Kiwi Brad’s a threat to Eddie unity
ENGLAND united. That’s what Eddie Jones wants in South Africa next month. The head coach is concerned about a lack of unity in the ranks, but the danger is that his selection of Brad Shields could exacerbate the problem.
Here is a group of players with something in common; Don Armand, Gary Graham, Jono Ross, Ben Curry, Zach Mercer, Jamie Gibson and Teimana Harrison. They are all backrowers omitted from the tour squad who have played well enough to be included.
When Jones revealed the 34 men chosen for the three-Test series against the Springboks, Armand’s absence from the list prompted incredulity. He has been a colossal presence in Exeter’s latest title charge; excelling week after week after week against domestic rivals, at blindside and openside. The others mentioned above have all made compelling cases too, but instead Jones has opted to fasttrack Kiwi flanker Shields.
Some of the New Zealand Rugby Union’s posturing on the matter, in relation to releasing the player to a rival nation, has been ludicrous but they were quite entitled to wonder why England could not find players in their own country.
The Kiwis will have enjoyed making fun of the RFU for what they will perceive as an act of desperation. Jones will select anyone he wishes who is eligible, so it is up to the union to intervene on behalf of the development systems they oversee.
Shields is a very fine player in Super Rugby, but will that translate to a very different environment over here? Wasps certainly hope and believe he will, when he joins them, but time will tell.
Armand and Co have justified a place in the appropriate arena. Shields has not.
Which leads us back to the unity factor. It would be human nature if some of the chosen men found it difficult to accept a hastily promoted newcomer, while club- mates they have trained with, played with and shared international dreams with are stuck on the outside.
It may not even cause a ripple, but there is a chance it could, which may not help stand-in captain Owen Farrell’s task of forging a collective spirit.
Meanwhile, Jones has brought in a fellow Australian Scott Wisemantel to act as England’s attack coach on the tour. Ideally, that important job should have gone to a homegrown candidate — Ali Hepher, Sam Vesty or Dave Walder.
Once again, the RFU should be promoting Englishmen. IN LIGHT of their recent Grand Slam and Leinster’s feats in Europe, Ireland should be going to Australia next month with the objective of beating the Wallabies 3-0. The host nation — who were whitewashed at home by England two years ago — are surely there for the taking. Michael Cheika will need to do some miraculous work to repair the morale of his players, given the ordeals they are going through in Super Rugby. The losing run against New Zealand franchises was extended to 39 games at the weekend, when the Waratahs contrived to throw away a 29-0 lead to lose 31-29 against the Crusaders. That meek surrender suggests a chronic mental block against the Kiwis, as ex-England lock Geoff Parling has identified since joining the Rebels in Melbourne. Yet Australia’s problems are not limited to trans-Tasman torment. The Reds were walloped by the Japanese Sunwolves on Friday. That is a calamitous result. Cheika has an almighty task on his hands to prevent Ireland from putting his side to the sword.