And was anonymous to awful, missing a third of his tackles. If anything SL was too loyal, when perhaps blooding Slade even if from the bench (instead of 12t) might have been a better idea.

Burgess is a wild card pick. Why not? 12t and Burrell had plenty if chances, SL should have binned them after the 6n and given SB and HS all 3 warm ups IMO.

Unfortunately for England, I think you’re right. No one under SL (or probably since Catt/Greenwood era), has even “owned” the 12 shirt.

SL has shown that in picking Burgess. He has the skills to become a properly internationally class 12 in the future, so he is risking it on him now. Barritt is the extremely reliable stop gap.

I have no idea whether SL has used any of the above rhetoric with respect to any one of Barritt, Burrell or Burgess, but it does raise the question that whether any of them has ever really “owned” the shirt in that particular way?

If one gets the opportunity to wear the shirt, and performs well then he “owns” it in the sense that he is proved to be the best in that position.

Just to put Englands selections in some perspective, the names of Trinh-Duc, Dusutoir, Horwill, White, Jayne, Dagg, Trimble, McFadden, Hibbard, Anscombe, Phillips, Jones, Cowan, Hamilton and Barclay, suggest (whatever one thinks of these players and their form) that England are not alone in attracting some criticism.

At least England have 31 players that are already qualified to play for them.

Nothing from Burrell was ever beyond adequate for an international centre, and therefore I don’t think he could ever have been classed as owning the shirt.

He’s a good player, but incomparable to the way others have owned other shirts around the pitch.