Eddie Jones could do worse than follow the example of Marshal Ferdinand Foch. It was the French first world war general who coined the classic battleground maxim – “My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack” – that could equally apply to English rugby’s predicament. As his injury list lengthens, Jones needs to introduce a surge of optimism from somewhere.
It is clearly unfortunate to have lost Maro Itoje, George Kruis, James Haskell, Jack Nowell and Anthony Watson, all of whom could have been confidently inked into the team against South Africa next month. Dylan Hartley, the captain, has completed less than 160 minutes of competitive rugby since June while Manu Tuilagi, Sam Jones, Jack Clifford, Mike Williams, Will Fraser, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Sam Underhill are also non-runners. The squad of 32 or 33 names to be announced on Wednesday will have a patched-up look around the edges.
Jones, having received a fair bit of stick from the clubs after a clutch of players were laid low on his previous training camp in Brighton, is now starting to appreciate how tricky it can be to keep Test players fit in the hurly-burly of the Premiership. That said, there is no necessity to panic. With the exception of the back row he can still field proven internationals throughout his starting XV and also pick a potentially exciting bench. Only if this weekend’s round of Premiership games deprive him of a further half dozen forwards will he begin to feel dangerously exposed.
Admittedly, Itoje’s non-availability with a broken hand is a huge loss. It is necessary to go back to a young John Eales to find an emerging back-five forward with such a kaleidoscopic range of skills; Itoje has been the standout non-Kiwi of this rugby year and would undoubtedly have made a back-row impact this autumn. His absence, along with the estimable Kruis, also deprives England’s pack of its steely Saracens heart, such a vital factor under Jones’s stewardship.
It will put a considerable onus on Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes to exert the same kind of influence and allow some less celebrated team-mates to make the most of their unexpected opportunities.
It is here Jones can transform the mood at a stroke. Clive Woodward used to enjoy handing a debut to a player a game or two before people expected it, ensuring an instant reaction from both the player and his team-mates. So far Jones has made his mark by withdrawing players – Luther Burrell, Teimana Harrison – prematurely from the fray rather than picking people who instantly prosper. Now is the moment to pick the right bloke from the outset.
For me, on the basis that attack can be the best form of defence, that individual should be Nathan Hughes in the No6 jersey, with Chris Robshaw shifting to No7 with licence to disprove Jones’s caustic newspaper observations last year about his openside skills. Hughes is not going to soar quite like Itoje – the uncapped Josh Beaumont can do that and must be close to his senior debut, probably off the bench – or cause the same octopus-type problems at the breakdown but he has the dynamic power and mobility to cause South Africa problems in other areas. England need another destructive ball-carrier whose surname is not Vunipola and now the Fiji-reared Hughes is qualified via residency there seems little point ignoring him.
I would also be taking a closer look at his club-mate Guy Thompson, dismissed on the grounds of age by Jones before the latest spate of injuries. Thompson is 29, younger than Robshaw and Haskell, and offers something different from alternatives such as Ed Slater and Jackson Wray, with Matt Kvesic, Tom Wood, Luke Wallace and the French-based Steffon Armitage not appearing to suit Jones’s particular requirements. If Harrison was good enough to make the summer tour party he should still be good enough now, regardless of his chastening experience in Sydney. Jones is surely smart enough to realise the odd redemptive carrot works just as effectively as the ever-present stick.
Behind the scrum Jones is also fortunate that, in the fit-again Jonny May and Semesa Rokoduguni, he has two wings who can threaten any defence. It does not feel like the best moment to fiddle around unnecessarily in midfield, with George Ford and Owen Farrell playing well enough to justify the retention of their 10/12 axis. In a perfect world there would also be squad places for Danny Cipriani, Christian Wade and Kyle Eastmond but, for now, the Wasps’ trio will have to stay patient. Jones will be hoping another of Foch’s inspirational lines – “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire” – resonates with all involved, whether they feature in this squad or not.
Predicted England autumn internationals squad: Backs Mike Brown (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ben Te’o (Worcester), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester), Dan Robson (Wasps).
Forwards Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Tommy Taylor (Wasps), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Dan Cole (Leicester), Paul Hill (Northampton), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Josh Beaumont (Sale), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Teimana Harrison (Northampton), Guy Thompson (Wasps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Ben Morgan (Gloucester).
Channel hopping
England is not so blessed with quality wings that Chris Ashton’s departure to Toulon next summer can be instantly shrugged off. The player clearly feels his international ship has sailed under Eddie Jones and the prospect of a fresh challenge will help ease the frustration of his two lengthy disciplinary bans he has had to serve in 2016. If he has the same new lease of life as David Strettle and Nick Abendanon have enjoyed at Clermont his new employers will be delighted. To watch Strettle and Abendanon giving Bordeaux Bègles the runaround last weekend was to wonder again at the energising properties of French cuisine and the occasional glass of vin rouge.
Toulon’s wings do not always receive buckets of ball but, assuming he settles on the Cote d’Azur, we have not heard the last of Ashton as a top-class attacking presence.
And another thing …
The confusion over what does or does not constitute a dangerous tackle continues. Munster’s Keith Earls was sent off on Saturday for a tackle that looked less bad than Matt Toomua’s in Glasgow the previous weekend; the only difference was the tackled player did not assist him by putting an arm down to break his fall. Earls received red, while Toomua was shown yellow. People talk about the letter of the law and the consequence being more important than the act itself but consistency remains frustratingly elusive. In the interests of fairness it would be better for all such ‘grey area’ tackles to incur a yellow card, with those considered to have committed the worst offences banned in retrospect. It would speed up the game and, hopefully, result in better justice for all.
