squad by the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. https://t.co/3Lv9f7MgyS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 19, 2021
Like his Wasps teammate Launchbury, Jack Willis will be up against it from a time perspective to be in the mix, though Lewis Ludlam and Ben Curry offer jackal options should England want to experiment with combinations other than the ‘Kamikaze Twins’. If Richard Capstick can stand out in a strong Exeter side, he’ll be in the discussion, too.
SCRUM-HALF
Not involved this past summer, Ben Youngs is arguably still in possession of England’s starting nine jersey, with Dan Robson and Harry Randall having flashed, but not yet risen above Youngs in the pecking order.
Ben Spencer’s recent omissions have been puzzling, with the former Saracen having excelled at Bath since making the move and would seem to tick all the boxes that Jones’ looks for in a nine. Scrum-half is definitely a position where an apprentice player, maybe Jack van Poortvliet or Raffi Quirke, would make a lot of sense as they attempt to put together their succession plan for the soon-to-be 32-year-old Youngs.
FLY-HALF
The dilemma seems to be fairly straight forward at fly-half, where Jones will likely thrust Owen Farrell straight back into action, such is his importance to the team, with George Ford and Marcus Smith waiting in the wings. This would allow him to pit Ford and Smith against one another in training and help him make an informed decision on who plays with or behind Farrell as they build towards the RWC.
Whilst attention and praise are rightfully currently being showered on Smith following his escapades with Harlequins last season, getting Worcester Warriors’ Fin Smith into this environment wouldn’t hurt, either.
CENTRE
Henry Slade is a good bet to be in the squad, as is Ollie Lawrence, with the young Worcester centre beginning to show what he can bring to the Test arena. One of the bigger questions that will influence who Jones opts for in the centres will be where does he see Elliot Daly playing moving forward?
If he still sees Daly in the back three, Joe Marchant couldn’t have done too much more last season to earn a spot in this autumn’s squad.
BACK THREE
If fit and in good form, Anthony Watson and Jonny May are obvious selections, but beyond them, the competition is fierce and numerous. You’d like to think that Freddie Steward’s displays over the summer were enough to keep him in the squad and give him a good shot of nailing down the 15 jersey moving forward.
Joe Cokanasiga is still a very exciting prospect at 23, Max Malins offers a unique skill set and Adam Radwan managed to grab a hat-trick on debut, something that shouldn’t be sniffed at, irrespective of the quality of the opposition. A fit-again Jack Nowell would be hard to leave out, too.
As for some fresh blood, Louis Lynagh is surely on the radar, with the Harlequin offering covers across the whole of the back three, whilst Ben Loader’s form has been excellent for Irish.
Potential England squad:
Forwards (19) – Alfie Barbeary, Fin Baxter, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, George Martin, Bevan Rodd, Kyle Sinckler, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Harry Williams.
Backs (16) – Joe Cokanasiga, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Ollie Lawrence, Ben Loader, Joe Marchant, Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Raffi Quirke, Dan Robson, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Anthony Watson, Ben Youngs
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 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
4 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…
15 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.
19 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. 🥴
19 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!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments