As the European Cup group stages wrap up and we head into the 2015 Six Nations, it’s a crucial time for anyone hoping to throw their hat into the ring for Rugby World Cup selection later in the year. With squads announced in the past week for the Six Nations as well, we take a look at who is on the up and whose stock is falling, just 33 weeks out from Rugby’s showpiece event.
GOING UP
Alex Dunbar
Glasgow Warriors, Scotland
Scotland seem to have a surplus of quality centres, which will be sweet, sweet music to the ears of their fans who endured the endless procession of average midfield partnerships throughout the Noughties. Dunbar looks to have cemented himself in one of the midfield spots after a lively performance against Bath, in which he showcased his ability to arrive at just the right time and on the perfect angle as a support runner to bag himself an impressive try, reminiscent of his efforts against Italy last year. The question now is who will partner him in the midfield, with both Matt Scott and Mark Bennett in good form. It is a conundrum Scotland are very much not used to.
Simon Zebo
Munster, Ireland
Sure, it came against an understrength Sale side, but Zebo’s performance was amongst his electric best at the weekend. He scored two tries and set up another as he gratefully accepted all the possession that came his way – he touched the ball 35 times in the game, which must be approaching some sort of record for a fullback. Joe Schmidt hasn’t always been his biggest fan, but with a potential injury to Dave Kearney and Zebo proving that he can do the gritty stuff as well as the flash in recent months, it’s looking increasingly likely that he’ll get one of the starting wingers spots.
Dmitri Szarzewski
Racing Métro, France
Anyone who saw Szarzewski’s performance against the Saints at the weekend will have been left scratching their heads harder than ever at the French selection policy. Sure, there will be reasons for having left the Racing hooker out, but a player capable of such a performance is surely worth a spot in the squad, particularly when it is hardly a position in which they are blessed with supreme depth. Of course it could have been a masterstroke, lighting a fire under Szarzewski by leaving him out, but with the French track record of bonkers selections I’m loathe to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Graham Kitchener
Leicester Tigers, England
On the surface, this might be a slightly odd selection in the going up column given that Kitchener did little special in Leicester’s dire loss to Ulster at the weekend. In a burst of cruel irony, however, it is the injury sustained by his more experienced clubmate Geoff Parling that might see him benefit for England. With Lawes and Launchbury also crocked, Dave Attwood is the only lock with any real experience, meaning Kitchener’s general good form this season could well see him capped, either as a starter or from the bench, early on in the Six Nations.
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
Edinburgh, Scotland
A brace of tries and a 28-point haul in an impressive win over Bordeaux for club Edinburgh, and a call up into the senior Scotland squad – all in all, an immensely successful week for the young scrum-half. It is not an overstatement to say that he is amongst the form players in Europe right now, and although he will start as second fiddle to captain Greig Laidlaw, a handful of strong cameos from the bench could see him elevated to starter sooner rather than later.
GOING DOWN
Luther Burrell
Northampton Saints, England
Many people, myself included, were clamouring for Burrell’s inclusion in England’s midfield during the autumn internationals, but have now been given pause. Burrell and centre partner Pisi missed over a third of their tackles against a rampant Jamie Roberts and Henry Chavancy at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, and given that Roberts is nailed on to start the opening Six Nations game between Wales and England, Lancaster will have serious doubts about pitting Burrell against him again. All of which means suddenly, Brad Barritt doesn’t look like quite such a bad option.
Freddie Burns
Leicester Tigers, England
It’s fair to say that Burns’ move to the Tigers has not paid off. After winning plaudits for his cameos against New Zealand over the summer and despite making a strong start in the East Midlands, he has gone of the boil and has found himself kicking his heels on the bench as Owen Williams soaked up the plaudits. As the Tigers went in search of tries in their final two European group games he has been given the starting shirt again, and while he played well against the Scarlets his game management and decision making a week later against Ulster were shocking. For such a confidence player, one wonders if it had anything to do with his not even being included in the Saxons squad last week.
