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What happened to the 8 uncapped England players chosen last January for the start of the 2020 Six Nations
The world was a very different place when England boss Eddie Jones last named a squad for the start of a Guinness Six Nations. Unlike this Friday, when he will announce a squad of just 28 for the 2021 championship due to restrictions agreed with the RFU, January 20 last year was a time of plenty for the England coach.
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Just eleven weeks after a World Cup final defeat to South Africa in Yokohama, he decided the 2020 Six Nations offered ample opportunity to evolve his England squad and just 22 who were with him at the finals in the Far East were included in the 34-man squad chosen to successfully wrest back the Six Nations title from Wales.
A host of big names missed out, including Dan Cole, Ben Spencer and Mark Wilson, as Jones opted to give his squad a fresh look by picking eight uncapped players for a championship that began with a warm-weather camp in Portugal before the opening game away to France.
Circumstances are very different twelve months later with the pandemic taking its toll on rugby in England. Jones himself is currently self-isolating after his forwards coach Matt Proudfoot tested positive for the virus and with his squad pick limited to just 28, a squeeze had been put on bolters making the cut.
Only Wasps finisher Paolo Odogwu, who is being courted by Italy, has been speculated as a rookie inclusion in contrast to a year ago when fresh energy coursed through the England squad when Jones unveiled his 2020 Six Nations pick.
BOLTER: Eddie Jones’ scope to experiment when he names England’s Guinness Six Nations squad has been severely restricted, but there may be at least one surprise. https://t.co/zmHvzlKvZ0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 21, 2021
With five of the eight newcomers going on to share 23 caps between them (four starts/19 sub appearances), RugbyPass reflects on how the year panned out, assessing the impact they individually had at Test level during the nine-match England calendar and whether they now merit inclusion in Jones’ streamlined squad of 28 for the 2021 Six Nations which starts on February 6 at home to Scotland.
TOM DUNN: Called up in January, it wasn’t until the delayed October Six Nations finale in Rome that the 28-year-old Bath hooker made his Test debut. He got just three minutes off the bench with the title-clinching result already decided against Italy but still managed a ten-metre gain from two carries.
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Two further cameos from the bench followed in the Nations Cup, 16 minutes versus Georgia, where he made five tackles and carried twice for a single metre, and a token one minute against Ireland before fit-again Luke Cowan-Dickie was drafted in to provide the bench back-up to Jamie George against Wales and France.
The specialist nature of the hooking position should see Jones pick three on Friday, but Dunn will have his work cut out to demand game time in the weeks ahead.
BEN EARL: Chosen ahead of Alex Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds at a time when his then Saracens teammate Billy Vunipola was injured, Earl, who turned 23 earlier this month, was a success story, going on to earn eight caps either side of a summer loan switch to Bristol.
The back row’s debut came off the bench at Murrayfield during the storm-affected encounter with Scotland and he used his 16-minute cameo to good effect, carrying twice for 16 metres in a contest settled by Ellis Genge’s 69th-minute try.
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Earl’s big challenge in 2021 is to finally start a game for England as all eight of his caps have come as a replacement, but the extra-time period in the recent Autumn Nations Cup final meant we got to see more of what he can do in a Test game.
His 57 minutes in that Twickenham decider produced a 45-metre gain off four carries, six tackles and one turnover win, an encouraging contribution compared to the four metres from one carry, nine tackles and zero turnovers managed by Sam Underhill, the openside he replaced.
ALEX MOON: The call-up twelve months ago wasn’t the start of something special for the 24-year-old Northampton lock who had only signed his first senior contract at Franklin’s Gardens in February 2019.
He remains uncapped and his main opportunity for an introductory England appearance was scuppered when the non-cap October friendly versus the Barbarians was cancelled after he had earned inclusion in the 32-strong matchweek squad.
Come the Autumn Nations Cup, it was uncapped clubmate David Ribbans, the 25-year-old from South Africa, who was making the start-of-week England squads.
