Jones sweats on forward ahead of first Test
Jones may have to field rookies against Boks Brown praises Farrell’s leadership on tour
England could be forced to pitch a rookie second row into the “hostile” arena of Ellis Park in Johannesburg to face South Africa in the first Test on Saturday if Joe Launchbury fails a fitness test on a calf injury today.
Launchbury did not train with the squad again yesterday and Eddie Jones last night delayed the announcement of his starting XV by an hour to 12.30pm BST today.
It seems the selection will go to the wire, and the players will be informed of the final team one hour before it is announced to the public. If Launchbury is ruled out, Jones will have to replace him with either Saracens forward Nick Isiekwe or Exeter’s Jonny Hill, neither of whom has started a Test for England and who have only four caps between them.
Jones was also facing a tight call for the tighthead prop position between Harry Williams, who has started only two of his eight caps and has not played a game for Exeter since January and Kyle Sinckler, who has started one of his 11 caps.
With Tom Curry, the Sale flanker who has just one cap to his name, against Argentina last June, also under strong consideration for a place in the back row, the England pack could have a distinctively green look to it.
Jones at least can welcome back the hugely significant Billy Vunipola for his first start since the Natwest Six Nations defeat by Ireland in March last year, while brother Mako, Maro Itoje, Jamie George and Chris Robshaw will provide the big-game mettle up front.
Robshaw, who captained England during the series defeat in South Africa in 2012, has been one of a number to have addressed the squad about the intensity of the challenge they will face on Saturday.
Robshaw said: “It is one of the best places I have ever played in terms of atmosphere, environment, hostility, and we are expecting all of that exactly the same.
“I remember they came out and we were 19 points down after the first 15 minutes. We probably weren’t as ready as we hoped we were. We didn’t meet that challenge head on.
“We allowed them to get momentum after momentum and we were playing catch-up the whole game. This time around we have got to meet that head on from the first minute.”
Mike Brown, who is set to return at full-back for the first time since he was dropped for the final two games of the Six Nations, will also bring experience of the unique challenges of touring South Africa, having played in Test defeats in 2007 and 2012.
“We have spoken in team meetings about playing over here and what it’s like playing a South African team, the physicality they bring, their mindset,” he said.
“We are used to playing in tough places all through the season for England, so it is no different really. Everything else going on around us isn’t a problem.”
Owen Farrell, who will captain the side in the absence of Dylan Hartley, has impressed Brown with his leadership this week and the full-back believes the Saracens player’s confrontational edge will be key to England’s fortunes.
“He is special, in terms of the way he talks,” said Brown. “He’s exactly like his dad [Andy Farrell, the Ireland defence coach] in the way he talks.
“He sounds the same. That’s what makes his dad a great coach as well; he energises people and motivates people. He gets the best out of people – his dad, the defensive side and Owen brings that on to the field in all parts of the game. I’ve never seen someone his age, a couple of years ago, being the way he is. He is special.
“I love his aggression and his physicality. I can feed off someone like that. He never takes a backward step and always leads from the front. That’s the sign of a great leader. For me, if I see my captain or my leaders around me standing on the front line and leading from the front in terms of their physicality and energy and their standards, that is enough for me.”