Fullback is best place for Elliot says Young
ELLIOT Daly has been selected to play for England against South Africa in his ‘best position’ of fullback – according to Wasps director of rugby Dai Young.
The 26-year-old will wear the 15 shirt on the occasion of his 22nd cap at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon while his club-mate Brad Shields starts from the blindside flank.
Daly fulfilled the role during the summer series defeat to South Africa but has subsequently been deployed at outside centre, wing and at 15 across his eight Wasps appearances this season.
“He’s international class at a number of positions and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for Elliot,” said Young, whose team selections have been hampered by injuries and Christian Wade’s retirement.
“I think he’s gone on record and been quite honest in club rugby he would rather play 13. He wants to play 13 but he’s more than happy to play in other positions.
“I’ve had him since he was a kid coming through. He’s quality in every position that he plays, there’s no doubts in my mind, but I’ve always believed he’s a real quality 15.
“Certainly in the first couple of seasons when I came on board he was bobbing back and forward between 15 and 13. A lot of the change over the past couple of seasons have been down to England coaches when they want to look at him at 13 or 15.”
Having made his first three international appearances in the centres, Jones showed faith in Daly as a winger as he went on to make 15 starts in the position scoring eight tries in the process – including a memorable winner against Wales in the 2016 Six Nations.
Daly’s potency in the wide channels was also favoured by British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who started the Englishman on the left wing in all three Tests against the All Blacks in 2017. “It was a surprise when Eddie picked him on the wing,” added Young. “But when you look at it, you’ve got a British and Irish Lion blindside wing and an international 15, but he wants to play 13. So it’s a bit of quandary. “But for us, he has never let us down in any position he has played but I personally believe, not that I am 100 per cent qualified to say it as an ex-forward, I believe 15 is his best position.” Having played much of his early career at fullback for Wasps, Daly started exclusively at outside centre for 86 club games between his start at fullback in March 2014 against Worcester Warriors before breaking the sequence against Leicester Tigers when Daly went from the wing in December 2017 Despite Daly’s fluidity in position switches coming during Jones’ England tenure, Young confirmed his selections are not steered in any way by discussions, the Australian. he sees He him said: where “There’s he sees him. He never tries to influence my selection and he has been open with Elliot that he doesn’t mind where he plays for Wasps. Certainly for a long period he saw him as a winger and now he sees him as a wing/fullback. “I don’t know how the discussions have gone around him playing 13. But he certainly doesn’t try and influence where we play him. He’s comfortable wherever we play him.”
ENGLAND STARTING XV: 15 Elliot Daly (Wasps, 21 caps), 14 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 26 caps), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps), 12 Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors, 13 caps), 11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 37 caps), 10 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 61 caps) co-captain, 9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 77 caps). 1 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs, 2 caps), 2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints, 93 caps) co-captain, 3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 13 caps), 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 22 caps), 5 George Kruis (Saracens, 25 caps), 6 Brad Shields (Wasps, 2 caps), 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 4 caps), 8 Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 4 caps). Replacements: 16 Jamie George (Saracens, 28 caps), 17 Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped), 18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps), 19 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 6 caps), 20 Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby, uncapped), 21 Danny Care (Harlequins, 81 caps), 22 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 47 caps), 23 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 26 caps).
I’ve had him since he was a kid... he’s quality in every position but I’ve always believed he’s a real quality 15. Dai Young