Eight rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby and two weeks of European encounters have given England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster plenty of selection headaches. Injuries and suspension rule out many experienced and in-form players. However, the Premiership is producing plenty of strength-in-depth for the former Leeds Carnegie Director of Rugby to consider. The QBE International series sees England play four games at Twickenham: against Fiji, Australia, South Africa and finally, the current World Champions New Zealand. These bouts will provide a real acid-test for Lancaster’s squad. Crucially, England must remain in the top-four of the official IRB rankings system ahead of the draw for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on home soil. If they can maintain their ranking, England may avoid facing another top side until the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Without the injured Dylan Hartley, some pundits suggest England may struggle to compete in the set-piece. Against rugby’s elite, England make the most of limited phases of possession. England look to the inexperienced Tom Youngs and Premiership veteran David Paice as England’s selections at hooker. London Irish’s Paice has represented the England Saxons and won two caps in the senior side’s tour to New Zealand in 2008. Paice has played over 120 games for the Reading outfit and has been unfortunate not to have accumulated more senior England caps. Youngs, (brother of England team mate Ben) is a former-centre who only recently became a first-choice hooker for Leicester. Tom moved to the front-row under Heyneke Meyer’s tenure at Welford Road after failing to establish himself in the centres. The England selectors have been impressed with some encouraging performances in the Premiership, and Youngs also put in a promising shift at home against the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup. As a former centre, Youngs has excellent handling skills and a high work-rate around the field. However, his composure at line-out time is questionable; he had an average night at the office at Kingsholm in Leicester’s 27-21 defeat. As a hooker, he has unquestionable potential, yet his naivety in the position could have devastating consequences against the top sides in world rugby.
The Aviva Premiership boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to England-qualified props. The latest headline-maker is Mako Vunipola, born in Wellington, New Zealand. The loose-head qualifies on residential grounds and represented England at age-level international rugby for the U18s and U20s. At only 21-years-of-age, the Saracen has forced his way in to contention on the senior international stage with combative performances n the Aviva Premiership and in Europe. England’s forward coach, Graham Rowntree couldn’t praise the youngster highly enough. He said: “I have no doubt he will make his name in this autumn series. I have got every confidence in him. I am looking for a fault in his game and I can’t find one at the moment.” Sky Sports reported that he added, “He is a dynamic ball-carrier and he loves a scrum and you know that turns me on!”
Rowntree’s scrummaging fetish aside, England has plenty of options at lose-head. Joe Marler, the Harlequin, has continued to help guarantee the current Premiership Champions a solid platform from set-piece ball. Last season and during the current campaign, Marler has let his bullish scrummaging rather than his lavish-hairstyles do the talking. Harlequins are top of the domestic table and proudly sit at the top of pool 3 in the Heineken cup, with 9 points from a possible 10. The Londoners are notorious for their free-flowing style of attacking rugby, but this is only possible with front-foot ball, provided by a well-drilled and dominant pack. England’s other options at tight-head include Leicester stalwart Dan Cole, who has been keeping the 84-time-capped Italian Martin Castrogiovanni out of the No.3 Tigers shirt and Bath’s David Wilson. Often Cole is criticised for giving away too many penalties under pressure in the scrum, however, he is an excellent option and with the right front-row forwards along side him in the ‘engine-room’ he can wreak havoc at scrum-time.
Rowntree’s scrummaging fetish aside, England has plenty of options at lose-head. Joe Marler, the Harlequin, has continued to help guarantee the current Premiership Champions a solid platform from set-piece ball. Last season and during the current campaign, Marler has let his bullish scrummaging rather than his lavish-hairstyles do the talking. Harlequins are top of the domestic table and proudly sit at the top of pool 3 in the Heineken cup, with 9 points from a possible 10. The Londoners are notorious for their free-flowing style of attacking rugby, but this is only possible with front-foot ball, provided by a well-drilled and dominant pack. England’s other options at tight-head include Leicester stalwart Dan Cole, who has been keeping the 84-time-capped Italian Martin Castrogiovanni out of the No.3 Tigers shirt and Bath’s David Wilson. Often Cole is criticised for giving away too many penalties under pressure in the scrum, however, he is an excellent option and with the right front-row forwards along side him in the ‘engine-room’ he can wreak havoc at scrum-time.
Two London Wasps make-up two-thirds of the options in the second-row in Tom Palmer and 21-year-old Joe Launchbury, who was a surprise call-up to the match-day squad vs. Fiji after Northampton’s Courtney Lawes succumbed to injury. If called upon, the versatile youngster could line-up at lock, or in the back-row. Palmer on the other hand brings a wealth of experience to a squad with several untested internationals. They are joined by Leicester’s Geoff Parling, who has been working efficiently in the line-out for the Tigers as their go-to-man. Mouritz Botha has been released back to Saracens, to force his way in to contention next weekend against Australia.
This November, pundits will be waxing lyrical about the breakdown specialists such as Australia’s David Pocock, South Africa’s Francois Louw and New Zealand’s Richie McCaw. This non-exhaustive trio are just few examples of the extremely-talented breakdown gurus that England will face this November. To compete against the best, Lancaster and his coaching team must select a finely-balanced back-row with a work-horse, a scavenger and a wrecking-ball at number eight to get England over the gain-line. Tom Johnson is the in-form blind-side flanker in the Premiership, his work-rate is second-to-none and he is physical enough to compete with any of the opposing back-row forwards in world rugby. The open-side position is justifiably claimed by the Harlequins and England captain Chris Robshaw. Robshaw skippered Quins to their first Premiership title last season and he captained England with pride and assurance during a period of dramatic changes to the coaching set-up. Thomas Waldrom is the favoured No.8, although, Leicester have played him at open-side during their loose-forward injury crisis. Waldrom is not a turn-over winning scavenger. His best position is No. 8 and it will be a thrilling battle between Waldrom and Gloucester’s Ben Morgan this November to claim and retain the shirt at the back of the scrum.
