England held back by Jones’ lack of faith in Premiership
Hexclusion of in-form players only highlights the glaring disconnect as coach relies on his instinct It is about a more joined-up approach. Neither clubs nor national team can succeed in isolation
Reports that Warren Gatland is considering Sam Simmonds as a bolter for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa highlight the concern that there is an increasing disconnect between the Premiership and the England squad. One of the striking features of Eddie Jones’s tenure as England head coach has been his mistrust of the Premiership as a barometer for international selection.
Jones has preferred to back his own instinct about a player’s potential and character, rather than base it on club form. It has led to some fringe players being fast-tracked, unearthing some Test stars, most notably Tom Curry. Yet the consequence has been some of the Premiership’s leading lights, such as Simmonds and his brother Joe, being excluded from the national squad. It has left club supporters bewildered. The Simmonds brothers – given their standout roles in Exeter’s Premiership and Champions Cup triumphs last season – are arguably the two highest-profile casualties.
Sam Simmonds scored his 13th try in Exeter’s 38-16 victory over Bath on Saturday, four short of the Premiership record with 10 rounds to go. But the list of players waiting in line is a long one. Alex Dombrandt, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Piers O’conor, Fraser Dingwall, Will Evans and Dave Ewers are also among those whose Premiership form has made no ripples in the national squad, while Zach Mercer, at just 23, has decided his future lies in France, signing for Montpellier next season.
You only have to consider the leading playing statistics in the Premiership this season for further proof. While Simmonds tops the try-scorers list, Smith is the top points-scorer (155), Tom O’flaherty has made the most metres (625), and Evans the most turnovers (17).
These statistics are distorted given that the England players have been in camp during the autumn and for the Six Nations, yet the fact that Jones was happy to pick all of his Saracens contingent – even though the club were relegated to the Championship last season – only underscored the sense that he puts more faith in what he sees in training camps than in domestic deeds. Even those who have played their way into the squad this season, such as Max
Malins, Ollie Lawrence and Dan Robson, have had limited opportunities, while Paolo Odogwu has yet to be included in a match-day squad. It is a far cry from the days of England’s 2003 World Cupwinning side, when the squad would be named after the first six rounds of the Premiership, when club form meant everything.
If Gatland, the Lions head coach, were to select Simmonds for the tour to South Africa and the 26-year-old seized his chance, it would inevitably lead to more awkward scrutiny about why he has been continually overlooked by England. Gatland has form here. He picked Jamie George ahead of England captain Dylan Hartley for the 2017 tour of New Zealand, before George had even started a match for England, and the Saracens hooker ended up starting all three Tests. Gatland also included
Kyle
Sinckler after just eight appearances for England off the bench, and he played in all three Tests as a replacement. International head coaches live or die by their selection policy and Jones’s number of victories and titles won since taking over in 2016 suggest he gets his right more often than not. Yet after two defeats in three rounds of the Guinness Six Nations, and following an underwhelming autumn campaign, it seems only fair to question whether he should put more faith in Premiership form. Wales, with a much smaller pool of players to pick from, have found that Premiership form can yield rewards on the international stage. It was Callum Sheedy, the Bristol fly-half, who took charge in the final 10 minutes in the victory over England in Cardiff. It was Josh Adams’s form for Worcester that won him his place in the Wales squad, while Louis Rees-zammit has taken to Test rugby without missing a step since his rookie season with Gloucester. Scotland have also benefited from the impact of Bath centre Cameron Redpath. But there is a wider point than just the priorities of the England head coach. As talks continue about the future structures at the top of the English game, following the controversial decision to scrap relegation this season, the game’s administrators would do well to ask: what is the point of the Premiership? If those pushing for a moratorium on promotion and relegation over the next four seasons get their way, the Rugby Football Union should insist on greater alignment with the national squad. One only has to look at Ireland’s ability to punch above their weight on the international stage as evidence of the benefits of greater integration between the national side and those clubs feeding it. This is not just about greater access to players, but a more joined-up approach to coaching, communication, player development and welfare, skills work and selection considerations, for the greater good of both the club and international games. What is certain is that neither can succeed in the long term in isolation and both will benefit from each other’s success.