Centre stage... who should start at 12 if Wales really are to change approach?

EDDIE Jones insists James Haskell still has an England future despite omitting the veteran Wasps flanker from his training squad for the autumn opener against Argentina.

Former Ospreys flanker Sam Underhill, who presently has one England cap to his name, is among a number of less experienced options favoured by Jones for the coming fixtures.

When fit, Haskell has been an ever-present under Jones since the Australian took over in 2015, but the 75-cap back row, who toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions during the summer, has paid the price for a sluggish start to the season.

A thumb injury has proved troublesome and now he has seen Exeter’s Sam Simmonds elevated above him in the pecking order.

Simmonds makes his first appearance in a senior England squad alongside more established prospects Underhill and Tom Curry – but Jones insists it is not the end for a 32-year-old whose international career spans a decade.

“I went up and had a chat to James on Saturday. He’s just not playing well enough at the moment, but the door is never shut on him,” Jones said.

“We know he’s a great player and has been a great servant to English rugby for several years and for close to 80 caps. I am sure he can regain his form.”

Simmonds was heavily involved in Exeter’s Aviva Premiership title success last season and the 22-year-old has carried that form into the new campaign.

“Sam has done really well for Exeter. He’s a good young player. What I like about him is his work off the ball, his support lines, and he is very good defensively,” Jones said.

“I see him as a utility back-row. He’s probably going to struggle at number eight at international level because of his size, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do it.” THE squad announcement on Tuesday for Wales’ upcoming autumn series raised more than a few eyebrows – with Sam Cross and Hadleigh Parkes stealing the headlines.

But the exclusion of both Jamie Roberts and Scott Williams perhaps paints a far more telling tale of how Wales will play than any shock inclusion ever could.

Such has been the dominance of hard-running centres like Roberts and Williams, you’d have to go back seven years for the last time an outand-out playmaker started at 12 for Wales in a meaningful Test – James Hook lining up against New Zealand in 2010.

But Gatland has decided to move away from all that – opting for a number of ball-players in his midfield.

However, among all the commotion of the Wales coach dropping his two senior inside centres, the killer question remains: who will start at 12 against Australia in November?