On the bench Hartley left out for first time as Jones rings the changes
George told that Samoa place is not permanent Robshaw and Ford to be ‘co-captains’ tomorrow
Eddie Jones has confirmed that Dylan Hartley will captain England during the Six Nations Championship despite handing a first start to Lions hooker Jamie George for the final autumn Test against Samoa at Twickenham tomorrow.
Hartley was yesterday demoted to the bench for the first time in 22 Tests under Jones, which finally allows George to make his first start for England after a world-record 19 appearances off the bench.
But Jones confirmed that the change, one of nine from the side who defeated Australia last Saturday, had been to allow Hartley a week to “recondition”, with Chris Robshaw and George Ford appointed as co-captains in his absence, the first time England have done so for a Test.
The England head coach (right) confirmed that Hartley would return as captain for the start of the Six Nations in February, however, as long as he did not pick up an injury or get himself into disciplinary trouble while back at Northampton. “We want to test our ability, if Dylan’s not available, to put a team on the field and have leadership density,” said Jones. “So, it’s an opportunity for these guys to show it. Dylan understands it’s about developing a team for the World Cup. “So, it’s not about making anyone uncomfortable. We know he’s a great captain and we know he can do a great job for us. But this is an opportunity for the rest of the squad to show they can step up. “There’s no decision on the World Cup. The only decision we’ve made is that, all things being equal, and he doesn’t have one of those ‘mystical’ experiences at Franklin’s Gardens, that he’ll be captain for the Six Nations.”
As if to underscore the point, Hartley joined Ford and Robshaw at England’s press conference yesterday in the role of squad captain and will take over leadership duties when he comes off the bench. Before then, Ford will take charge of the attack, while Robshaw, back at the openside position at Twickenham for the first time since he was captain during the failed World Cup campaign in 2015, will lead the defence and pack. Robshaw’s duties will also include speaking to the referee, while they will confer about penalty decisions. Jones explained his decision to appoint two captains – as he did when Ford and Robshaw shared the job for the non-capped game against the Barbarians in May – as a great opportunity to develop the “leadership of the side” and said he would be prepared to do the same during the World Cup in Japan. “Why not? You could have three captains,” Jones added. “I’ve had a team that’s had four vice-captains.
“Just because the tradition is that you have one captain, it doesn’t mean that you have to have one captain. There’s nothing that says you have to have one captain.
“And we’re about wanting to be the best we can be, and we feel that the best we can be this week is by having co-captains.
“It’s another option for us and we want to have different options in terms of leadership. When you get to the World Cup, there’s the potential that we won’t be able to play the same side in three games. We’ve got a four-day turnaround when we fly from the snowy mountains of Hokkaido to the flat plains of Kobe – it’s a long flight so we might have to change our teams.”
World Cup considerations were central to his team selection, with Exeter’s Sam Simmonds also handed a first start in a pack that includes fringe players Ellis Genge, Charlie Ewels, with Maro Itoje also making his first start of the campaign on the blindside flank.
Alex Lozowski and Henry Slade are handed the opportunity to reunite their midfield partnership that flourished in Argentina in June surrounded by the experienced heads of Ford, Mike Brown, Jonny May and Elliot Daly.
It is a side with enough experience and clout to provide the structure and edge to win the game while giving others from the fringes the chance to shine in a match that is likely to have a strong bearing on World Cup places.
Jones is expecting a “very physical, tough game” from Samoa, with whom he worked as technical adviser in 2006. “The greatest challenge for us is to be disciplined, and to be physical, so we’ve got to physically dominate them but be disciplined at the same time,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity for the squad to show how strong we are,” added Jones. “The ability of a squad to adjust and adapt while putting in cohesive performances is going to be so important.
“When you go to the World Cup, apart from the starting XV, the first players I will pick after that are number 28, 29, 30 and 31 because they are your key players because they almost dictate the morale of your squad. Those guys don’t play a lot of rugby and how they behave and how they perform on the training field is crucial to your success.”