Eddie ponders Farrell switch
QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Arsenal v Tottenham Leicester/Saints v Man City/Fulham Middlesbrough v Burton Chelsea v Bournemouth ENGLAND are toying with the possibility of moving Owen Farrell to fly-half for Saturday’s Test against South Africa.
Farrell, who will co-captain the team with Dylan Hartley, has started in his Saracens position just twice under Eddie Jones but the England coach is considering breaking up his established midfield axis with George Ford.
“We know we can play with George and Owen at No10 and 12 and we know what sort of game that gives us” said Jones. “We need to come up with different combinations and be tactically more flexible.”
Ford lost the No10 jersey to Danny Cipriani for the third Test against the Springboks in the summer and has yet to hit top form for Leicester this season.
“I play with George at 10 at my club but I must have known Owen now since playing a warm-up Under-20s game against Oxford Students. It’s not like you don’t know these guys,” said wing Jonny May.
“It’s just developing that understanding between the guys. The way the team play is the same. It doesn’t matter who starts at No10.”
Jack Nowell will be named on the other wing when Jones reveals his hand today, returning to the side for the first time since last season’s Calcutta Cup defeat.
England are set to name a callow back row with just six Test caps between them.