There are several contenders for the unluckiest England rugby player of all time. In these days of multiple caps and “finishers”, though, it is hard to look past the former Sale hooker Andy Simpson and the former England scrum coach Phil Keith-Roach. Simpson sat on England’s bench 18 times between 1981 and 1986 without being officially capped, while Keith-Roach was “carded” 25 times as a travelling or non-travelling reserve without making it on to the field either.
When we discuss the tough luck being endured by certain modern players, therefore, it is all strictly relative. Has there ever been an era, even so, in which so many young English hopes have been joyfully raised only to be summarily dashed. During Eddie Jones’s tenure as England coach, around 200 players received at least one training call-up, with 112 securing at least one precious cap.
As shown below, England could theoretically field five XVs of players who have a) either represented their country recently, b) are pushing very hard for inclusion, or c) were dropped from a great height under the previous regime. As the Rugby Football Union continues to pore over the final details of its succession plan, one of its first priorities should be ensuring the new coaching panel get the right players on the pitch.
They don’t do formal international trials these days because the calendar is already full enough but it would be a fascinating exercise if they suddenly revived them next month. While not all the players listed below are currently fully fit, the range of options awaiting the incoming regime is remarkable. Looking down the list you would expect England to be winning more often than they have done lately.
1) Ellis Genge, Mako Vunipola, Val Rapava-Ruskin, Joe Marler, Alec Hepburn
2) Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, George McGuigan, Jack Singleton, Jack Walker
3) Kyle Sinckler, Will Stuart, Dan Cole, Joe Heyes, Nick Schonert
4) Maro Itoje, Charlie Ewels, Ollie Chessum, Hugh Tizard, Dave Attwood
5) Jonny Hill, David Ribbans, Nick Isiekwe, Joe Launchbury, George Martin
6) Courtney Lawes, Alex Coles, Jack Willis, Tom Pearson, Tom Willis
7) Tom Curry, Sam Simmonds, Ben Earl, Ted Hill, Lewis Ludlow
8) Billy Vunipola, Alex Dombrandt, Zach Mercer, Lewis Ludluam, Alfie Barbeary
9) Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Youngs, Raffi Quirke, Alex Mitchell, Danny Care
10) Marcus Smith, George Ford, Orlando Bailey, Charlie Atkinson, Alex Goode
11) Jonny May, Elliot Daly, Henry Arundell, Adam Radwan, Cadan Murley
12) Owen Farrell, Henry Slade, Dan Kelly, Alex Lozowski, Luke Northmore
13) Manu Tuilagi, Guy Porter, Ollie Lawrence, Joe Marchant, Paolo Odogwu
14) Jack Nowell, Joe Cokanasiga, Max Malins, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Ollie Thorley
15) Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Anthony Watson, George Furbank, Joe Carpenter
Of course you can only field 15 players at once. There is also a theory doing the rounds that England have few truly world-class players at their disposal. But then you talk to Philippe Saint-André, the former French national captain and coach now in charge of Montpellier, on the subject of Zach Mercer, who was allowed to leave Bath and head to France because he was deemed surplus to England’s requirements.
“He was the best player in the Top 14 last year and we have some good players in France,” said Saint-André, after Mercer was named man of the match in last Friday’s Champions Cup pool game at a freezing London Irish.
“For me he’s a special player. I think he played 30 games for Montpellier last year and he won the Top 14 player award ahead of Antoine Dupont and Grégory Alldritt. One’s the best player in the world and the other was the best player in the Six Nations. So he’s good. What he showed in the second half against London Irish he shows in the Top 14 each week.’
So far Mercer has won just two England caps back in 2018 but Saint-André fully expects him to be in a white jersey at the Rugby World Cup next year, when he is also moving back to the UK to play for Gloucester. “I am sure the guys in charge will pick him because he’s a good player,” stressed Saint-André.
“He’s improved his defence a lot but he also has fantastic skills and he’s a good leader. Everyone loves him in Montpellier. The squad like him, the supporters love him and so does my chairman. But he’s still young and he wants to wear the English jersey. He will be a big loss for us but we’ve also signed some good English players for next season.”
If the RFU really fancies shaking things up, then, it should trigger the “exceptional circumstances” clause in its own regulations and free up Mercer to be included in the squad for the 2023 Six Nations. He is on his way back to England anyway, there is a World Cup looming and if the 25-year-old is made to wait until the summer there will be limited opportunity to integrate him into the starting lineup for the big games.
Jones’s successor will have just five competitive games in which to decide whether players such as Val Rapava-Ruskin, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Jack Willis, Ollie Lawrence, Dan Kelly or Ollie Hassell-Collins could make a marked difference to England’s prospects.
Lawrence and Earl, along with Alex Lozowski, Danny Care and Dan Robson, were particularly harshly treated under Jones but there are loads more good players out there still hoping for a call.
Anyone who saw the fabulous try scored by Anthony Watson for Leicester at Ospreys, for example, will already be wondering how he can possibly be omitted from England’s Six Nations squad. What about Max Malins, the currently injured Henry Arundell, George Ford and Elliot Daly, who won the star of the match award for Saracens at home to Edinburgh on Sunday?
The list above does not even include individuals of the calibre of Dave Ewers, prominent in Exeter’s fine win in Castres, the excellent London Irish full-back Ben Loader, Harlequins’ Louis Lynagh or Bristol’s Harry Randall. England have no shortage of good players: it’s just a question of picking the right ones.
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