Get ready to make Itoje the captain
AND BOOK CIPRIANI ON FLIGHT TO PORTUGAL!
THERE is every chance Owen Farrell will be fit to face Ireland, but the first thing I would do as England coach is prepare Maro Itoje to captain in Dublin. Then I’d book a fly-half — most likely Danny Cipriani — on the next flight to the Portugal training camp.
Can England win without Farrell? The answer must be yes, so I would stop the media circus in its tracks and prepare as if he is not fit to play.
There is no time to hang around. You get these bumps and bruises, especially in World Cup year, so reacting swiftly and decisively is how you make sure they don’t become real issues.
What happens now? If Farrell doesn’t make Ireland, you need a second specialist fly-half.
Cipriani (below) is repaying Gloucester’s faith after the worst possible start when he was arrested in Jersey. He has international pedigree and Eddie could turn to him. Alternatively Joe Simmonds of Exeter could be fast-tracked —but Cipriani is the more likely. Henry Slade and Ollie Devoto can play No 10 but they are not the specialists you need.
I would have Farrell in training, working alongside coaches and players. Even with his hand strapped, he can be involved.
Who captains the side? Under Eddie only Dylan Hartley, Farrell, George Ford and Chris Robshaw have taken the job and three of those aren’t fit.
I’ve always worked off a sixpoint checklist for picking a captain, in this order.
1. He must be an automatic selection.
2. He must have the respect of his team and the opposition.
3. Ideally, he captains on a regular basis for his club.
4. He can be trusted implicitly to deliver the right messages when the coach is not around.
5. He must be able to think correctly under pressure and make the big calls.
6. He must work well with the referee. To be fair to Ford, he has been leading Leicester regularly, but they are far from at their best. And he is not an automatic pick when Farrell is fit. The Tigers had a good team out on Saturday and couldn’t beat Ulster at home. At the top level, if your No 10 is also your goal-kicker, it is tough to be captain. When there are breaks or kicks at goal, it is really important your captain is free to talk to the team and organise. So I would look no further than Itoje. He ticks the majority of my six boxes — apart from No 3 — but he has experience with the armband. Undoubtedly, you won’t be taking Itoje off the field, either. He would have to be having a real stinker for Jones to do that. That is key. Other candidates like Mako Vunipola and Ben Youngs will not play the full 80 minutes, so you are picking from the backs or the back-row.
Itoje is the only one I can see as captain now. No one else stands out.
Leading by example is the biggest thing in the second row. I was lucky with Martin Johnson. There were key guys around him to help make decisions, allowing him to lead as the colossus he was.
Losing a player like Farrell would hurt any team in the world, but it is no time to panic — others must step up and lead.
In World Cup year, these things can be a blessing.
England can certainly win in Dublin without Farrell. Win and they will emerge tougher and more resilient, lose and they’ll be better prepared.
Lastly, well done to Saracens and Mark McCall for qualifying for the last eight in Europe.
They might be the only English team left, but I would have them as favourites to win it along with Leinster.
I thought Brad Barritt was immense against Glasgow — he makes such a difference when he plays and is a leader who guys like Farrell and Itoje can learn from.
It is too late for him to come back into England contention but he is such a big figure for Sarries.
No doubt he can help Itoje and Farrell.