Joe shows the X-factor of an England star

WOW, that was a real smell-the-coffee weekend. With the England squad announcement later this week, we witnessed one of the best Tests I’ve seen in a long time when South Africa beat the All Blacks in Wellington, then Argentina defeated Australia on the Gold Coast. Those two games and what lies ahead over the next 12 months have turned the rugby world on its axis and point the way to an incredibly competitive World Cup in Japan next year. There was a ferocity, athleticism and excellence in Wellington that should act as an important wake-up call for everyone involved in English rugby, the Premiership clubs and the RFU, as Eddie casts a final eye over the talent available before that squad announcement on Thursday. What we saw in New Zealand is the level of rugby that will be required to make any impact in Japan and England need individuals capable of rising to that level of intensity; players who can not only play but flourish and excel at that pace and most importantly handle the pressure. Two newish players who fit that bill caught my eye over the weekend but alas only one is eligible for England. Joe Cokanasiga (right) looks the full package and Eddie has already clocked him and had him in his squads. The next step is pulling the jersey on. He is big and strong but very fast and agile, with good off-loading skills in contact. But he also has some X-factor. The agility and body awareness he showed scoring the first try for Bath against Quins and indeed the disallowed try a couple of minutes later were extraordinary. I was heartened to hear afterwards that he practises those jack-knife finishes on crash mats in midweek, perfecting the art of touching down while his legs are in the air over the touchline. It’s a fantastic skill. As for Jake Polledri, he is a force of nature, an incredibly explosive ball-carrier who takes three or four defenders with him every time and is a very strong presence in the tackle area. I can’t believe England let him through the net to join Italy. I played against his father Peter — a Bristol legend — many times and he was a great flanker. His son is stronger and faster but has inherited his father’s rugby nous. Jake was talent-spotted by the Italy Under 20s four or five years ago — his grandfather is Italian — so you can only say well done to Italy for nicking him. But why didn’t the much-vaunted England age-group system and club academies pick him up? Polledri would go straight into the England team at present as a seven.