Gatland happy to throw rising England talent in at deep end
Coach shows his faith in new faces with the promotion of Daly, Te’o and George to Test XV
Elliot Daly will be “a top player for England – if he gets the opportunity,” said Warren Gatland, failing to suppress a grin. “And the same with the other ones,” the head coach of the Lions teased, after picking three England bolters to face New Zealand in the first Test, with another, Kyle Sinckler, on the bench.
Behold the fast-tracking of Twickenham’s new boys, Ben Te’o, Jamie George and Daly, who earned this praise from Gatland: “He’s just an outstanding rugby player. He can play wing or 13 [he has been chosen at 11]. You tell him once and he gets it. There are not many people who understand the game as well as he does.”
These quick promotions allow Gatland to reach into England’s future to serve the Lions’ present, as well as land a blow on Eddie Jones, England’s Australian coach, with whom the Kiwi has clashed through the media. Gatland was plainly looking to leave a mark on Jones when he spoke of the Lions as a route to recognition for the inexperienced Englishmen he has elevated in Auckland.
The counterpoint is that arguably the best of them, Maro Itoje, has missed out to Alun Wyn Jones in the second row. But the rise of Te’o, George and Daly is spectacular. George makes his Lions debut before he has started a Test for England. Te’o has eight England caps but has started only once – against Italy. Daly, meanwhile, has made the first XV eight times in 13 appearances. However talented they are, these are not hardened Test match pros. Nor are Anthony Watson (26 caps) or George Kruis (20) international perennials, yet. All of Sinckler’s eight cameos for England have come as a replacement.
At the Lions’ North Harbour training ground, Gatland was asked to explain the upward mobility of players who have yet to become automatic choices for England, themselves series winners in Argentina, where Dylan Hartley filled the starting hooker’s role denied to George. Gatland said: “For Jamie George, it’s his first Test start. I don’t think there’s any denying that people think he’s a good rugby player; he’s done his time at Saracens and ended up being the No1, and he’s been doing his time with England.
“This is not a team we’re preparing for the future or for a World Cup. This is about the here and now. Ben Te’o we’ve watched, and seen the impact he had for England coming off the bench. He’s had by far the most defenders beaten from our back line on this tour – so he’s more than someone who can just carry and hit it up. His selection is on merit.”
With Daly, Gatland praised “that run down the sideline for the inside pass [to Jack Nowell, in the Chiefs game]. Not many players in world rugby could do that. The way he put the gas on”.
Wherever Jones stands on these players – and he is hardly blind to their charms – there is no escaping the oddness of George having to wait behind Hartley 17 times but beating Rory Best and Ken Owens to the Lions No2 shirt.
“I guess so. When I was first selected for the squad it was at the back of my mind, but I’ve started a lot of big games – European finals, Premiership finals – so I’m comfortable starting games,” George said. “My aspiration was to start the first Test and to put in performances that would enable me to be selected. Gats has shown a lot of confidence in me and I’m very honoured to be selected.”
Congratulations from Hartley had still to arrive. “Not yet,” said George, amused. But you can see the change in him. “I’ve found my voice a little bit more on this tour. I’m going in with the same mindset, which is that I’ve got to have an impact on the game, but rather than it being off the bench, it’s from the first whistle.
“I haven’t thought too much about England since I’ve been here, but I’d be hoping to put in a good enough performance to show I’m able to do stuff from the start. Yes, it’s a message, but the stuff Dylan’s doing is fantastic as well.
“Dylan and I spoke before the tour. We haven’t had too much while I’ve been here because he’s been busy and so have I. He’s always very supportive and vice versa. All the England lads are on a Whatsapp group so we all keep in contact. Eddie’s not on it. He’s been in touch with a couple of texts, here and there.”
The Saracens bond between Owen Farrell, George, Kruis, Itoje and Mako Vunipola offsets Gatland’s willingness to gamble on the quality, at this highest level, of the less-proven England squad members. In the line-out, George certainly knows how to find Kruis. He still remembers the first time he threw to him: “The University of Hertfordshire, the third-team pitch, on a 3G. I remember George coming to the academy, when he was about 18 and was 90 kilos at a push. He’s about 117 now, so you can imagine he was a bit of a beanpole. The transition he’s made has been ridiculous and he’s at the top of his game now.”
Which is where Te’o, Daly and George will need to be, at an unfeasibly early stage in their international careers. All have earned the chance.
Part of the beauty of Lions tours is that they turn twinkles into stars. They can also place a brutal strain on inexperience.