The Sunday Telegraph - Sport

The World Cup starts now for the home nations

Sir Ian McGeechan Huge Tests against the southern hemisphere’s finest will tell us a lot about whether rugby’s biggest prize will be coming back to Europe

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England need two results out of four, at least, even if it is a challengin­g run of matches. And a strong preference for Eddie Jones would surely be to have one win against either South Africa or world champions

New Zealand.

Injuries to a raft of players have meant that they have had instabilit­y across the back row, through the half-backs and in the centres. One of the big decisions for Jones now is whether Owen Farrell plays at 10 or at 12.

If Farrell does go back to fly-half, England can have a completely different tactical set-up in midfield with Henry Slade or Alex Lozowski – notwithsta­nding the confusion that surrounds his availabili­ty due to suspension – alongside either Ben Te’o or Manu Tuilagi.

I do think that he will want to look at George Ford too, to keep the Ford-Farrell axis at some point next month.

Jones has to start making calls in the back row to strike a balance, and there are two genuine sevens in Tom Curry and Sam Underhill. England have not always had that luxury in the past. That is the position to keep an eye on as far as England supporters are concerned.

Elsewhere among the forwards, Ben Morgan has a big opportunit­y and I would put Michael Rhodes on the other flank to balance it out.

Whatever happens, Jones will want to come out of the autumn with some answers in that back row and a pecking order.

Then he can take what he has into the Six Nations Championsh­ip and on to the Rugby World Cup in a year’s time, before which he will have a prolonged period with an extended squad. So in that respect, these autumn internatio­nals are significan­t for him.

There is real potential in the back three, too. Chris Ashton has not played much this season but scored a hat-trick for Sale last weekend and clearly remains a natural finisher.

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