England latest: Winners and losers as ‘masterful’ George Ford shows ‘underrated skill’ while ‘the plot thickens’ for British and Irish Lions contingent
Alex Dombrandt (left), George Ford (centre) and Emmanuel Iyogun (right) were all among the big winners this weekend
Following the conclusion of round two of the PREM season, here are our winners and losers from an England perspective, looking towards the Autumn Nations Series.
Winners
Owen Farrell
He just looks so comfortable back in the PREM and at Saracens, which is a delight to see. It’s clear to see he’s starting to enjoy his rugby again, a trend which started during the Lions tour but has only carried on for Saracens, and it could see him back in the England mix. The call is ultimately up to him at the end of the day, given his previous stepping back from the Test stage, but he’s done his chances of selection no harm at all this weekend.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
He’s back to his absolute sparkling best and will almost certainly be commanding a starting spot in that England side come the autumn. His game-breaking ability was again on full display, both around the park and in his finishing, but it’ll likely be the way he came off his wing and went looking for work that will please Steve Borthwick the most.
Max Ojomoh
Newly capped back Max Ojomoh has really grown into his role at fly-half thus far, and it’s added another string to his bow. The Bath ace will certainly be in the mix for a spot in Borthwick’s squad, especially given he toured in the summer, but his ability to now play fly-half will only give him an extra boost over other players when it comes to selection.
Prop duo
It was a good day to be a prop at Kingsholm, with Northampton loosehead Emmanuel Iyogun and Gloucester tighthead Afolabi Fasogbon putting on a fine show. They both competed hard in the scrum against one another, an impressive feat considering they are among the most powerful scrummagers in the league, and they also backed their efforts up with some nice work around the park. Fasogbon’s splash also deserves some love.
This is the sort of performance Borthwick will be wanting out of these two men, who will again be in the discussion come the autumn, and it showed they are up for the fight.
Number eight competitors
Again, a really strong weekend for English number eights, with Tom Willis, Alex Dombrandt and Greg Fisilau (who did wear seven but played more like an eight in the loose) all making their mark. While they all had individually strong performances in their own right, the fact that they all posted incredibly similar numbers on both sides of the ball shows Borthwick’s game plan is coming across well to all of his options. England are looking for that sort of brutal ball-carrier and industrious defender to bookend the scrum, and based on this weekend’s games, all three men can fulfil that role nicely.
Sale Sharks front-row
Are they the best scrummaging unit in the PREM? Bevan Rodd, Nathan Jibulu and Asher Opoku-Fordjour are bang in form right now, both as a collective and individually. Together, they just tore through Bath’s scrum, winning penalties aplenty, and then around the park, they just all fronted up and got stuck into the battle. There’s a lot to like about Sale, and this front-row are a good part of their game.
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George Ford
Just when you think you’ve seen it all from Ford, he takes things up another gear. The masterful fly-half just oozed composure in monsoon conditions, casually knocking over 50 metre drop goals for good measure, and that ability to change his game to suit is such an underrated skill in his arsenal. He was able to just flick a switch and turn to a completely fresh game plan to keep his side in the fight. On a different day, he comes out on the winning side.
Henry Slade
It’s been tough going for the England veteran in the past year, but he’s piecing together some good displays now and will be hoping to kick on into the autumn. He’s looking a lot more confident in his game again, thriving in Exeter’s new-look attack, and when Slade is playing with a smile on his face, it’s a scary prospect. You felt he needed a bit of a break and a reset, and he’s had just that.
Losers
Lions tourists
The plot thickens. While some of the Lions group are being drip-fed back into domestic rugby, those still on the sidelines are seeing positional rivals really make their case. There is by no means a guaranteed spot in this wider England squad, let alone the Test 23, and these players will be chomping at the bit to get back out on the pitch now. Round three will likely see them all return, though, which will even the playing field a bit.
Injured stars
Ted Hill and Charlie Ewels both came off injured in Bath’s win over Sale, which will cause concern for Borthwick with George Martin also out of the picture. Both Bath men are viewed as lock options in the England system, with Ewels starting both Tests v Argentina this summer and Hill being deployed into the engine room in the Six Nations and in the summer tour too, and having both of them pick up quite nasty-looking injuries will be a worry.
Around them, Gabriel Ibitoye and Harry Randall are also more than likely ruled out of the autumn Tests, while George Furbank is in a race against time too.
It’s nervy times on the injury front.
