Heinz selection opens up route to World Cup
Willi Heinz, the New Zealand-born Gloucester scrum-half, took a major step towards going to the World Cup as back-up to Ben Youngs when he was named by Eddie Jones in England’s 33-man squad for Sunday’s Test against Wales at Twickenham.
Ben Spencer, the Saracens scrum-half, has been left out, along with Harlequins full-back Mike Brown and back-rower Alex Dombrandt, and Worcester centre Ben Te’o. Jack Nowell will continue his rehabilitation with the group. Mako Vunipola has been named in the squad, who assembled at Pennyhill Park on Tuesday, but is not in contention to face Warren Gatland’s side as he recovers from hamstring surgery.
At the age of 32, Heinz is one of only two scrum-halves in the 33. Although Jones last month praised the organisation that the former Crusaders man could provide, Heinz’s call-up shows the uncertainty that has shrouded the scrumhalf position – and specifically the role of deputy to Youngs – over the past 18 months.
Heinz, who qualifies for England through his late grandmother and arrived at Kingsholm from Christchurch in 2015, is a former franchise team-mate of Richie Mccaw and Dan Carter. A major protagonist in Gloucester’s run to the Premiership play-offs last season, he would become the seventh scrum-half to feature in a full international under Jones and the fourth to be handed a Test debut by the Australian after Jack Maunder in 2017, Spencer in 2018 and Dan Robson in 2019.
Danny Care, cast aside after winning his 84th cap against Japan last November, and Richard Wigglesworth, are the other two No9s to have been selected by Jones in Tests. The former was a key figure in England’s success between 2016 and 2017 and one of Jones’s flagship “finishers” from the bench, but has fallen out of favour. Despite Spencer’s prominent role in a trophyladen period for Saracens, he has had to make do with three brief replacement appearances, accounting for an aggregate of just 20 minutes since the 2018 tour of South Africa. His only involvement in the 2019 Six Nations was to join a helter-skelter Calcutta Cup encounter in the 73rd minute after Scotland had levelled the game at 31-31. Heinz, meanwhile, was heralded as an “outstanding” domestic performer by Jones, who selected him for a training camp back in 2017.
“We had a look at [Heinz] a couple of years ago,” Jones said last month. “He had a couple of injuries so we let it slide for a while. We just feel at the end of the game, potentially we need a half-back who can really organise a team and he’s very good at that.”
Jones has picked four more potential Test debutants. Bath wing Ruaridh Mcconnochie, a former England and Team GB sevens player, has been earmarked as a resourceful and athletic “utility” player capable of filling in across the back three. Harlequins centre Joe Marchant shone for England in an uncapped 51-43 win over the Barbarians at the start of June.
Elsewhere, Jack Singleton of Saracens ousts Tom Dunn of Bath as one of three hookers, presumably behind Jamie George and Luke Cowan-dickie. Finally, versatile Northampton back-rower Lewis Ludlam beats out Dombrandt in the absence of the injured Brad Shields.
Ludlam attended the Barbarians week as training cover for club colleague Teimana Harrison, whose partner had given birth. Although 23-year-old Ludlam did not feature at Twickenham, apart from as a designated 24th man carrying drinks, his attitude impressed Jones. He has been an ever-present of England’s pre-world Cup schedule. Another Saint, Piers Francis, seems to be the major and most immediate beneficiary of Te’o’s exclusion. A specialist inside centre, he joins three regular outside centres in Henry Slade, Jonathan Joseph and Marchant. Manu Tuilagi, who wore 12 during this year’s Six Nations, makes up the midfield options. Jones did suggest that omission from this squad would not rule anyone out of Monday’s official 31-man World Cup squad, who will play three more warm-up games.
“We have worked hard and now move into a four-game preparation phase,” he said. “The development of the team tactically is paramount. We are grateful for the strong opposition to test our game fitness.
“By the time we fly out on Sept 8, we will be ready to win the Rugby World Cup. We are not there yet, but we have four games to get ready. Players excluded from being involved in this camp are naturally disappointed but may get another opportunity, so they must be ready.”
Having won 18 England caps and toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in 2017, Te’o still would be a surprise absentee from the World Cup party. Although Brown has amassed 29 England appearances since the start of 2016, the emergence of Elliot Daly and the recovery of Anthony Watson would appear to make the 33-yearold’s inclusion appear less likely.