Owen Farrell could well be England’s long term twelve. Stuart Lancaster is openly known to be keen on trying him there with George Ford at fly-half, and it seems increasingly likely that this afternoon it is the combination that will be announced to take on Samoa.
As has been widely noted, it is a combination that served England well throughout the age-grade teams. The two are very close friends, both hailing from the same part of the world, and it is a partnership that has plenty going for it.
Farrell has the qualities to make a good inside centre, if you want your 12 to play in a certain way. He can distribute well, has a good kicking game and is robust in defence. These are all qualities that he has shown in an England shirt in the past, and people who argue otherwise are deluded – he wouldn’t have got to where he is now without being able to do the basics well.
There are, of course, flaws in his game – he’s not the quickest and he’s yet to show if he can really pick an intelligent line, but that’s something he will have much more of a chance to do playing at twelve, rather than 10.
There are, however, two main reasons why now is patently not the right time to try him in the centres.
Firstly, he hasn’t shown any of the qualities listed above (barring perhaps the defence) over the past two weekends, and this is exactly why now is not the right time to play him in the centres, a position he will no doubt need a bit of time to adapt to.
He has looked off the pace simply because he is exactly that. Prior to the New Zealand game, he had played just 99 minutes of rugby this season, meaning he was always going to be undercooked coming into matches with the two best teams in the world.
The second is more theoretical, but it is likely that for Farrell to succeed at 12, he needs a certain type of player in the 13 shirt outside him. Farrell is not a game-breaker; he is not someone that will glide through a gap or smash his way over the top of someone.
With that in mind, he needs someone outside him who can offer that sort of thing. When he lined up with Ford at under 20 level, Elliot Daly played at 13. Daly is a player with electric pace and a brilliant sidestep; a player who will always looks to make that outside break and is more than capable of doing so. It was a good partnership with the more pragmatic Farrell.
Similarly, Farrell and Manu Tuilagi is a combination that could work – the Leicester centre’s gainline-busting credentials need no further airing. This weekend, though, he will likely have Brad Barritt in the 13 shirt and for all his Saracens teammate’s work rate and nous, he is not a man that unduly worries defences. If you have a more dangerous player at 13, whom defences know they need to keep one eye on, the 10 and 12 will automatically have more time and freedom.
This is why it is so baffling that Luther Burrell is not in the mix this weekend – he is the closest thing England have to a true game-breaker in the centres at the moment, and performed sublimely for them in the Six Nations. Why has he been dispatched back to his club yet again? Against the very best defences, in an attacking sense, England need more than what Barritt offers.
Farrell is a strong character, so you fancy that all the furore surrounding him in the media won’t have unduly concerned him. But deep down he will know that he is not playing well, and the risk this weekend is that he under-performs again and his confidence is undermined.
And while 12 could be an excellent position for him in the future, this weekend, with the wrong personnel around him, is not the right time to try it. England’s midfield risk taking another step backwards before they take one forwards again.
Leicester and Saracens served up another reminder of why a summer rugby season is so tantalising a prospect at the weekend. It was a proper slug-fest at Welford Road, with neither side even remotely threatening the try-line and all 42 points scored from the boots of the respective kickers.
Conditions were horrific, not helped by the fact one side of the pitch had had to be relayed after a concert recently, and both sides were content to play for territory and kick the penalties when they came their way. It was enough to have fans pining for the sunny opening weekends of the season again already.
Across the Severn Bridge, there is another fly-half being similarly pilloried by fans. Rhys Priestland did some very good things against Fiji but sadly his performance will be remembered for those things he didn’t do well – and apparently they were numerous enough to see him dropped completely for this weekend’s game with the All Blacks.
Priestland, as has been well-documented recently after he was booed by his home crowd (a monstrosity, it has to be said) against Australia, is a confidence player. The decision to include James Hook, who wasn’t even included in the initial squad for the series, ahead of him is certainly not going to do any favours in that sense.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
“These are all qualities that he has shown in an England shirt in the past, and people who argue otherwise are deluded – he wouldn’t have got to where he is now without being able to do the basics well.” Just to play devil’s advocate, several steps of the progress he has made on the way to where he is now have been made with his father not far away- first Saracens and now England.
On the flip side, regarding Burrell, he really hasn’t been playing very well for Saints this season and is probably the most defensively suspect of all the current options for centre. England just don’t seem to have many, if any truly, international-calibre centres at the moment. Henry Slade is a promising youngster and Faz in form might be a prospect, but for the next two weeks the only combination that makes any kind of sense is Barritt & JJ- but JJ has been tried and found somewhat wanting at test level before now
To be honest I don’t think the nepotism argument is fair at all. There’s no way such a professional environment would allow the Farrells to get away with that.
