The dark nights and cold weather may have arrived but the start of autumn means that International rugby is back! Over the next month there’s so much top flight rugby to enjoy starting this weekend with Wales hosting Australia and Ireland taking on the All Blacks in Chicago. Of course England’s campaign arrives next Saturday at Twickenham and it’s fair to say that Eddie Jones, and his team, have plenty of thinking to do before taking on South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia.
When it comes to England injuries are the main word on everyone’s lips right now and while the short term situation (with ten front line players out) isn’t ideal there will be a long term benefit. I’ve said it before and it’s time to say it again, I believe that the current situation it isn’t as bleak as many believe. Instead it will just require some careful handling by England’s management and personally I’m intrigued to see the decisions that they make.
In my eye this autumn is a greater test of England’s head coach’s, and his team’s, experience than we’ve seen before. On limited contact time with the squad they needs to make the big calls and ensure that those calls are the right ones. One area that will be occupying a spot of thinking time will be the second-row and back-row mix. Kruis, Itoje, Robshaw, Haskell and Vunipola gave England everything that they needed in those two areas from an impeccable lineout to high intensity work rate, defensive impact and immense ball carrying. With Kruis, Itoje and Haskell out of the mix the question is how do you achieve all of those elements again with the personnel available?
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In terms of the second-row Joe Launchbury and Dave Attwood are two highly experienced Test players but they are very similar to each other. Both are physical athletes that provide high intensity carrying and physicality around the park. Yet if you pair them together you’d probably want someone else in the back row that’s efficient at the lineout to provide another option in that area and in that case you could argue that Tom Wood is your go-to man. Of course there are other pieces to this puzzle; first the fitness of Courtney Lawes, second the presence of Charlie Ewels in the squad and finally, Teimana Harrison. Ewels I expect wouldn’t be thrown in against South Africa. He’s growing match on match but the Springboks, even in their current state, are intimidating opponents particularly in the pack. The question regarding Lawes is whether to not you can afford to put him straight into the XV off the back of a knee injury given how physical the game is likely to be? Finally what of Northampton Saints' Teimana Harrison? Let’s not forget that he was given the shepherds crook after just half-an-hour in Australia, yet recently Eddie Jones hailed the forward for delivering the best performance from an 7 in the Premiership. Does he have the attributes to fit into the mix? There's Nathan Hughes to think about too because he has the ability to play at six and so does Billy. As you can see the options, and questions are plentiful, and only England’s coaching team can answer them.
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In my eyes England’s back line is much more settled and therefore causing fewer headaches. Obviously there will be changes out wide but as far as I can see it elsewhere it should be ‘as you were’. The George Ford and Owen Farrell partnership at 10 and 12 may have started off as an interim solution but now it’s integral to the national side’s output and both players simply have to be on the field. Farrell shows us at Saracens his prowess at fly-half but in my book the combination of the two provides England more than if you just had Farrell at 10 and another option at 12. Out wide it will be up to what is occurring on the field in Portugal. Without a doubt Semesa Rokoduguni has put down a very strong marker with his club form but we know that Eddie Jones is a fan of Marland Yarde’s potential and that the Australian doesn’t listen to any outside opinions when it comes to selection. On the other wing Jonny May looks set for a Test return, unless Mike Haley impresses, and if May is given the nod I hope that the Gloucester winger really steps up to the task.
Eddie Jones highlighted on his recent interview with England Rugby TV that he will select his 23 by Friday. The challenge of this opening Test is an interesting one, not only due to the elements discussed above but due to the Springboks’ current situation. Without a doubt South Africa aren’t the the force that they once were but despite their Rugby Championship issues you can’t write them off fully.
England’s preparation time is limited but their motivation will be high. The standards expected of them are being raised daily and given the players on this sidelines this block of four fixtures presents this squad with an opportunity. The opportunity is for them to show the rest of the rugby world how strong their resources are and in doing so continue to take further steps forwards towards 2019.
