Hill is riding the crest of a wave and has the magic to transform Jones’ line-out
Lock who drove Exeter to double has been fast-tracked for first start to provide the spearhead England crave
He now has a lot of experience in big games, and Jones cannot fail to have noticed his recent displays
Saracens and Exeter have been the dominant teams in England since Eddie Jones took charge of the national side in 2016, but until now he has built his team on the foundations of the former and largely ignored the latter.
The defence was modelled on the Saracens blueprint brought in by Paul Gustard and in the likes of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, the Vunipola brothers, Jamie George and Elliot Daly, he has empowered their players as his key decision-makers.
Jack Nowell, Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-dickie have all been squad regulars, but none of that Exeter trio has definitively made a place in the side their own in the same way as their Saracens counterparts. Jones’s decision not to select the likes of Sam or Joe Simmonds monds for this autumn, despite ite their starring roles in Exeter’s er’s double-winning campaign, paign, suggests he still is not sold old on incorporating the South-west h-west revolution into his England and side.
The he selection of Jonny Hill, however, ever, indicates that there is one facet acet of Exeter’s game that Jones s is keen to adopt – their potency ncy from five metres and particularly cularly from line-out drives. es.
Hill ll leads the Exeter line-out out and he has been brought ght straight into the England and side for his debut today y as essentially a direct replacement cement for former Saracen cen George Kruis, who has gone one to Japan.
Jones nes values Hill’s ability ty as a middle jumper and what that allows is for him to set up the type of driving ng maul that Exeter have used so brilliantly in the past ast few seasons. He may not have his mates around nd him, but the hope is clearly ly that, by bringing the brains ns of the operation into the core of his side, England can adopt t the same brutal tactic that has proved so successful.
It is s a big ask considering that Hill has been involved in only a handful of training sessions, ons, but Jones will clearly have banked on the fact he will be riding the crest of a wave after an incredible few weeks. On successive Saturdays, Hill has won the Champions Cup, the Premiership and will now make his England debut.
I remember going through periods like that where I felt untouchable, and floated through games, with everything I tried seeming to come off. Hill will be in a similar position.
There is no doubt he is good enough to play at international level. At the age of 26, he has been around for a while, but his development under Rob Baxter in the past two seasons has been exceptional. He is fearless and physical, and possesses a turn of pace any back row would crave.
Crucially, he now has a lot of experience in big games. Jones does not really value performances in regular Premiership matches, but he does notice how you do in European and domestic finals.
In that regard, he cannot fail to have been impressed by the former Gloucester lock’s recent displays (although Joe Simmonds, in particular, has a right to ask what more he can do to be considered).
He and former England Under-20s team-mate Itoje w will complement each other in th the second row, and Jones has als also hedged his bets slightly by m making Hill the only new face in wha what is an otherwise experienced pack who are used to playing together.
I have always felt that in th the pack you can experiment wit with only one of the front, second or ba back row at any one time. You nee need to guarantee two out of the thre three areas will work, and Jones ha has done that while giving Hill his hea head.
The easier choice would h have been to select one of Charlie Ewels or Joe Launchbury. The form former has been in camp for longer and t the latter has been in excellent fo form for Wasps. Jones, though, wa wants to add to his cohort of second ro rows and clearly has faith that Hill has the talent to fill the hole left by Kruis.
He will also have wond wondered whether Hill is a more attacking selection, bo both at the set-piece and in b broken play, in a game in whi which England need to score plenty of points to put pressu pressure on Ireland to win with a bonus p point in Paris.
In short, I think that now H Hill is in the squad he will not be lea leaving it for a long time – especially if he can make a little of the Exeter magic rub off on this England side.