Can Mike Catt and Andy Farrell put together a back-line capable of beating the World’s best?
The duo of former England centres is a shrewd combination. Mike Catt was one of England’s most creative attacking centres, in the latter stages of the Rugby World Cup in 2003, his tactical nous and game-reading ability helped guide England to World Cup glory. In Farrell, England have a defensive technician and former Rugby League legend that embodied physicality in the contact area. Emphasis will be placed on disciplined, aggressive defence, with the necessity to create and execute even from the most unlikely of try-scoring positions.
The duo of former England centres is a shrewd combination. Mike Catt was one of England’s most creative attacking centres, in the latter stages of the Rugby World Cup in 2003, his tactical nous and game-reading ability helped guide England to World Cup glory. In Farrell, England have a defensive technician and former Rugby League legend that embodied physicality in the contact area. Emphasis will be placed on disciplined, aggressive defence, with the necessity to create and execute even from the most unlikely of try-scoring positions.
Danny Care has been in scintillating form for Harlequins in both the domestic and European competitions. Thankfully, the sniping scrum-half has put his misdemeanours from the turn of the new-year behind him, and he is entirely focused on his rugby. The former England Sevens star has an eye for a gap, and he is always looking a quick tap-and-go. This catches a lazy retreating defence off-guard. He should start in the No.9 shirt ahead of Ben Youngs, as he has better distribution than his rival for the starting position and is quicker around the park.
Lancaster has to make a decision about the kind of game plan he wants his team to execute. If he wants England to play a defensive-minded game with a simple kicking game and strong kick-chase, he will choose Owen Farrell at 10. However, if he wants to play in an attacking, open and flowing style, he will opt for Toby Flood at fly-half. Farrell is unquestionably an effective option to gradually build a lead or close out and win a game; however, he lacks the creative spark required to unlock the best defences in world rugby. Also, the young utility-back does not play at fly-half week-in-week-out for Saracens; he has the guiding influence of Charlie Hodgson at 10, which allows the Wigan born warrior the time needed to develop his own game.
Brad Barritt was a rock in defence in last season’s RBS Six Nations and he continues to keep the Saracen defensive line intact. If Farrell is deployed the No.12 shirt, this offers the team another kicking option. After excellent efforts in the Premiership and Europe, Jordan Turner-Hall thoroughly deserves game-time at inside-centre; however, the Harlequins centre was released from England duty because he requires further treatment on his knee. Leicester’s Manu Tuilagi will start in the outside channel. We have not witnessed dazzling form from the rampaging Tiger this season; however, the test series should bring the best out in him. It is important to have creative options around him, to avoid the temptation to adopt the ‘pass it to Manu’ tactic England turn to in times of difficulty or stagnation. Jonathan Joseph has been the only stand-out player in a miss-firing London Irish in the first phase of the season; however, sadly the agile outside-centre misses out after failing a fitness test on his ankle.
Chris Ashton’s week-long suspension for a series of dangerous tackles gives both Gloucester’s Charlie Sharples and Harlequins’ Ugo Monye the opportunity to stake their claim for starting berths on the wing. Sharples recently returned from a shoulder injury, yet has returned in fine form having scored two tries against Bordeaux-Bègles in the Amlin Challenge Cup, and one in the victory over Leicester. Monye was a British & Irish Lion in South Africa in 2009 and is in outstanding form, having scored four tries in the Premiership so far this season. His strength allows him to power past the first attempted tackle, and he has the pace to finish of tries from depth. Monye scored two tries against London Welsh in Harlequins’ opening home game of the season. Unsurprisingly, he is a firm favourite at the Stoop as he always threatens opposing defences and creates several opportunities for his team-mates.
With Ben Foden recovering from ankle surgery, either Mike Brown or Alex Goode will step in to the vacant full-back position. Critics suggest that Brown is not quite as fast as Foden, yet his technical skills under the high ball and his ability to counter-attack from deep are excellent. Brown was sensational against Gloucester at last weekend in the current Premiership Champions’ 28-25 victory at the Twickenham Stoop; he was an irrepressible threat in attack and looked dependable in defence. Goode provides stability at full-back and yet another tactical kicking option. This November, England face the most devastating counter-attacking back-threes in the World. The likes of Fiji’s Vereniki Goneva, Australia’s Digby Ioane, South Africa’s JP Pietersen and New Zealand’s Israel Dagg force England’s tactical kicking game to be executed with the utmost accuracy. Any mistakes either by the kickers or by the kick-chasers at this level will be punished.
My predictions for the QBE Internationals:
England vs. Fiji (10/11/12 k.o. 14:30) – England to win by 20 points
England vs. Australia (17/11/12 k.o 14:30) – England to win by 8 points
England vs. South Africa (24/11/12 k.o 14:30) – South Africa to win by 12 points
England vs. New Zealand (1/12/12 k.o. 14:30) – New Zealand to win by 17 points
England vs. Fiji (10/11/12 k.o. 14:30) – England to win by 20 points
England vs. Australia (17/11/12 k.o 14:30) – England to win by 8 points
England vs. South Africa (24/11/12 k.o 14:30) – South Africa to win by 12 points
England vs. New Zealand (1/12/12 k.o. 14:30) – New Zealand to win by 17 points
Have you got any thoughts/comments about England’s upcoming test series? Do you agree with my predictions for the test series? Please comment below or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91. Any re-tweets or recommendations are greatly appreciated.
This post was also published on the #RugbyUnited blog. It can be found here: http://blog.rugbyunited.info/2012/11/autumn-internationals-preview-england/
