England squad update: What the three changes mean for Steve Borthwick’s squad, including half-back ‘headache’
England head coach Steve Borthwick has made three changes to his 36-man squad for the Autumn Nations Series, and they each have a different effect on the look and feel of the team.
Ollie Chessum and Charlie Ewels have both pulled out through injury – with the Leicester lock picking up a knee issue whilst Ewels is under return-to-play protocol after a head knock – and Tom Roebuck has also been released from the squad. In their place, George Ford, Ted Hill and Alex Coles have all been drafted into the wider group.
These selections in themselves are interesting, however, they also shed a bit more light on some of England’s plans ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.
Here is our in-depth rundown of what these changes mean for Borthwick’s men this November.
Pack make-up
Bath back-rower Hill has been one of the form flankers in the Premiership for some time now, and he finally gets another shot at the England squad this November.
His inclusion is certainly merited, however, he was one of several back-rowers Borthwick could have called into the squad. The glaring option would have been in-form Saracens number eight Tom Willis, who was somehow omitted from the initial 36-man squad.
The one-cap forward has been head and shoulders the best eight in the Premiership this season, and he would have slotted in incredibly well into the back-row for England, which would then push Ben Earl into his preferred spot at seven and leave Chandler Cunningham-South as the starting number six.
However, Hill’s inclusion points to how England were going to use Chessum – and even Hill himself now – as the starting blindside. Chessum is a fairly versatile option, but moving him to six would give England three genuine lineout options, as well as another enforcer across the field.
Hill is also the most like-for-like replacement to do this role, and it could see him thrust into the starting line-up. His natural height makes him valuable in the lineout, and his time in the second-row this season has improved his skills in this department as well. Aside from this, Hill is a classy player and will add a new dynamic to the England pack that we haven’t seen for a while.
He has speed to compete with any outside back, and importantly blends this with a keen eye for a gap, and also packs that punch Borthwick wants from his back-row in the contact too.
This also confirms that George Martin and Maro Itoje will be the likely starting locks too, with only one out-and-out lock called up in the form of Coles.
The Northampton man is an excellent player, and is up there with the best lineout forwards in the Premiership, but he faces a hard task to leapfrog the current pair and make the starting line-up. His call-up does seem to suggest he will be in the 23 though, replacing Ewels as that potential lock replacement.
The return of George Ford, and the headaches facing Borthwick
Sale Sharks ace Ford is back in the England squad after a quicker-than-anticipated recovery, and this throws up a huge selection headache for Borthwick at fly-half.
His absence in the summer allowed Marcus Smith to be given the reins of the attack, and it worked wonders despite the defeats. England had a lot more venom about their attack, and it was faster, more expansive and potentially more inventive than in the past, so that would lead to M. Smith getting the nod again this autumn. Fin Smith is also capable of playing this brand of rugby, and playing this way would help him find his feet at Test level.
Yet, Ford is a brilliant player, and he demands a spot in the starting XV. His experience could prove the difference in those big games against New Zealand and South Africa, as he adds a calm head to proceedings. This was potentially their downfall against New Zealand during the summer, as they could not hold onto their lead; but with someone like Ford running the show that wouldn’t be an issue. As we saw in the World Cup, he can ice the tight games and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
One thing that goes against Ford is how he fits into this new attacking structure. Ford is a brilliant fly-half, but his attacking style is VERY different to that of Smith squared, which has been England’s adopted style in recent Tests. The Sale Sharks man does like to play right at the line, but yet he plays more of a distributor role rather than the key focal point of it.
Given his experience, he could start the All Blacks and Springboks, with Smith of any variety starting against Australia and Japan; but anyway you cut it it’s a huge headache.