England to open Autumn Nations Cup with dominant win

Colin Newboult
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After winning the Six Nations, England have now set their sights on the Autumn Nations Cup and begin their campaign with a game against Georgia at Twickenham on Saturday.

This contest is not necessarily about the result for Eddie Jones – they are expected to win and do so comfortably – but more about the performance and testing different combinations.

The team isn’t as experimental as some would hope, however, with Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell providing an experienced spine to the XV, although there are a couple of exciting inclusions.

Jack Willis is deservedly handed his chance in the back-row while Ollie Lawrence is at centre, but that, unfortunately, is about it for international newbies in the starting line-up. Jones is preferring to use this game to try out seasoned campaigners in alternate positions, with Itoje in the back-row and Jonathan Joseph on the wing.

Odd selections

There is also a return for Elliot Daly at full-back, but you wonder what the Red Rose boss will actually learn from those selections. If you’re looking for an individual to take the Pieter-Steph du Toit role, why not Worcester Warriors’ Ted Hill, who has played there throughout the 2019/20 domestic season?

Similarly, England have a plethora of options on the wing, yet it is Joseph that is preferred. It is not a bad move as such, with the Bath man proving doubters wrong by producing a fine performance against Ireland in the Six Nations, but how will the side realistically benefit looking ahead to the next World Cup?

Ollie Thorley and Joe Cokanasiga are the next generation but they have mysteriously been overlooked. This is an encounter which is ideal for Jones to bring more younger players into the fold, but the Australian, as is his wont, has decided not to.

Whatever the selection, the Red Rose will win comfortably against a Georgia side that were poor in their previous clash, going down 48-7 to Scotland at Murrayfield.

It is an important month for The Lelos as they attempt to put pressure on the hierarchy that have so far denied them a place at the top table. The Eastern Europeans have consistently dominated the second tier with many calling for the Six Nations to introduce promotion and relegation.

Unfortunately, they seem to have regressed over recent years. Their once mighty scrum is not quite the force it used to be, while the lineout is a continual source of frustration when facing the better sides.

The back-row remains strong and the half-backs have improved, but the outside backs quite simply lack the athleticism to even get close to the best in the business.

No doubt, games against nations like England will improve the so-called ‘minnows’ and it is important that there is an avenue open to them, but we fear a heavy defeat for the visitors on Saturday.

Players to watch:

For England: There were few better players during the 2019/20 Premiership season than Wasps’ Jack Willis and the flanker gets his chance at international level having been named in England’s starting line-up. The openside is immensely strong over the ball – being well clear at the top of the turnover chart at the end of the domestic season – but he is also a powerful carrier and regularly gets over the gain line. Although the back-row is a competitive position, with Tom Curry and Sam Underhill becoming a world-class pairing for the Red Rose, Willis more than deserves his place in the team and could well break up that duopoly. Meanwhile, Ollie Lawrence earns his second cap after coming off the bench against Italy in the Six Nations. The Worcester Warriors centre is a wonderfully balanced runner but he also has the power to punch holes in the opposition defence. Following Manu Tuilagi’s injury, Lawrence is the player that has been earmarked by Jones to take the role vacated by the Sale Sharks man.

For Georgia: The Georgians have done relatively well at age-grade level over the last few years and one of the starlets to come through the system was Gela Aprasidze, who arguably scored the best try of the 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship against Ireland. It is that type of talent which alerted Montpellier as the Top 14 giants snapped up the scrum-half, but chances have been limited for the youngster over the past couple of years. Aprasidze has, however, already featured twice in 2020/21, suggesting that he is ready to make the step up. The half-back is a threat around the fringes and has a sharp pass, so England will have to be wary of the diminutive playmaker.

Head-to-head: It is all about the battle in the front-row. That is the only area where Georgia could realistically have the upper hand over England, with props Mikheil Nariashvili and Beka Gigashvili consistently excellent performers in the Top 14. Those two will come up against Ellis Genge and the relative newbie Will Stuart, who has been handed his first start for the Red Rose. Genge and Stuart are both incredibly powerful, both in the loose and the tight, but the hard-nosed and experienced Nariashvili and Gigashvili will believe that they can disrupt the hosts’ scrum. However, should Eddie Jones’ men gain the ascendancy, or at least produce a stable platform – which we thoroughly expect – then it will be a long day for the visitors.

Previous results:

2011: England beat Georgia 41-10 in Dunedin
2003: England beat Georgia 84-6 in Perth

Prediction: Eddie Jones has made a number of changes to his line-up but the Red Rose should rack up the tries. England by 50 points.

The teams:

England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Jonathan Joseph, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Jonny May, 10 Owen Farrell (c), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jack Willis, 6 Maro Itoje, 5 Joe Launchbury, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Ben Earl, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Max Malins, 23 Joe Marchant

Georgia: 15 Lasha Khmaladze, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Merab Sharikadze (c), 11 Sandro Svanidze, 10 Tedo Abzhandadze, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Beka Gorgadze, 7 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 6 Beka Saginadze, 5 Grigor Kerdikoshvili, 4 Lasha Jaiani, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Mikheil Nariashvili
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Lexo Kaulashvili, 19 Otar Giorgadze, 20 Tornike Jalagonia, 21 Vasil Lobzhanidze, 22 Deme Tapladze, 23 Sandro Todua

Date: Saturday, November 14
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Dan Jones (Wales)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

 

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