. . . BUT CAPTAIN AT INSIDE CENTRE IS KEY FOR ENGLAND TO WIN WORLD CUP

IF I had to pick a World XV to play for my life tomorrow, I’d probably opt for Owen Farrell at fly-half. Farrell runs the show at fly-half for Saracens and they have dominated the Premiership and Europe in recent years. If you consider the position in isolation, he is the best No 10 in England with George Ford a very close second. Many England supporters probably share that view — and I’ve seen some social media chat this week arguing Farrell is being wasted at No 12 — yet I 100 per cent support Eddie Jones’s decision to play Ford at 10 with Farrell at 12. It might

seem counter-intuitive but it’s about getting the best out of the team. England will only win the World Cup if the Ford-Farrell combination is allowed to flourish and bring our exciting backs into play, like they did in the warm-up game against Ireland at Twickenham. The first-choice midfield — Ford, Farrell and Manu Tuilagi — has been set in stone since Manu’s return to full fitness. That combination gets the best out of England’s strike power, the likes of Elliot Daly, Jonny May and Anthony Watson and impact players Joe Cokanasiga and Jack Nowell. Getting that midfield combination right is significantly more important to England’s World Cup hopes than the fitness of Billy Vunipola. My thinking is that regardless of Farrell’s ability at 10, he is also the best option at No 12, a position which has haunted England for years. Farrell, in pure rugby terms, is a better 12 than Henry Slade, who has barely played in the last five months. Slade has ability but he has run into injury problems at a bad time and, although there have been cameos for England, he has not yet replicated his Exeter form. So the equation is simple. Which is the strongest combination to give England a shot at winning the World Cup? Farrell at 10 and Slade at inside centre or Ford at 10 with Farrell at 12? It is the latter every time. There are other positives from combining their talents this way. Farrell is now the skipper and goal-kicker and therefore much better off at 12 because he is not involved in every decision, which he would be at fly-half. It gives him a moment to breathe. We haven’t seen the absolute best from this combination attack-wise so far in Japan but frankly they haven’t needed to. Farrell is biding his time. With four Premiership titles in five years at Sarries and three European Cups, he knows when it’s showtime.