In the first of a new regular column picking out some of Rugby’s key talking points, Henry Ker reveals that he’s losing sleep over England’s pack.
The Six Nations is just around the corner. Following England’s victorious grand slam effort and an unbeaten 2016, you would have thought Eddie Jones’ side would be in a great place to take the title again.
Oh how quickly things can change in rugby. Two announcements on Monday turned my concerns into genuine worries. James Haskell and Jack Clifford are both missing the Portugal training camp and likely the first test against France, and suddenly Eddie Jones has some real problems to sort out before the opener on the 4th of February. The key to England’s winning run last year was some huge efforts from his pack – they ran an impeccable line out and tackled and carried themselves into the ground, allowing the backs the best possible ball and space to use it in. Now injury, and indiscipline, has struck.
In 2016, his first choice backrow was Robshaw, Haskell and Billy Vunipola. This year, Robshaw and Vunipola are out. Haskell, back after seven months, lasted 35 seconds on his return, managed 55 minutes at the weekend but looks to have suffered a recurrence of his toe injury, which has delayed his involvement with the England squad. Jack Clifford – capped a few times last year and a prime candidate to fill in for Haskell – is also missing the training camp after a chest injury.
These issues aren’t in isolation, however – the front row has its own problems. Mako Vunipola is ruled out, Joe Marler is likely to miss at least the start and Dylan Hartley, because of his ban, is having to do ‘test match conditions simulations’ to try and prove he is up to the required level of physical fitness (ignoring any other kind of rustiness which creeps in when a player is sat on the sidelines for an extended period).
George Kruis is still waiting to return from his cheekbone injury as well.
That’s six of his likely starting eight either crocked on having played no rugby for a long time – plus a further two of the likely replacements. England are unique with the strength in depth they have, not surprising given the number of qualified players they have, but numbers don’t necessarily equate to quality.
Jones could be forgiven for scratching his head and going ‘bloody hell’. So what now?
Well let’s get this out of the way – Dylan Hartley (if he passes those tests) starts. Jones has publicly commented on the lack of leaders within the group, so the 78-cap captain has to play. That missing backrow includes 157 caps of experience – not to mention extensive leadership in the form of a former England captain, a club captain and a current England vice-captain. Jamie George may be the better hooker at the moment, but right now England need their captain and leader desperately.
In the backrow, Hughes is a pretty similar player to Vunipola and did well against Australia, although he hasn’t yet performed to Billy’s level. He comes in at eight.
But who plays on the flanks? The options are Tom Wood, the uncapped Mike Williams and the so far unconvincing Teimana Harrison. The case for switching Maro Itoje to the backrow has never looked so attractive.
And it is one I think Jones will take. The quality of locks at his disposal far outweighs that of his backrow options, so Itoje has to play six. This allows him to keep two great players from the Autumn tests, Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes, in the row and allow Kruis a bench spot as he gets back to full match fitness.
Tom Wood takes the seven shirt. Realistically, with the injuries, and Harrison’s inability to convince he is test match quality, it has to be the safe option. This French pack would ask questions of any forward, so it is not the right time to be gambling on Harrison finally making the grade or on a new cap like Williams. Wood’s 44 caps and leadership credentials are also very valuable right now.
That just leaves the loosehead. And in the same vein as Tom Wood, it has to be Matt Mullan starting. His meagre 13 caps suddenly look like a king’s ransom and he will at least offer steadiness, if few fireworks in the loose. Ellis Genge (all fireworks and no steadiness) is likely to make the bench. The scrum, particularly against Ireland and France, really concerns me.
I think this is going to be the biggest test yet faced by Eddie Jones’ England. Forget Argentina with 14 men, or Australia on their home turf – winning the Six Nations, with away matches in Ireland and Wales, with so many first-choice forwards injured or below their best. Test match rugby is all about fine margins, and if England are even 5% below their best, teams like Ireland will take the game. There is still a decent pack there, but whether it is enough to keep Eddie’s unbeaten run going, I feel hope rather than certainty.
My starting pack for the France game:
1. Mullan
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Launchbury
5. Lawes
6. Itoje
7. Wood
8. Hughes
What do you think?
By Henry Ker
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
Have to concur. I’d hoped this Six Nations, with a fully fit England, would be one of our best ever. With the lions around the corner and the form of England and Ireland so high,the standard of the the whole competition would be raised. England forward injuries make them an inknown quantity and it remains to be seen whether they can pull it off. If they do, it will be great testiment to EJ’s philosophy and depth.
Can’t see a Grand Slam this year with Ireland away and so many first choice players out.
Sure we have some decent replacements, but they are not the same level as the guys missing and are really going to have to step up if England are to have even a small chance of keeping their win streak intact.
On the plus side though, it looms like EJ will have his pick of backs, with Nowell and Watson back and looking sharp
You would think England are the only team with injury problems !, only difference is they have a much bigger player base to pick replacements than any of the other nations so I don’t see the relevance of this article.
This is an article discussing England selection. Of course England is not the only team to suffer with injuries, but other countries’ injury problems are irrelevant to this particular debate.
