Wilson risks being exposed by rival openside Tipuric
Jones continues to start some players out of position and that could give England problems
Every English fan must be a little bit confused as to why Mark Wilson is coming in at No7 today. A spot in the team has opened up because of Sam Underhill’s injury, but the selection is strange because it means Tom Curry – a natural openside – continues to play out of position at No 8.
The obvious selection would be to move Curry back to openside and to put Wilson where he has always looked best, at No 8.
It is an interesting and unusual selection by Eddie Jones, and that has been a bit of a theme of this Six Nations.
Many of his calls have left me puzzled but in the main they have worked out quite well, with Curry improving at the base of the scrum after a torrid opening game against France. Jones clearly likes Curry’s adaptability and Wilson is cut from the same cloth as someone who can play across the back row.
That said, this is a big moment for Wilson. We did not see much of him during the World Cup and he has missed most of this season through injury.
He comes back today against a mobile Welsh back row and there must be a question over whether he should have been eased in a little more.
Ben Earl has done well, and I was impressed with Charlie Ewels against Ireland. I would have thought those guys would have got a go first, but Wilson has been a consistent performer for England whenever called upon.
The competition between Wilson and Justin Tipuric will be really important.
Every time Tipuric plays in a Test, I want to name him player of the match because he has such a high work rate and is a brilliant operator at the breakdown. It is amazing how he never stops and leads the Welsh defence, while he is also heavily involved in his team’s attacking play.
It is not just the battle of these two opensides that intrigues me, but also the battle between these two back rows. England will miss Underhill and they have benefited from having two opensides in their back row. Wilson will bring an enormous work rate and will never stop, but the main question I have is whether England will be able to compete with Wales at the breakdown.
Wales have also selected another flanker at No 8, Josh Navidi, but neither side are short of strong ball-carriers with Courtney Lawes at blindside certain to be heavily involved. It is going to be such a battle. If I have a slight concern it is that Curry, in his role as No 8, will often carry the ball first, particularly from the base of the scrum.
That means he will be on the ground rather than, as he would in his normal role as a flanker, being a split-second behind the ball-carrier and in a position to get over the ball and either defend it or try to win it back.
His reading of a situation and when to attack or stand off is exceptional and I fear England lose that slightly with him at No 8.
However, what I think we have seen with Curry over the Six Nations is that he is very adaptable. He was not great against France, but seems to have really grown into the No 8 role, and it is great that Eddie has that option now.
But, like most England fans, I would prefer it if he played on the flank because I think that would free him up more.
Wales have a good balance, even though to me Ross Moriarty at blindside is more of a natural No 8. I think they will use him for a lot of the carries and I do wonder if the Welsh back row, with a more mobile openside in Tipuric, have a better balance.
This is the first time Lawes, Wilson and Curry have started together and I am very interested to see how they go.
England and Jones need them to click straight away.