Ex-England player believes ‘pressure cooker of a Test’ is made for the recall of Lions veteran with ‘holes in need of plugging’ in Steve Borthwick’s team
Stuart Barnes has had his say about England duo Elliot Daly and, inset, George Furbank
Calls have been made for Elliot Daly to be named in Steve Borthwick’s England team to face Italy on Saturday in the Six Nations.
The 33-year-old has only featured once in the last seven games, but Stuart Barnes believes the veteran has an important role to play at Stadio Olimpico.
England’s title chances were snuffed out by last month’s losses to dispiriting Scotland and Ireland, but they are looking to pick up the pieces in their Round Four assignment away to the Italians, who also have five points on the table.
Borthwick confirmed a 36-man squad on Sunday to prepare for a match where several changes are expected to be made to the side following the 42-21 loss to Ireland at Allianz Stadium.
“Is a Test rookie compared with Daly…”
Round Three starters Alex Mitchell and Ollie Lawrence have succumbed to injury, but others are expected to lose out based on form, including full-back Freddie Steward, who was replaced in the first half against Ireland after Borthwick got tired of England’s slow start.
The speculation is that George Furbank is the most likely candidate to come in for Steward, who was taken off in that opening period, along with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, with England trailing 22-0.
However, Barnes has now stated the case for Borthwick to instead turn to Daly, the player who started at full-back in last year’s home win over Italy and then on the left wing in the record hammering of Wales in Cardiff.
That propelled Daly into Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad, where only a fractured arm put an end to a run of form that had him touted as a potential first Test starter in the series against Australia.
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Daly has only featured once for England since then, wearing the No.11 shirt in the win over Argentina that rounded off the Autumn Nations Series.
But his experience and versatility are now said to be something needed if Borthwick’s wounded team is to pick itself up after a 12-match winning run was halted by Scotland before the Irish doubled down on that pain.
“England have holes in need of plugging, in positions where Elliot Daly has that vast experience and class,” claimed Barnes in his latest Times column.
“Let’s start at 15. George Furbank is perceived by many as the alternative to the dogged and determined Freddie Steward, but the Northampton Saint is short of match time and is a Test rookie compared with Daly.
“Full-back is a crucial position if England want to turn their theory of territorial pressure into counterattacking opportunities from hurried clearance kicks.
“Furbank undoubtedly has the knack of seeing space, but so too does Daly, and the Saracen has the more refined boot to play his part in the kicking game. He is surely part of the debate at full-back before England face Italy on Saturday…
“England have never lost to Italy. Defeat in Rome and it would be England burning, this Six Nations season and the build-up to the World Cup in tatters. Isn’t Test match experience vital in such circumstances? Isn’t that voice of his ‘very, very good’? Isn’t this pressure cooker of a Test made for Daly?
“If not at full-back, what about wing? In the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Daly is closer to being a starting wing. Are England going to recall the aerial power of Tom Roebuck, stick with Henry Arundell or will they consider the elegant Daly arcing lines in attack and that subtle left boot of his to be utilised from wing instead of full back?
“If not full-back, if not wing, there’s his own favourite position of centre. It isn’t where I most like seeing Daly play Test matches. For all those glorious running lines of his, there have been just a few too many missed tackles over the years.
“The hosts have a wonderful centre partnership in Tommaso Menoncello and Ignacio Brex. I close my eyes and admit to seeing him slip off a tackle.
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“But no more than Ollie Lawrence – if fit [he isn’t and was excluded from the squad after Barnes’ piece was published] – and as for Tommy Freeman, he’s so inexperienced as an international outside centre that it’s easy to imagine him not so much falling off his opposite man as being suckered into the no man’s land where England often find themselves outflanked on ‘the edge’.”
Having outlined the case for Daly starting at full-back, wing or midfield, Barnes then went on to run the rule over his credentials for a place on the bench in Italy. “If Borthwick doesn’t think he needs to trust the much-talked-about Test experience in any of these three positions, there’s the overriding reason to include him in the match-day 23.
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“Daly covers all three positions and allows maximum flexibility from the bench. If there are strong claims to include him at full back, wing or centre, the cry to include him as an impact replacement is deafening.
“I’d probably pick him on the bench. No lesser a voice than that of Borthwick has previously articulated why Daly merits being more than the mere ‘shag’, holding the training-ground tackle bags. Nothing has changed. Proven excellence and experience still count for plenty. Don’t leave it all on the training field.”
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