Picking England’s team to face France this weekend should, on the face of it, be the easiest job in rugby. Identify the most suitable replacement for the injured Maro Itoje in the second row, rubber-stamp the other 14 members of the starting XV responsible for beating Ireland in Dublin and, for once, head out for coffee without a care in the world.
In reality, it is not quite that simple, as underlined by the 35 names reporting back for training in Bagshot. Losing Itoje for the France and Wales games, if not slightly longer, is clearly an untimely blow but, in contrast to previous years, the talent pool presently available to Eddie Jones is close to overflowing in certain positions.
Listening to his forwards coach Steve Borthwick waxing lyrical about the ability of Itoje’s potential replacements, Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes, and the extraordinary work rate of his new back-rowers was particularly instructive. It is a sign of the times when the once-pivotal Chris Robshaw, now back fit for Harlequins, does not currently make Borthwick’s long list while Jamie George’s stellar performance in Ireland has also left Dylan Hartley with much to do to win back the hooker’s starting jersey.
Then there is the backline. Among those 35 names there is no space for talented centres like Jonathan Joseph, Joe Marchant, Alex Lozowski, Henry Trinder and Ryan Mills, to name but five who would interest most other international sides. In the back three there is now standing room only, with Joe Cokanasiga fully fit again, Chris Ashton hoping for more than a cameo role against France, Gloucester’s Ollie Thorley offering blinding pace, Mike Brown still pawing at the turf following his omission from the Dublin 23 and Bath’s Anthony Watson still waiting in the wings.
Which brings us back to the selectorial wheel of fortune. England largely stuck with the same starting lineup in the last Six Nations and finished fifth. At the back of Jones’s mind will also be the knowledge that this particular French test is arguably secondary to the World Cup pool game between the two countries in Japan this autumn. Does he show all his cards now or keep one or two things up his sleeve?
Into that category may come Cokanasiga, who Jones clearly rates and who made a major impression in the autumn. It would be no surprise at all to see him against Italy at Twickenham; equally England’s management do not want to squander the momentum gained in Dublin where Jonny May and Jack Nowell, in tandem with Elliot Daly (whose widely predicted switch from Wasps to Saracens next season has now been confirmed), were outstanding.
Ashton, too, will need a run at some stage if he is not to spontaneously combust with disappointment and the same applies to Dan Robson at scrum-half. Amid all the post-match English euphoria it required a heart of stone not to feel sorry for Wasps’ No 9, whose wait for a full cap goes on and on. There is a point where the benefits of treating players mean to keep them keen are replaced by the advantages of showing them a tiny bit of love.
It has now worked in the cases of Henry Slade and Mark Wilson, both of whom have repaid Jones’s belated faith in them as starting internationals. Wilson and his fellow flanker Tom Curry contributed 49 tackles between them in Dublin, while Wilson also made 33 clearouts at the breakdown. “What’s great is that I think they are improving,” said Borthwick, also citing Brad Shields, Ben Earl and Jack Clifford as potentially influential figures for England going forward. When Robshaw’s name was mentioned there were no guarantees forthcoming. “We want to have strength in depth and people competing for places. I am sure Chris will be desperate to be back in the England team.”
Hartley, at least, is back in Bagshot this week to have his fitness monitored while Nick Isiekwe has been drafted in as Itoje’s squad replacement but if England keep winning and their current starters stay fit the selection battle will become seriously intense. Listening to Wilson, fresh from a day back home in the north-east changing nappies and doing the school run, discussing what it means to represent England after waiting years for the privilege is also to be reminded how hard the incumbents will be to dislodge. “If you ask all the players here, it means a huge amount to play for your country,” said the Newcastle forward. “Everyone’s had different routes but we all want to do the best for that shirt.”
Forwards: Jack Clifford (Harlequins); Dan Cole (Leicester); Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter); Tom Curry (Sale); Ben Earl (Saracens); Ellis Genge (Leicester); Jamie George (Saracens); Nathan Hughes (Wasps); Nick Isiekwe (Saracens); George Kruis (Saracens); Joe Launchbury (Wasps); Courtney Lawes (Northampton; Ben Moon (Exeter); Brad Shields (Wasps); Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins) Jack Singleton (Worcester); Billy Vunipola (Saracens) Mako Vunipola (Saracens); Harry Williams (Exeter); Mark Wilson (Newcastle)
Backs: Chris Ashton (Sale); Mike Brown (Harlequins); Joe Cokanasiga (Bath); Elliot Daly (Wasps); Ollie Devoto (Exeter); Owen Farrell (Saracens) capt; George Ford (Leicester); Jonny May (Leicester); Jack Nowell (Exeter); Dan Robson (Wasps); Henry Slade (Exeter); Ben Te’o (Worcester); Ollie Thorley (Gloucester); Manu Tuilagi (Leicester); Ben Youngs (Leicester)