Less than a month ago the chances of Luther Burrell and Marland Yarde lining up together for England against the Wallabies on Saturday were about as remote as the Australian outback. Burrell had failed to make the tour squad and Yarde’s form for Harlequins in the closing month of the season was not good.
It goes to show how swiftly sporting fortunes can be resuscitated. In Burrell’s case the latest injury to Manu Tuilagi was particularly timely, while Yarde has been the beneficiary of Eddie Jones’s reluctance to trust either Chris Ashton or Christian Wade. No wonder the chosen pair are so visibly keen to grasp their unexpected lifelines.
For Burrell, omitted at the 11th hour from England’s World Cup squad, it is reward for the hard work he put in after Jones accused him of arriving at Six Nations training “grossly overweight”. Rather than disputing the head coach’s verdict – “Eddie doesn’t know I saw that quote” – the Northampton centre took the hint. “I went back and managed to lose 8kg of what Eddie probably thinks was fat but was actually lean muscle. He wanted me to be quicker, fitter, sharper and more agile and I feel it. It was tough, but it just meant laying off the chocolate and pizzas for a few weeks. I was also on the bike at 6.30am doing extra sessions and shedding as much as I could week by week.”
It makes his first Test selection alongside his fellow centre, Jonathan Joseph, a hugely sweet reversal of fortune. Yarde, similarly, had to convince Jones he possessed the necessary desire and attitude. “I think that was done by the previous regime not picking him,” Jones says.
“He had that period when he played for England in Argentina and scored a couple of tries. Then the next year he went to New Zealand and ran over the top of Richie McCaw. He was going to be the next best-thing.”
For Owen Farrell, back at fly-half in place of George Ford, this is an equally significant weekend. Jones remains a Ford fan but believes Farrell is now maturing at the highest level. “I just think he’s got a greater appreciation of how you win games of rugby. He’s always been a physical, in-your-face sort of player but now he sits back, has a look where the space is and is a bit calmer about his decisions.
“All the great 10s in the world have been unflappable guys. They never look like they’ve got a hair out of place. Have you ever seen Dan Carter sweat on a rugby field? Never, he’s always in control. Jonny Wilkinson and Stephen Larkham were the same. That’s what you want from your 10.”
Weave all the above strands together and the head coach’s quiet optimism will be justified. “The attitude within the England side is changing and we will get a litmus test on Saturday,” he added. “We’ve come up with this team as the best way to implement the game we think can beat Australia.”
For Burrell, Yarde and Farrell this would not be a bad weekend to repay Jones’s faith.
