1
Why Dave Rennie picked Beauden Barrett over Scott for All Blacks captaincy
2
{{item.n}}
The Marcus Smith situation is beyond me - Andy Goode
4 Comments
Share 
Steve Borthwick is right to make sweeping changes this week but how George Ford is starting at fly half is beyond me.
I appreciate that he’s in there for his vast experience and as a coach on the field, which should help some of the less inexperienced faces around him, but we’re not going to learn anything more about him and Marcus Smith must be banging his door down.
The Harlequins man is in far better form so far this season and outplayed Ford when they faced Sale last month but he hasn’t started in the white number 10 jersey for 21 months. This non-selection tells him that he’s only seen as a utility option from the bench.
VIDEO
He’s had massive moments at fly half for his country, has over half a century of caps at the age of 27 and has an x-factor that sets him apart but he doesn’t seem to be trusted and is seen, harshly, as too loose.
I think everyone is assuming that all three fly halves in the current squad will be on the plane to Australia in just under a year’s time but when you’re restricted by squad size and George Furbank is able to cover fly half too, there is a chance to create an extra space in another position.
The fact there are 10 changes to the starting XV might have surprised some people, given England’s lack of form before last week and the need for cohesion and consistency, but this is one of very few opportunities to give fringe players a go before the World Cup.
You could argue that he might do so against Italy in the Six Nations but probably only if the opening couple of rounds against Ireland and France don’t go well, so the likes of Will Joseph, Max Ojomoh, Asher Opoku-Fordjour and co might not get another proper shot.
Given that Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is out of the All Blacks game, it looks like a straight shootout between Joseph and Cadan Murley for a wing berth next week but the Quins man is in pole position.
It’s great to see Henry Pollock getting just a second Test start but Ben Earl was fantastic once more at number eight against Australia so Pollock has more chance of starting on the wing than he does at the base of the scrum next week.
It’s astonishing that Ojomoh hasn’t been seen in an England shirt since he was Player of the Match against Argentina 12 months ago but he has leapfrogged Fraser Dingwall in the pecking order after his performance for England A at The Rec last Friday.
I fully expect him to put in an eye-catching display but Seb Atkinson looks to have nailed down the inside centre spot and should be back from his hip injury to face New Zealand so it could be a while before we see Ojomoh again.
To be honest, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t when it comes to whether to make wholesale changes for an opponent like Japan. Andy Farrell has made seven changes to his starting XV for Fiji and people are saying he could have made more.
Nations Championship
North
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
France
4
3
1
0
17
2
England
4
3
1
0
15
3
Ireland
4
3
1
0
15
4
Scotland
4
2
2
0
11
5
Wales
4
2
2
0
10
6
Italy
4
0
4
0
0
South
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
South Africa
4
4
0
0
20
2
New Zealand
4
4
0
0
20
3
Australia
4
1
3
0
8
4
Argentina
4
1
3
0
7
5
Japan
4
1
3
0
5
6
Fiji
4
0
4
0
0
It is undoubtedly more difficult for individuals to grasp their opportunity and keep the jersey if they aren’t coming into a settled side but there are a limited number of Tests at the top level and you have to take what you can get.
Despite the alterations, England aren’t exactly short on experience with 760 caps in their match day 23 and the likes of Henry Slade, Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Maro Itoje, Ben Earl and Ford all with over 50 caps to their name.
The only debutant in the squad might actually have the best chance out of all the really fringe players of forcing himself into a World Cup squad though as scrum half is one of the positions most up in the air for Borthwick and Archie McParland is enjoying a meteoric rise.
He has been playing out of his skin for Northampton, and benefitting from Alex Mitchell’s unfortunate injury issues at club level too, Ben Spencer has been in and out under Borthwick and Jack van Poortvliet hasn’t fully cemented himself as the starter yet.
These can be sticky games, and Danny Care and Alex Lozowski famously found themselves ditched after facing Japan back in 2018, so nobody will be taking anything for granted but it’s about continuing the momentum that was created at Allianz Stadium last week.
Borthwick is a risk averse coach and normally prefers to focus on the next game so you have to praise him for rolling the dice somewhat and casting his eye further into the future with some of his selections.
Ford is a steady hand on the tiller amid all the disruption that making 10 changes could cause but if you aren’t going to start Marcus Smith against Japan, you probably aren’t ever going to.
In terms of the game itself, England will have looked at a few starter plays that the Japanese used in running Wales close and have done their due diligence, of course, but it’s really about focusing on themselves.
Eddie Jones always talks a good game and the men in white will be expecting the unexpected but Japan shouldn’t pose too many problems and a lot of the personnel may be different but England have to continue in the same vein as against the Wallabies and build their identity.
1 YEAR TO GO
The countdown is on until the biggest Men’s Rugby World Cup ever kicks off in Australia. Go All Out and secure your seats with tickets now available!
