Why England’s fringe figures face World Cup audition against Japan
Steve Borthwick has heavily changed his team for Japan (AP) Amid such upheaval, change can present an ideal chance to look at a few fringe figures.
Key points
- Borthwick has made 10 personnel and two positional changes to his team to play Eddie Jones’s side with a glut of injuries, a handful of players in need of a rest and the head coach’s determination to give those such as Joseph and Ojomoh, who line up on the right wing and inside centre respectively, the chance to shine.
- Pollock makes his second start, coming in at No 8, while the Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland is in line for a debut from the bench.
- Because if you go the other way round, it could end up being clunky and a little bit frustrating, so we don't want to go down that route.” George Ford and Freddie Steward come into the England backline (Getty) There are eerie echoes to another encounter against Japan when that balance was not expertly struck.
And then there is the second horizon of every cyclical sport: the World Cup, always occupying the plotting parts of a coaching staff’s minds.
When Eddie Jones was Steve Borthwick ’s boss as England head coach, the vastly-experienced Australian explained to his assistant the concept of international rugby’s twin horizons.
Additional details
- Two volume carriers and explosive athletes could dovetail well; equally, their last outing together came in an Ireland defeat in which England desperately lacked balance.
- Borthwick is always conscious of not getting too far ahead of himself, but, having made 10 changes and two more positional tweaks to his starting side from the win over Australia, spoke openly of the opportunity he had presented to some players.
- A need for individuals not to chase individual performance at the expense of that of the collective has been underlined by both assistant coach Kevin Sinfield and George Ford, who returns in place of a rested Fin Smith at fly half, this week.
- A stuttering 2018 encounter at Twickenham became known as the “black-hole game” – Zach Mercer, Alex Lozowski, Alec Hepburn and Ted Hill are among those seldom sighted since, while Danny Care, substituted at half time, spent four years in exile before clawing his way back in.
- If you have all your back-rowers around the ruck, you're going to get hurt elsewhere.” Henry Pollock makes just his second Test start (PA Wire) The problems of finding the right blend are also evidenced in a new-look backline.
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