RUTHLESS AND BRAVE
Dropping his captain is a seismic call from England coach Steve Borthwick
MARCUS SMITH’S impending recall at No10 for England is significant, but the fact that he is set to replace Owen Farrell — who is destined for a bench role against France — is truly momentous.
Frankly, this decision, which is expected to be confirmed this afternoon, is a seismic shock and a profound statement of ruthless intent by Steve Borthwick. The England head coach is making it clear that no one is untouchable. Not even the national captain and Test centurion whose authority and influence he eulogised about after naming his first squad in January.
It is impossible to exaggerate what a big call it is by Borthwick, so early in his tenure, given the status and pedigree of Farrell, 31. For most of his career, if he has been fit and available, he has started for England. The last time that did not happen for a major match was when the Red Roses faced Fiji in the 2015 World Cup opener at Twickenham.
Since then, he has only been on the bench for his country three times: against Japan in 2018, in a World Cup warm-up encounter with Wales in the summer of 2019 and in the pool-stage fixture against the USA in Kobe a few weeks later.
But those were rotation occasions and this is not. This is ‘Le Crunch’, against Six Nations champions France, when England need to be as near to full-strength as possible for a daunting assignment.
Leaving out Farrell will force the Saracens playmaker to realise that his position is as precarious as anyone else’s, after three rounds of the Championship when he has landed just seven out of 15 shots at goal, and only ignited England’s attack in fleeting bursts.
Reputations are providing no selection security. First, Borthwick opted to omit Manu Tuilagi from his midfield, after the Sale centre had been regarded as a crutch for so many past England coaches who relied on his gainline-busting power. Then the head coach ejected his country’s most-capped player, Ben Youngs. But this decision is on a whole different level. It is a brave move by Borthwick. His predecessor, Eddie Jones, remained loyal to Farrell and valued his reassuring presence as an ultra-competitive talisman of the team, even before he was captain. So often when George Ford or Danny Cipriani or Smith wore 10 Farrell wore 12. But now he is set to wear 22 and fulfil an unfamiliar supporting role. It will jar for someone who has so little experience of being demoted. What Borthwick’s decision means is that Smith has been given the conductor’s baton. He will run the show, without subconsciously deferring to an imposing presence alongside him. When Jones strove to forge a partnership between the Harlequins prodigy and Farrell, it meant that the skipper was always seen as the real driving force, but now Smith will be left to dictate the game. England supporters heading to Twickenham on Saturday will be enthused by the prospect of witnessing Smith’s trademark attacking brilliance. That is the theory, anyway.
But it remains to be seen whether his elevation will lead to a tactical liberation.
When Borthwick revived Leicester, he did not deviate from a structured, high-intensity, highpressure, kicking and territorial game-plan. So just because Smith is going to wear 10, it does not necessarily follow that England are going to transform into allcourt entertainers.
The creative genius might be tempered by team orders, so fans hoping for high-octane thrills and spills should not assume that is what they will see.
With Farrell among the reserves and Courtney Lawes injured again, the captaincy will pass to Ellis Genge, who led the Tigers to Premiership glory under Borthwick. The prop has become a mainstay of the pack. He is someone capable of setting a thunderous tone. Whether it is for this week only or for longer, he will bring passion and commitment and aggressive intent to the job.
He has a no-nonsense attitude. Looking ahead to clashes with the top two teams in the world over the next two weekends — France then Ireland — Genge said: ‘It’s a great opportunity to see where we’re at.’
When pressed on where England ‘are at’, he added: ‘Sixth. That’s where the rankings say we are, anyway. We’re trying to build some foundations for what’s to come.
‘It’s all about stepping forward.
It’s where you are at when you have not necessarily hit rock bottom, but when you are not performing as well as you can.
‘You want answers, you want to know why, you are trying so hard and suddenly you start to see a slight change of behaviours and performance and outcome. That’s what we are getting after.’
Asked if he senses parallels between the salvage operation with England and the mission Borthwick successfully over-saw at Leicester, Genge added, tellingly: ‘There are similarities in terms of the kick strategy. I don’t think it will necessarily replicate exactly how it panned out at Leicester during that 18-month period, but you will hopefully see the same sort of curve.’