England stuttered in the Autumn internationals, and coach Stuart Lancaster needs to deliver tactically and also in terms of selection because there has been too many inconsistent performances to date.
Significantly, only 20 games remain until the next World Cup.
Yesterday, I outlined the strength of England’s forwards.
In stark contrast the backs looked rudderless to the point one wonders what Mike Catt is actually doing aside from moaning about previous England internationalists.
Defensively, the side let in some soft tries too.
The narrator Owen Farrell is, in the words of Sir Ian McGeechan, a Test match animal, but he is also still developing into the fly half jersey, and struggles to combine with either Ben Youngs or Billy Twelvetrees – two players whom the back division could be built around.
Chris Ashton has looked terribly out of sorts too. In 2010 he was in superb form, and a lot of that was down to Toby Flood.
Worryingly, two years in and there are still no settled combinations. Question marks surround the left wing and the midfield.
Brad Barritt is very good defensively, but his handling and kicking are poor for a former fly half, and for a big man his carrying game is underwhelming.
Since day one Lancaster has bemoaned the need for a second navigator at inside centre, but continued to choose Barritt and misused Alex Goode from fullback.
It’s no coincidence that Twelvetrees has looked so erratic. The selection of Twelvetrees-Burrell has been mooted, with Luther Burrell playing the Tuilagi role, but then a player is again being played out of position.
Lancaster has referred to the 12-13 dynamic being outdated, motioning towards a rugby league style left-right partnership, but this seems a glib oversimplification.
Whoever plays at 13, if that 13 switches with the 12 following first phase play, will always be a player defending a channel they are simply not accustomed to defending in.
It’s questionable whether Burrell has the pace or power that Tuilagi has, and he is an inside centre. The 13 channel is the hardest position to defend, so why play a rookie 12 there?
Brad Barritt has also been mentioned as a possible outside centre, but the same issues of contention remain.
Burrell has a big presence and a good off-loading game, but the same could be said of Joel Tomkins, and he looked very uncomfortable in the Autumn.
It’s not an ideal position for the coaches to be in. If Burrell starts then it should be at 12.
Kyle Eastmond remains a player of vast potential. He has played well for Bath in fits and bursts, but both he and George Ford are natural playmakers, so he doesn’t dictate play as much as he might like.
I would like to see him start alongside Farrell, because I think he could guide Farrell and really increase the tempo from first receiver. His foot speed is staggering and defensively he is sound too.
With two physical players like Farrell and Tuilagi/Burrell close to him I don’t think his size would be an issue.
League is a game that generally goes backwards and forwards, whereas union is three dimensional and that suits Eastmond because he’s such an instinctive player.
It wasn’t so long ago that Woodward was trying to involve Jason Robinson in the midfield.
The back three still remains a pressing matter: Mike Brown is safe under the high ball, has a robust left boot and is a good metre maker, but unless you kick the ball to him he isn’t one to integrate himself into play.
Alex Goode is apparently considered England’s most naturally gifted footballer, but Brown is the sort of player who makes a carry and lifts the side.
Alex Goode is an equally capable counter attacker, but he doesn’t exhibit the sheer aggression that Brown does, and the crowd responds to that.
In terms of balance if Burrell plays at 12 then Goode is the more natural fit from the back, but if Twelvetrees plays then Brown is that man.
Whomever is chosen Lancaster needs to end his obsession with picking an out-and-out fullback on the left wing. It’s a specialist position, and it’s never really worked.
Jonny May is a live contender, and is an electric runner, but he’s comparatively lightweight and his decision making is inconsistent.
I would like to see him given five full games, but he’d be coming into a dysfunctional back line. If not used properly he’d likely be starved of ball unless England approach the Six Nations with real ambition. I just couldn’t see him being utilised properly.
Chris Ashton will likely play on the right wing simply through default due to the absence of Christian Wade and Marland Yarde, although it’s my opinion both those players are far too raw for international football at this juncture.
Jack Nowell is a strong possibility, although I doubt Lancaster will blood a rookie simultaneously on both wings.
Nowell is a more accomplished footballer than Wade and Yarde and has experience at fullback, so long-term England do have some good options available to them, but he’s quite slight, and I could envisage him struggling against bigger wingers like North or Bowe.
He is definitely one for the future though and is a natural right winger.
If he, Wade and Yarde develop then a problem position could be an area of real strength.
Anthony Watson is a current media darling, and despite playing fullback for his club I’d like to see him oust Ashton as he’d be far more comfortable on the wing than Foden or Brown as he’s played there previously.
He is a very good physical specimen for a young man, and is a creator as well as a finisher.
He has pace – but isn’t as fast as he is said to be, and good vision too – not just a head down ball carrier. In the future he could be a possible outside centre.
Ashton really isn’t delivering for Saracens or England and simply doesn’t deserve another run of games.
With Anthony Watson and Jonny May on the wings England would have genuine pace and that is something that worries the opposition.
Presumably the opposition would bombard the pair with kicks, but this Six Nations is a good opportunity to take risks.
The only problem is how to work them into the game. If Barritt or Burrell play at 13 then England will lack distribution and Farrell is still working on that aspect of his game.
The back line conundrum continues with the halves.
Lee Dickson cost England a try against New Zealand, and has proven beyond doubt that he isn’t an international scrum half; he rallies the pack well, but lacks composure and vision.
In contrast at their best Ben Youngs and Danny Care are world class, but both have seemingly found it tough under Lancaster’s prescriptive tactics.
Ben Youngs found it equally hard playing Gatland’s one dimensional muscle game on the Lions tour too. They are instinctive players and need licence to roam.
Youngs is a playmaker, but it’s clear he doesn’t click with Farrell or Barritt. His rugby league crabbing across the pitch isn’t met with the same degree of success it was under Martin Johnson.
With that in mind, if Farrell is the starting fly half then a player like Richard Wigglesworth could be selected alongside him.
Wigglesworth is a clever footballing nine, but he doesn’t overplay his hand or threaten around the fringe as the others do, so in short he’d be there simply to kick and pass to Farrell, with Danny Care providing spark off the bench.
Wigglesworth could also be a calming influence for George Ford, who is likely to play understudy to Farrell.
George Ford is the second current media darling following Toby Flood’s self-imposed exile – something that is quite worrying.
He’s a gifted footballer, carries well, takes on the line, off-loads, has a great passing game and on his day is a very reliable kicker.
However, people forget he’s very young and, despite playing behind a very dominant Bath pack, has had numerous kicks charged down, and has looked more erratic than his reputation would suggest.
Were he to play he’d click well with Danny Care and Burrell outside him. Playing Barritt outside Ford would be akin to wearing flip flops with top hat and tails.
Stephen Myler is the third 10. He has a good passing game across the gainline and is an accurate kicker but in reality he is simply there due to the collapse of Freddie Burn.
For an ex-league fly half his defence isn’t aggressive in the slightest, and you sense he would struggle with the pace of international football.
So, the 2014 Six Nations approach and things aren’t quite where they should be.
England should be better come the end of the Six Nations than they will be at the beginning of February, but a lot of improvements are necessary before the side can be considered a genuine World Cup threat.
Preferred England side to start against France:
Marler, Hartley, Cole, Launchbury, Lawes, Wood, Robshaw (c), Billy Vunipola;
Wigglesworth, Farrell, May, Twelvetrees, Burrell (Simply because of a lack of EPS alternatives), Watson, Brown;
Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Thomas, Slater, Morgan, Care, Ford, Barritt
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