BROWN SHOULDN’T BE PICKED ON WING

THE selection of Mike Brown on the wing is the big question mark in Eddie Jones’s team to take on South Africa tomorrow. Of all the matches I’d have stuck with Brown at full back, this is the one. Brown divides opinion, but I understand why Eddie has been so loyal to him. He is physical, passionate, in your face and on his day a very fine Test full back. At Ellis Park, with the home crowd baying and a few ‘bombs’ coming down from the stratosphere, I would be more than happy to see him at full back. But that’s it. For me he’s a 15 or he doesn’t play. I have seen nothing from him to suggest he can operate at the top level on the wing. He looked uncomfortable there during Stuart Lancaster’s first season in charge. Now he’s in the latter stages of his career and not as quick. Just to labour the point, down in the south of France Chris Ashton will be on the beach. I see no reason why he isn’t involved — and I wonder what Christian Wade makes of it. The backs concern me. Elliot Daly is versatile, but his best position is outside centre, rather than full back. Daly is a great player and might just pull it off but it’s asking a lot of him to immediately settle in after playing in other positions.

It was probably close between Henry Slade and Alex Lozowski at 13. I am a fan of both and they will continue to dispute the position, but I’m disappointed there is no place for Danny Cipriani. There is no point bringing him on tour unless he is given game time. His selection for this tour is looking like tokenism to me. Ford and Youngs are a tried-and-tested combination so let’s see if they deliver.

If it doesn’t work, Eddie should ring the changes for the second Test. Up front all the Saracens guys are on fire and you would expect England to base forward effort on the five Sarries selected. I’m glad Chris Robshaw has been given a chance to defend his position at blindside flanker. South Africa is the kind of heavy-duty physical match he enjoys. Tom Curry impresses me but this is a massive test for the young flanker. Remember he is young enough to be playing at the Junior World Cup in France this week. We will know by the end of this tour if he is England’s solution to their No 7 problem.