I’d argue 12T and Burrell makes the most sense, given it was a combo that worked really well in the 6N. Burrell may not have been playing well for Saints, but neither has Farrell for Sarries and he was still picked. 12T seems to have been dropped on the back of a shocker in NZ, but even the management admit he probably shouldn’t have been thrown into that game after so long out.
Can’t understand why they’re not giving that combo another go after they’ve used the ‘credit in the bank’ argument for so long elsewhere.
Not sure what you are basing that judgement of Joseph on. Admittedly he dd not set the world alight against Argentina, but that was also a period when his club form was not exactly scintillating. Previous to that he had 4 caps against SA and New Zealand (1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses).
Given current for he would be my choice for 13. He can work on developing his distribution and defence, but I think he has the potential to develop into a player like Conrad Smith. Not the most physical, but just glides through gaps and solid in the tackle.
Slade is also this type of player.
If you looked in future to play tuilagi at 12 they would be perfect with him.
Agreed Mike. I don’t recall JJ ever being found wanting at International level.
I do recall however that after he lost his England place, got injured, then returned, he was quite ordinary for Bath. However that sort of form does seem to be behind him again, so I do believe he is genuinely one to consider at 13.
He did, incidentally, play in the same U20’s team as Ford, Farrell and Daly, occasionally on the wing.
It’s just not the right call for a progressive game of rugby. Farrell isn’t going to worry international 12s, either running round or over them, so he’ll put too much pressure on those outside him to create something magical.
It’s may be a good call if it’s sheeting with rain and you want 2/3 kickers in your backline and are going to work territory and try to build your score in 3s, but other than that there’s not really an upside.
I would have had Barritt and Joseph with Burrell on the bench for this one, with a look at bring Burrell back against Australia, either at 13 or 12 (if Joseph had a stormer).
I appreciate your arguments, but I don’t think you can say ‘Farrell isn’t going to worry international 12s’ and then put forward Barritt as the answer. He’s less threatening than Farrell, in my mind.
Farrell could work at 12 with Ford inside him and Tuilagi (or someone like Daly/JJ) outside him I think. There’s enough there to give defensive units headaches, while also enough nous that they wouldn’t be ripped apart when they don’t have the ball.
Lost on all the Farrell anguish is Barritt. Where does he fit with this strategy? Neither a kicking option or distributor at 12 or a power bosh merchant at 13.
I don’t believe that Barritt is a good option at 13.
However, I do think that his distribution is decent, and vastly under-rated.
Whilst it was quite one dimensional (not his fault), I also think that he “boshed” quite effectively on saturday against SA.
He’ll willingly truck to ball up to the advantage line all day ….. but rarely make much of a dent in it as he’s not got the pace, power or agility at this level.
…. and whilst his distribution may be a bit better than he gets credit for, the reason for picking him is never going to be his passing.
There’s no point in Farrell at 12 if he plays his club rugby at 10, although I think SL would play him at prop if that was the slot available!!
I will say this now, and I don’t care what Don P, Brighty or any other posters say in response.
If George Ford manages to get this back line moving, attacking and scoring tries, with a midfield of Farrell and Barritt, he will be the GREATEST fly half in the history of Rugby. NO CONTEST.
Better than Lynagh, Larkham, Jonny and Carter (all of whom had an excess of talent to play along side).
Haha to be honest I think that is a fair judgement!
almost laughed out loud in the office at that
Good work Benjit.
I would add though, that if all were judged on their last outing, Ford wouldn’t have to do much to surpass Carter.
100% this. That would be a sight to see.
Very good and very true!
I thought Burrell was Saints’ best back against Exeter at the weekend – granted the rest of them were ordinary, but he made some decent breaks. Would definitely have involved him
If Farrell is the answer I have no idea what the question is …
Yes he played well in the 6N (but was appalling in the Autumn) and I’m completely convinced the improvement in the 6N was largely down to being outside a 9 on top form who was calling a lot of the plays and taking a lot of the decision making responsibility. Care is now out of form and Farrell is back to where he was before.
Clearly he’s not without his attributes, but at 10 (or 12) we really need someone who can challenge the gainline and it’s not Farrell.
Where does continuity fit in all this?
This in effect is Ford’s first game for England.Surely with Watson on the wing it would have made sense to pair Barritt with Joseph?
Then you have a nice axis of Bath teammates in the backs. Barritt is the best defensive midfielder in the current set up while JJ would give pace and penetration, all orchestrated by his club mate in the 10 shirt.
I don’t want to indulge in hyperbole but SHOULD England come unstuck this weekend,where does that leave Lancaster?