"He thought the tackle potentially could have broken his leg… his whole career flashed in front of him"
"The Exeter players were laughing at him, saying things to the effect of stop being a pussy"#GallagherPrem #GuinnessSixNations https://t.co/GivqijOK8V
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 20, 2021
WILL STUART: With veteran Cole deemed surplus to requirement, the spotlight turned to the 24-year-old tighthead to provide the bench back-up to Kyle Sinckler and he didn’t disappoint, going on to win eight caps and claim a start in the November Nations Cup win over Georgia.
England’s scrum had their work cut-out that day versus the proud scrummaging Eastern Europeans but Stuart, the front-rower who joined Bath in 2019 from Wasps, left pleased with his 48 minutes.
Unlike Sinckler, who likes to get on the ball often, Stuart is cut more from the ball-aversive Cole mould but he still showed some scent for a carry, managing 15 metres from four runs during his three most recent caps from the bench.
He should now be of major focus in the lead-up to Six Nations round one. Sinckler is suspended and that leaves the prop in line for a second-ever Test start.
FRASER DINGWALL: Similar to Northampton colleague Moon, 2020 Six Nations squad selection wasn’t the thrill it could have been for the 21-year-old midfielder who remains uncapped and described himself as “not the most genetically gifted” in a RugbyPass interview. Was kept in the squad throughout February but missed the week of the Wales game, benching instead for Saints in what was their last pre-lockdown outing.
Chosen in October’s training squads prior to the call-off versus the Barbarians, he didn’t feature afterwards for England with Worcester’s Ollie Lawrence, another 21-year-old, emerging with a flourish to earn his debut cap and look the real deal in his three appearances.
GEORGE FURBANK: Out of all the eight rookies included by Jones last January, it was the Northampton full-back who swiftly won the jackpot as injury to Elliot Daly paved the way for the 24-year-old to wear the England No15 shirt away to France. The conditions at Stade de France were awkward for back three players and were even worse the following week when he started again versus Scotland.
While he kicked for a total of 252 metres and made 53 metres when running seven possessions, three knock-ons and the concession of a pair of turnovers against the French suggested he wouldn’t hold the starting jersey with Daly fit.
He eventually got his third start in the re-arranged game versus Italy, kicking for a massive 214 metres, but while picked in initial Nations Cup squad and touted as a credible plan B at out-half, a concussion on club duty ensured his cap tally remained at three with plenty to do if he is to close the gap on first-choice Daly.
Mike Umaga has spoken about his son Jacob's involvement in recent England training camps#AutumnNationsCup #ENGvFRAhttps://t.co/bmDehVXh6Y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 3, 2020
OLLIE THORLEY: Much excitement accompanied the 24-year-old’s inclusion but it wasn’t until the rearranged Six Nations title-clinching finale in Italy that the Gloucester flyer, who finished the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season as the league’s top try-scorer, was granted his Test debut.
With England struggling to rack up the handsome win necessary to earn them the title, Thorley was given 28 minutes but had limited involvement, clocking 14 metres form three runs.
Was touted by Jones in November a potential hybrid player – he ran as a flanker during training while flanker Earl was seen as a centre option – but nothing came of it as he finished out the Nations Cup weekend playing for Gloucester, with whom he signed a contract extension in December.
JACOB UMAGA: The 22-year-old nephew of ex-All Blacks skipper Tana has had a lengthy apprenticeship under Jones who has yet to give him a debut cap. Umaga came on a ton at Wasps, scoring an exceptional try in the October Premiership final, but Jones reckoned his Test-level development will take time.
“Number 10s are like sushi chefs. As a sushi chef, you have got a lifetime’s ambition to be good. It generally takes you about ten years before you can start making sushi. Number 10s are the same. Umaga’s at the start of the apprenticeship and he might graduate very quickly and be able to make sushi at the corner stall and then he might be able to make sushi at a five-star restaurant.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to comments