Te’o has to prove he is a pass master to keep shirt

When England announced their team to play France, the selection of Ben Te’o over Jonathan Joseph at outside centre was lost somewhat amid the intrigue over the absence of Mike Brown and the elevation of Owen Farrell to the captaincy.

I can understand why, but I believe when England run out at the Stade de France today, no one will have more to prove than the Worcester Warriors man. We all know what Te’o (below) is capable of as a hard-running, gain-line-breaking centre, but few could argue we have seen the best of him in an England shirt.

When we talk about Te’o’s potential, the biggest body of evidence comes from his achievements on the British and Irish Lions tour, rather than anything he has done with club or country. To have done more with the Lions before you have made a lasting impact with England or Worcester is incredibly unusual, and it is now time for Te’o to repay the faith Eddie Jones has shown in him.

To be fair to Te’o, for most of his time with England, he has been used as an impact substitute. This will be his third start in 12 Tests and no side has enjoyed facing him during the last 15 or 20 minutes of a close game.

But that also reflects how English rugby is a little unsure about the 31-year-old and whether he really has what it takes at this level. To an extent, that is due to his rugby league background. In the past 20 years, Sam Burgess, Shontayne Hape, Andy Farrell,

Henry