EDDIE PUTS FAITH IN FARRELL
Skipper told ‘you’ve got a big job to do’ after being given No10 spot
JUST like the 2015 World Cup, Owen Farrell has been restored to the fly-half throne for England’s biggest game.
This time, though, his promotion has come with orders from on high to be more player and less captain.
Eddie Jones’ decision to bench a “disappointed” George Ford for tomorrow’s quarter-final showdown against Australia caused surprise.
Ford has caught the eye at No10 in this tournament and has started six of England’s past seven Tests.
There is also the not inconsiderable matter of Farrell having yet to produce his best in Japan.
His performance last time out was described as “clunky” by attack coach Scott Wisemantel.
But Jones labelled his 28-year-old skipper a “warrior” after a campaign in which he has taken two red-card shots to his head.
He also revealed he had sat down with Farrell and told him to focus more on himself than on worrying about the rest of the team.
Jones said: “I feel like sometimes, earlier in the tournament, Owen spent too much time in the captaincy area and not enough on his own individual prep.
“As captain and goal-kicker he’s got quite a big job for us. The responsibility of being captain at a World Cup is much larger than normal Test matches.
“You’re bringing a group of 31 players together for eight or nine weeks and he’s the father of that group, so to speak.
“As you go on as a captain you learn how to get the balance right. But the ability to delegate, to know what to say to players, is a challenging experience for a young guy like him.
“We’ve had a chat about it and I’ve seen a real change in that this week.”
Farrell accepts that delivering a performance on the field is a “big part” of leadership. “I think Eddie’s just checking on me,” he said. “Making sure I’m not getting caught up in other things.”
Farrell’s selection at No10 is part of a bigger tactical shift, even if the focus of attention for many pundits yesterday was on the fact Ford had also been demoted from England’s two big matches at the last World Cup – both of which they lost.
The reshuffle allows Manu Tuilagi to move further infield and Henry Slade to come in for his first England start since March.
This was the 10-12-13 combination that did such damage to Grand Slam holders Ireland in Dublin in February.
Jones clearly wants to see a repeat of that display in Oita.
“Samu Kerevi is a damaging ball carrier for them,” he said.
“We need to defend with brutality and when we have the ball we need to play on top of them.”
Alongside Kerevi, the Wallabies have decided to select 19-year-old Jordan Petaia.
And Jones wasted little time in trying to exert a bit of pressure on the Australian rookie.
“I’ve seen enough of him to know he can play a bit, but it’s going to be a big occasion for the boy,” said England’s head coach.
“He will be playing a quarter-final in front of 40,000 people. You know you don’t get another day.
“For a young player you can rise to the occasion or otherwise find it difficult.This is
the day.”