Time has now run out for Jones to experiment
Selection of Six Nations squad must give a clear signpost to England’s direction for World Cup
This Thursday, Eddie Jones will reveal the most important Six Nations squad of his tenure as England coach. There is no time left for experimenting, beyond the odd position or player. After this Six Nations he has three warm-up games, two against Wales and one against Ireland, before England set off to Japan for the World Cup.
This week, Jones must pick what will be close to his World Cup squad. At the risk of repetition, and this is only said because it is an absolute necessity, whatever players make up the various units within the team, they must be given as many of the remaining games together as possible. It is no good saying some have played together in the past, they need to have done so recently and against current opponents. There have been so many combinations, in so many areas, that Jones and his players need to have some certainty from this point onwards. In this Six Nations, England will get the sternest test, bar games against New Zealand and South Africa. Except for Italy, and France for different reasons, all the other sides taking part have probably the best squads they have ever had in the run up to a World Cup. There will be important things gleaned from each game but each has to be experienced by the whole team.
Jones must see not only how each England player reacts to these tests, but how each unit and the team handle the challenges.
In one or two areas, particularly the back three and second row, there will be players who have done well in the past, all of whom have their advocates for selection. They cannot all be picked and some will be disappointed if they are not chosen or are picked only as cover players. That is the price for giving others the opportunity needed to maximise the team’s chance of winning.
In successful sides you see several players who sit loyally on the bench, desperate to play but prepared to do the important and difficult job of staying ready and positive. They are as much part of the team effort as those who take to the field and anyone who has played in a major tournament will concur.
So, what does Jones do? Given the above point, there is probably only one option that is worth trying at this late stage. The power game of a centre combination of Ben T’eo and Manu Tuilagi, coupled with Joe Cokanasiga on the wing, would be a justifiable gamble because of the potentially enormous rewards. It would be given a thorough examination by the defences of Wales and Ireland; two of the best around. Success against those challenges would be a huge boost and would re-energise England’s World Cup build-up, which has not been smooth over the past year.
It is obvious that Jones rates Elliot Daly highly as a footballer, so much so that he has tried him in a variety of roles, but if Daly is certain to start, his position must now be finalised.
Anthony Watson is scheduled to return for Bath shortly, and Mike Brown is playing well at Harlequins, but if the T’eo/tuilagi/ Cokanasiga option is tried, Daly would be contending for either the wing or full-back position. If picked on the wing that would mean dropping Jonny May, who has been playing well in a Leicester team who have struggled. Daly has not looked the finished article at full-back but he has shown enough to be selected there again.
As always, there are cries to select the players on form in the Premiership and nowhere more so than in the second row. Calls for Jones to pick club stalwarts, such as Dave Attwood of Bath and Ed Slater of Gloucester, are flawed for several reasons. The Premiership is nowhere near the intensity or pace of Six Nations or World Cup rugby. Showing well in the former is no guarantee of coping with the latter. Furthermore, some players will fail or, as I suspect, cope but no better than previous players. All you have then achieved is to deny alreadyproven players more experience or, at best, give yourself more selection problems.
Maro Itoje has to be picked in what Jones considers to be his best position and, for me, that is not at blindside flanker, a position where England have a number of experienced players. Whether he is partnered by George Kruis or Courtney Lawes is almost secondary to the need to keep the pairing together for a whole Six Nations campaign.
The style of rugby England want is dictated by the players chosen and it will work better if they are the same players from this point on. Time to stop messing about.