The most obvious call to replace Vunipola at No.8
Since making his England debut in 2013, Billy Vunipola has gone on to become one of the most pivotal players in the side, with the team’s fortunes often waxing and waning on the form and presence of the sizeable No 8.
For much of that period, England have lacked physical ball-carriers, particularly in their pack, and Vunipola was the much-needed source of front-foot ball that allowed England to up the tempo and ensure their playmakers exceled.
His deputy was Bristol Bears star Nathan Hughes for a time, although the Fijian-born back rower has since seemingly fallen out of favour with England head coach Eddie Jones, and despite toying with a couple of Ben Morgan and Zach Mercer call-ups and an appearance or two for Mark Wilson at the position, an alternative to Vunipola has not been found.
The size that Jones covets at the position is no secret and perhaps explains why Sam Simmonds continues to miss out on selection, but it doesn’t help explain the omissions of Alex Dombrandt or Teimana Harrison, especially with Vunipola now sidelined with a broken arm.
Dombrandt was exceptional for Harlequins in the 2018/19 season in what was a breakout campaign for the 22-year-old, whilst Harrison’s physicality with the ball in hand has been a big component of Northampton Saints’ rise back to prominence in the Gallagher Premiership. With neither included in England’s Guinness Six Nations squad, Jones is heading into the tournament without a designated No 8.
Continue reading below…
Watch: The Six Nations launch
He has options, though, with Lewis Ludlam, Ted Hill and Ben Earl featuring alongside the ‘Kamikaze Twins’, Sam Underhill and Tom Curry. None of that trio are a like-for-like replacement for Vunipola, although they do each offer a physical presence with ball in hand.
Perhaps the most obvious call is for Ludlam to start at No 8, with the Northampton back rower having been part of the group for the past year and the violence of his ball-carrying has proven to be a very valuable attribute for England, albeit with that impact coming off the bench more often than not during the recent Rugby World Cup. He works well alongside Curry and Underhill, adds further to their breakdown skill and even adds a mobility that Vunipola doesn’t.
Then there’s Earl, whose form for Saracens so far this season has been overwhelming. With their internationals being managed back into action and the salary cap furore of their own making that has surrounded them, Earl has stood tall and been counted on the pitch. Whether used as a flanker or at the base of the scrum, Earl’s ability to make tacklers miss and break arm tackles has seen him rampage through Premiership defences of late.
The Englishman has chosen himself a different running partnerhttps://t.co/oaxYNh4jmP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 24, 2020
The final option among the remaining back rows would be to move Hill into No 8 – or have him on the blindside and switch Curry to eight. Hill certainly ticks the physical box and he has previously played at lock and No 8 during his time in the Worcester Warriors academy and international age-grade sides. If you subscribe to the old school stereotypes of the respective back row positions, blindside is his true home, with the versatile loose forward a destructive tackler and a scything presence at attacking breakdowns.
Moving Courtney Lawes to six has also been mooted, with the lock certainly possessing the trust of Jones in the back row, especially with two mobile contact area specialists like Underhill and Curry prowling alongside him. At this point, Lawes or Ludlam would seem like the safest options for Jones, with both having been a part of this group at the Rugby World Cup and complemented the other players in the starting pack.
In previous seasons, this would have been a real cause for concern for England and Jones. Vunipola had become so vital to the team, Hughes’ club form didn’t quite translate to the international arena and with that lack of front-foot ball that would be able to be generated, a midfield loaded with the likes of Owen Farrell, George Ford, Jonathan Joseph and Henry Slade would look a lot less effective.
Incoming at Harlequins 🇿🇦 #GallagherPremiership #SuperRugby pic.twitter.com/UGp8tBu4RI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 24, 2020
This isn’t the England of previous seasons, though.
If you use the team’s highly successful Rugby World Cup last year as an example, England are no longer a side that has to rely on just one or two heavy ball-carriers to shoulder the gain-line burden. Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler have joined Mako Vunipola in the front row, with all three capable of providing go forward in the loose, Maro Itoje has regained the comfort with ball in hand that he had in age-grade rugby and both Curry and Underhill chip in significantly, too. Manu Tuilagi is back in the midfield also, providing England with a means over getting over the gain-line further from the ruck on slow ball.
The younger Vunipola’s impact at the Rugby World Cup shouldn’t be overlooked. He generated that quick ball and one or two metre gains close to the ruck and that was important, although it was also a tournament where he was considerably off of his best. Yet England still prospered all the way until the final.
It’s a shame that we do not get to see how Dombrandt would fare at international level or that the silky evasion skills of Simmonds are not put to the test, but this is an England team that is built to survive the loss of Vunipola, something that simply wasn’t true in seasons past.
It's an exhaustive read… here are some of the takeaways https://t.co/fHkuYZTI4A
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 24, 2020
That said, identifying a player that can deputise for and eventually compete with Vunipola is important for Jones and England. They won’t always be able to rely on a pack that is as influential in the loose, particularly with the ball in hand, as the current one is.
Maybe in the coming years that is Dombrandt. It’s almost certain that Jones will have had a word with the Harlequin and told him what he needs to work on in order to be involved in the future. Simmonds might be out of luck under Jones and have to hope for the next England coach to have a different set of desired skills in their ideal No 8, whilst Mercer will be an interesting one to watch when he returns from injury. The Bath man has added weight and yet he still remains as dynamic in the loose as he has always been.
Earl and Ludlam move around the back row at club level, but they could both potentially be viewed as long term eights at international level, or could Curry be that option, with Hill taking on more responsibilities on the blindside?
Further down the English rugby pyramid there are prospects such as Tom Willis, Izaiha Moore-Aino, Rus Tuima, Nahum Merigan and Jack Clement, the latter quartet of whom are a few years away from that conversation at the moment, whilst Andy Christie and Sam Moore are two players in need of more playing time to push their development on.
Whatever way Jones goes at the position over the next two months, it will certainly be one of the more talked about selection decisions in the build-up to the France game and beyond. The England squad is certainly in a better place to deal with it now than it was previously, although establishing some international experience in the nation’s other No 8 options wouldn’t go amiss for Jones.
Watch: Could Saracens’ salary cap scandal help New Zealand?
Comments on RugbyPass
SBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
3 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
11 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
11 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
3 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
3 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
11 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
11 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
3 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
3 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
11 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
11 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
11 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
11 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
11 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
11 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to comments