England could have a familiar feel as Jones looks for autumn leaders
Coach has some sharp observations to make as he plans for the future, writes
It looked rather confusing at first, with two squads named, one a 45-man elite player squad and the other comprising 37 players who will begin three days’ training in Brighton today. Some players were in one but not the other.
But, despite the predictable and tiresome fuss over the omission of Danny Cipriani, it was actually rather fun working it all out at the announcement on Friday; who was in each squad and why, especially the obvious nod to long-term development, in the naming of the likes of Will Evans, Alex Lozowski, Joe Marchant, Mike Haley and Ben Spencer, as well as Eddie Jones’s sharp observations on certain players. For instance, that he considers Sale’s Josh Beaumont a lock not a No 8, that Wasps’s Nathan Hughes is “trying too hard to be too good” and that his club team-mate Tommy Taylor is “the form hooker in England”.
But beneath all this – and indeed the expected exclusion of a raft of senior players alongside Cipriani, such as Tom Youngs, Luther Burrell, Dave Attwood, Tom Wood and Kieran Brookes – the truth is that, despite some injury concerns, we will not see anything too different for the first autumn Test on Nov 12. And why not? This lot have not lost a game in nine!
Indeed, it could be the same team, with Maro Itoje and Chris Robshaw on the flanks in James Haskell’s absence, that did most of the work in beating Australia 44-40 in Sydney.
Where things might become interesting is if both Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell are unfit. That would leave England without their captain and his clear replacement.
Understandably, Jones would not admit concern. “We will find out how the other leaders can step up,” he said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and nothing to be frightened of.” But there must be some considerable worry in private. The other two nominated vice-captains are Mike Brown and Billy Vunipola. That tells a story. I might consider George Kruis, but there is an obvious gap in leadership.
Just as there is an obvious debate about the No 7 jersey. If Itoje and Robshaw do play together, then Itoje will surely have to wear it, given Jones’s constant contention that Robshaw is not a No 7. But it was interesting to hear Jones admitting that, for now, he has given up seeking a genuine openside flanker, like, say, a Richie McCaw. The type of player Maro Itoje could be the surprise answer to England’s No 7 problem. The 21-year-old superstar has won all seven of his Tests for England, all at lock, but in England’s last Test, their 44-40 win over Australia, he moved to the back row and shared openside duties with Chris Robshaw, whom Eddie Jones has always maintained is not a seven. With James Haskell injured, Jones has no obvious replacement and he has hinted he may revert to Itoje and Robshaw. “It worked well for us,” he said “It is definitely a possibility that they will do it again this autumn.” being used in the Aviva Premiership does not help, mind.
“I have never coached a team like this before,” said Jones. “You watch the Premiership, there are hardly any traditional sevens [Gloucester with Matt Kvesic and Leicester with Brendon O’Connor are exceptions]. So it is about maximising your resources. A George Smith or Richie McCaw, it works when you have that sort of player. If you haven’t got that type of player and you try to copy that system, you come unstuck, as we did in the third Test [in Australia]. We wanted [Teimana] Harrison to play that sort of role and he wasn’t able to do so at this stage of his career.” And Jones dismisses the old-fashioned notion that the seven has to be a link man, an argument given credence by the way Sam Cane now plays for New Zealand.
“I don’t see it that way,” he said. “In your forward pack you want three who are capable of passing the ball and the other five you want smashing over the gain line and getting the opposition moving backwards. To me it doesn’t matter what position they are. In the old days you had forwards playing here and backs playing there. Now no team plays like that.”
Were I a betting man, I would wager that Itoje and Robshaw will line up as flankers against South Africa, but it will be a surprise if Sam Jones does not receive a first cap some time this autumn (against Fiji at least).
Others proposed Guy Thompson, who wears seven for Wasps at the moment, but as Jones (Eddie, that is) explained: “Thompson is 29. Sam is 24. I don’t know how much growth he has left him in at 29.” Growth is a key word. Even the established players have much growing to do in this England side. It promises to be a fascinating international season.