Expert Witness: George Chuter sets England win target
As England prepare for the first of five campaigns between now and the 2023 Rugby World Cup, former England hooker George Chuter joins Expert Witness to examine the November Test selections ahead of the first match v Tonga on Saturday.
Structural engineering
“The simple fact is that with five campaigns ahead of England before the World Cup preparations, this is the last chance Eddie Jones has to test and tease out a few combinations and also to cover over some problem positions within his squad,” said Chuter.
“There’s always a lot of rattle and chatter on social media regarding marginal selections – things like Sam Simmonds v Alex Dombrandt and so on – but what few supporters realise is that international coaches select the best players to deliver their plan and structure, not necessarily the outright best players in their position in club rugby.
“Jones, for all his bluster, will realise that, whilst experimentation is important, delivering a November of winning rugby is the absolute key; teams want a winning habit and how you win isn’t as important as the result, even at this stage.
“If you look back to a similar point in 2001, Clive Woodward used that year to rejuvenate his team and we saw the emergence of Lewis Moody, Trevor Woodman, Iain Balshaw and Ben Kay, four players that were all integral components of the 2003 win, so there’s absolute proof that Jones is right to be going down this path right now.
“In terms of what success looks like from November, the goal has to be to win all three Tests. Australia have really improved greatly this season, but without a couple of their key midfielders, England have to expect to continue their winning run against them. The big one, however, is South Africa, who, despite their Lions win, are still not quite the side some think they are. It’s absolutely key psychologically that England get over this mental speed bump with them, and if Jones is serious about a World Cup win, with 83,000 people at home, this is a game that should be won.”
Forward optioneering
“Whilst some positions, such as fly-half and back-row, have a real depth about them, others are very short of the quality required at Test level. In the lock department, Jones has selected three players he knows well in Charlie Ewels, Jonny Hill and Maro Itoje, with very little back-up. Sure, Courtney Lawes could do a job if absolutely pushed, but he favours scrummaging on the same side as Itoje, is very underpowered as a second-row and also, you lose him in his best position on the flank,” he said.
“There’s a need to find another lock or two before the season is out, not forgetting that a fit Joe Launchbury would make a huge difference. That might mean Jones goes back to his scrapheap and re-selects someone like Nick Isiekwe or Elliot Stooke or look elsewhere to the likes of Harry Wells or David Ribbans.
“Whilst loosehead has a queue of excellence at England’s disposal, I really fear for them if Kyle Sinckler gets injured, as the depth at tighthead is very shallow. Will Stuart seems not to have pushed on and whilst Joe Heyes is improving, if you played SA tomorrow would you really be comfortable with either of those starting? I hate to say this, but Dan Cole is still miles ahead of either of those options even at 34 and he’s actually playing some of his best rugby of his career.
“Going back to loosehead, Jones can mix and match from two of the best in Ellis Genge, who has improved out of all recognition after his captaincy award, and Joe Marler, still the toughest scrummager around. They complement each other well and it’s just a case of who starts and who finishes, with Mako Vunipola available outside of the squad should any injury occur.
“In the back-row, we need to rebalance our options to find the most effective unit. I am absolutely sure that, right here and now, that consists of Lawes and Tom Curry on the flanks (with Sam Underhill supporting Curry), and Alex Dombrandt now has three Tests to show that he can transfer his Quins form into test form; easier said than done as the space he enjoys in the Premiership simply isn’t there at Test level. I do believe that his selection over Sam Simmonds is down to his ability to make metres in contact and confined spaces, plus he offers another lineout option at the back, in a time where 41% of all tries come from a lineout move.”
Backline chemistry
“I have no doubt that if fit, Marcus Smith will get a three match run this autumn. He’ll be on a huge learning curve, having to play to structure as well as with his usual intuition, and he’ll benefit by being sandwiched between Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell. I’m pretty sure that Jones will keep Owen at 12 come what may, but don’t be surprised to see George Furbank starting at 10 v Tonga should Smith fail his fitness test as Jones will want continuity in the centres,” Chuter said.
“How Smith fits in relies a lot on his relationship building with Farrell, who is a long time sideman to George Ford’s brilliance. Ford is back to his very best at Tigers and had this been a RWC squad, I’ve no doubt he’d be there, but right now, his omission from the squad is designed to allow Smith to bloom without pressure.
“People are far too critical of Ben Youngs and the plan that he’s asked to play to for England. At Tigers, his sniping and passing are used to best effect, but with England’s kicking plan etched in tablets of stone, a lot of his work is very prescriptive from the coaching team. I don’t buy some of the armchair critics of his pass – compared to the likes of Dan Robson and Alex Mitchell he possesses great accuracy and much better distance. It’s perhaps more of a reflection of England’s recent ruck speed that he’s perceived as a slow passer, which is absolutely not the case.
“The back three injury list opens a lot of chances for the likes of Adam Radwan and possibly Joe Marchant on the wing. Freddie Steward’s injury cloud might cause Jones an issue if Smith is also sidelined and if that’s the case, you might even see Henry Slade used in the 15 shirt, arguably his best Test position, considering Tommy Freeman has been sent back to Saints.”
Coaching clashes
He added: “The other fascinating dynamic will be how my old mate Richard Cockerill, now installed as forwards coach, forms a working relationship with the rest of the coaches and squad. Now, knowing Cockers as I do, I know how abrasive he can be in terms of his direct approach, something that Eddie Jones is also noted for. However, word is he’s mellowed greatly and has taken on board some of the criticism that came his way up at Edinburgh and he’s working hard to be less confrontational.
“However, Cockers brings huge passion to every side he coaches and the one missing quality that Eddie Jones has lacked in his backroom staff recently is pure ‘Englishness’; someone who’s played Test rugby for his country with passion and pride, which are qualities that Richard has in abundance. I can only assume it’s partly that cultural piece that Jones thought might be missing, together with a directness that fits in with Eddie’s own style. It’s essential that they are harmonised in their message; two fiery and abrasive characters need to understand their own style, acknowledge that they may at times clash and to harness that for the wider team benefit.
“In the final analysis, we’ve a lot of questions that need to be answered in the next three weeks. I go back to my opening point of winning – England cannot afford to use the excuse of experimentation to mitigate losing Test matches and the key to success this November is to balance that agenda with an emerging style and with the need to develop great cover and talent in the positions I’ve mentioned.”
George Chuter’s England line-up for Tonga game: 15 Freddie Steward (Henry Slade if Steward is out), 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Jonny May, 10 Marcus Smith (George Furbank if Smith is out), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Joe Marler
We thank George for his time.
George Chuter is one of the Premiership’s most capped players with 262 appearances in the colours of Saracens and Leicester Tigers and appearing in seven Premiership finals. An abrasive hooker, he represented England 24 times and appeared in the 2007 RWC Final.
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