Chance for England to seize upon Farrell exit by fixing central flaw
OWEN FARRELL’S removal from the England selection picture heightens the need for Steve Borthwick to solve the midfield muddle which has hampered the national team for so long.
The choice of a No 10 successor is only one part of the equation and Borthwick is more likely to opt for George Ford over Marcus Smith. Control and pragmatism will remain bedrocks of the regime, but with the Six Nations starting in less than four weeks, the entire core of England’s back line is in a state of flux and uncertainty.
During the recent World Cup, the centre combination for five of the national team’s seven matches was Manu Tuilagi at 12 and Joe Marchant alongside him. Now, Tuilagi is recovering from the umpteenth groin injury of his career, with an uncertain return date, and Marchant is unavailable while he plays for Stade Francais in Paris. There is no prospect of that flawed overseas player policy changing any time soon.
So England need a new midfield alliance and, crucially, Borthwick won’t have the temptation to turn to the old fall-back option of the twoplaymaker model, with Ford at 10 and Farrell at inside centre, as a square peg in a round hole. He reverted to that against Samoa in Lille and England almost came unstuck.
Two bona fide centres will line up side by side. Balance is key, with power and pace, distribution and kicking prowess — not to mention defensive dependability — the broad repertoire which must be fulfilled by the pair. Borthwick should focus on the here-andnow task of launching a decent Six Nations campaign for the first time since 2020, which means rewarding form. That in turn means Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade. Between them, there are enough complementary attributes. Lawrence can punch holes, but also make outside breaks. Slade can kick and pass. He is also highly experienced and motivated. They can both tackle. They are both absolutely flying.
England cannot function as an attacking force if they don’t have fluency in midfield and it has often been a disjointed area for them, for far too long.
They can’t just bash, they have to dash too, which is why it makes sense to have the electric Will Joseph ready to be unleashed from the bench, with either Lawrence or Slade capable of working with him against a tiring defence late in the game. Expect Ford at 10, with Alex Mitchell to continue at scrum-half, given his supreme exploits of late. Lawrence and Slade together in midfield, Freddie Steward at full back, so that leaves the wings.
It’s time to be bold and, again, guided by form. Tommy Freeman on one side and Joe Cokanasiga on the other. And having beaten Wales to the services of Immanuel FeyiWaboso, England should have him in mind for a debut in the near future. There must be space for X-factor. Always.