Owen Farrell
Saracens, England
Farrell didn’t necessarily do a great deal wrong during his 18 minutes on the pitch in the Massif Central at the weekend, but the fact that he had to be brought off so early with an injury doesn’t boost his England chances for the Six Nations. He’s already been usurped by George Ford for the starting 10 jersey, which we can assume will carry on into this tournament regardless, and with Danny Cipriani back in the squad along with Stephen Myler, 10 is probably the most hotly contested jersey in the squad. Farrell will have a cast-iron spot in the World Cup squad if he is fit, but an injury at such a crucial juncture could seriously dent his match-day squad credentials in the long run.
Who were you impressed or disappointed by at the weekend?
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
7 replies on “Rugby World Cup Stock Check: 234 days to go”
From Glasgow though Fraser Brown had a really good game despite being a hooker playing openside. Should be the backup to Ford now. Also Mark Bennett has to be Dunbar’s centre partner, seems to beat defenders so easily.
Wales media reporting both Barrit and Farrel out of the Wales game? Someone up there smiling on England fans who want to see some attacking rugby? (this is a joke about the perception of these players, obviously them being injured isn’t funny in itself).
Cockerill – Abuses Gats for calling up a “Kiwi” (oh the irony of an English coach pulling that jibe) ahead of Owen Williams then himself picks Burns ahead of Williams for two crunch games. So he seriously thinks Burns is better than our 3rd choice FH? More likely he was just, as usual, aimlessly stirring in his clueless way.
Up : You’ve mentioned him, Jamie Roberts, and as you say, he was going to start. But he’s still gone up in the eyes of the Welsh public. We were expecting dependable, solid Roberts. A point around which to setup a ruck that might yield something and a good leader of the defensive line. Now we’ve got slick-hands-tackle-dodging Roberts. Exciting.
Down : Stephen Myler – looked lost behind a pack that wasn’t dominating.
Down : Ben Youngs for the same reason as Myler.
Down : Tom Youngs – again, when pack isn’t dominating it puts his “in the loose” contributions into perspective. You can run around as much as you want but a Hooker who can’t hook or throw the ball in is a liability when your 1 and 3 are not killing the oppo.
Down : George North – the unthinkable is being talked about in Wales. North dropped – back 3 of 1/2p, Cuthbert and Williams (Williams FB). Could happen. One barnstorming run aside he was pretty anonymous and often not in the right place to defend.
I’m not at all sure that Liam, whether at 15 or 11, would be any better than George in defence.
I’d rather we stuck to the established starting three; Lancaster will be wetting himself, if he has to rely upon 36 and Burrell/Joseph to stop our midfield.
Agree with your last sentence. Especially with JD2 and Scott Williams also looking fit and in fine form. Fingers crossed we don’t break anyone during the run in to a week Friday.
I’d put Liam at FB and Halfpenny instead of Cuthbert on the wing. For me that would have our 3 best and in form back 3 players on the park. At the mo Liam shades 1/2p at full back with his attacking play.
Whilst last weekend was a bit of a worry, 36 and Burrell dealt perfectly well with your mid-field last year. A quick look on ESPN scrum shows me they missed 1 tackle and made 15 compared to 5 missed and 17 made from Roberts / Davies
I’m hoping it was a bit of a one-off – both for Roberts and for Burrell!
Obviously there isn’t much point us turning up at the millennium stadium due to the fact that the Welsh backline is in such a good place and all of our players are either injured or off form. Oh well a worse drubbing than 2013 coming up with the ignomy of a Jamie Roberts hat trick a nailed on cert. It’ll be like watching Chelsea destroy Bradford.
Got to agree, last saturday we saw the Roberts who ripped it up with BOD against SA for the lions. Imense was the only word.
Burrell – his defence has been a bit flaky for some time. He was shown up against NZ last summer and has had “moments” before then. But his frailties were frighteningly clear against Racing. BUT, is Eastmond (certainly a decent defender) going to stop a charging Roberts any more effectively? He may bring him down, but by then he will have broken the line and offloaded.
In attack? Well they are both in pretty special form, though completely different in how they go about it.
If only they had a bit more game time at the top level (or Saxons) this would be the perfect opportunity for a player like Burgess or Slade. A Slade-Joseph combo?
Re Tom Youngs: this is not new. Added to which, he was missing a key lock, instrumental in both scrum and lineout. That said, his line out throwing is a concern. But I would go for his loose work over Hartleys scrummaging every day.