You would. If you only read this article, which helpfully is given a title referring to England.
I’m not hugely concerned. 1) The sensible replacements all seem to be acquiring form 2) The data indicates most tries are scored from Lineout’s – either from mauls or from starter moves – I’d suggest England’s injury problem has left a stronger lineout with broader options and speed – both on the floor and into the air 3) we have the most potent bench in the tournament still – Suggesting Kruis, Sinckler and Genge are incumbent, they will up the tempo and provide impacts that none of the other teams are capable of. This is a test of depth as well, one we need to build a solid platform for a run at NZ in 2018 and the RWC in 2019. I am excited about the challenge, not dismayed; although there are well thought out arguments for some uncertainty and fear, I think the evidence of England’s evolution, culture and hunger for achievement which will be fully formed in the squad now.
I disagree about Ireland’s perceived lack of strength in depth, in the forwards anyway.
The front row really worries me. Hartley is about the fourth or fifth best hooker around, Cole doesn’t take anybody apart and I don’t think Mullan is anywhere near international class. Sinkler and Genge are promising but French front rows tend to be experienced and gnarly. If we have to do a lot of scrummaging we could well get badly mangled. Logically we therefore need to avoid the tight and get lots of quick ball to the backs but with Youngs at scrum half that won’t happen.
I’m not too worried. Marler will likely only miss France, and we’re the solid there again.
We have our pick of locks back, and with Itoje moving to 6 (probably), I don’t think our pack is much weaker. Missing the Vunipolas may affect our carrying, but I do think Itoje and Hughes, with Launhcbury probably starting too, we should be covered in that area.
23 for me (assuming Marler gets fit):
Marler, Hartley, Cole, Kruis, Launchbury, Itoje, Haskell, Hughes, Youngs, Ford, Nowell, Farrel, Joseph, Watson, Daly.
George, Genge, Sinkler, Lawes, Clifford, Care, Slade, May
I think we’ll see Brown in there, with Daly on the bench over May – but I’d much prefer to see the above.
I presume you mean for after the France game?
I think with the changes going on in the forwards it’s good to keep continuity in the backs and keep Brown at 15. Maybe with 20 minutes to go if the game is going well start experimenting with Watson/Daly at FB.
The only thing I would change would be to start George instead of Hartley.
In fact if he wasn’t the captain I would have Taylor on the bench instead of Hartley. I still maintain that your captain should be the one person who is the best in their position and has to start as a result. Hartley is definitely not the best in his position, but he has proved to be a good captain.
Absolutely. Cieran Fitzgerald as captain of the 1983 Lions springs to mind. Hartley is behind at least three England qualified hookers on ability.
So in a pack without three of the leadership group in Robshaw, Vunipola & Haskell (157 caps) you want to drop the remaining experienced Leader.
In the long run I agree George is the future but not until we have the leadership of the forwards rock solid.
Personally I think with players like Launchbury, Kruis, Itoje, George, Wood and Cole there should be enough experience to cope without Hartley. Most of these players have experience at being a captain either at club level or at age group international level. I know it’s not quite the same level of intensity, but if you made Farrell the captain and then made Launchbury, George or Itoje a vice captain I don’t think there would be an issue. The backs have plenty of experienced heads in Youngs, Farrell Joseph and Brown.
Totally agree Dazza. Put your best players on the pitch and trust them to do the job.
Leadership qualities need to be considered. Leaders may not perform as well as other personally but they lift the performance of others around them and improve the teams decision making. Therefore the team as a whole is better even though they are not the best player in their position
I see your point Leon, tend to agree with it and I can think of some other sports where that’s the case, mainly cricket. But for the life of me I cannot think of a successful
rugby team whose captain wasn’t the best player in his position. This may be my memory though so happy to be proved wrong!
If I were Eddie, I’d name Itoje captain today and stick with him for at least the rest of 2017…..
It will be a test for England and EJ that the latter should relish!
What better way to be stretched with a world cup not too far away on the distant horizon than have half your 1st choice pack on the sick couch.
Worse scenarios happen at world cups so suck it up and suck it in Eddie. Use the opportunity and if at all possible ENJOY it! If you can survive this 6 nations you’ll survive anything!
He’ll have rustled up a few player options in the meantime!
True about the WC. Sure, look at NZ in the 2011, for the final they were down to basically their fifth choice outhalf, someone who’d been on a fishing holiday 2 weeks before iirc!
Pack looks ok to me. As stated ‘England are unique with the strength in depth they have’, so what’s the problem? They are also @ home, so likely to get the penalty count in their favour too.
That EJ’s stuck with a fudge IMO @ open side is of his own making.But as it’s team game & England’s policy is a collective @ the breakdown, 1 player here is just that 1 player, albeit of a different name.
Likewiswe @ lock, most seem so mesmerised by Itoje, that Lawes & Launchbury get overlooked. They both look pretty handy to me, so not a bad thing to have forced rotation methinks.
Ditto @ 8. Is Billy all singing, dancing? Let Hughes see what HE can do.
Regards the England captain, he’s in because of his INFLUENCE.