Who Should Eddie Jones Select as England Scrum-Half for Australia Test Series?

Scrum-half is one of Eddie Jones’ main selection dilemmas ahead of England’s Test series with Australia in June and beyond.

In Leicester Tigers' Ben Youngs and Danny Care of Harlequins, the England head coach has two No. 9s of similar profile and experience (they have 57 and 58 England caps, respectively). But Youngs should start for the national team, with Care coming off the bench

Danny Care ended the 2016 RBS Six Nations as the starting scrum-half, justifying his selection with an opportunist try against a badly aligned French pack (see video below). That is the 29-year-old's strength—instinctively spotting and exploiting space in opposition defences.

However, Australia will not be as laboured at the breakdown as Les Bleus, and not so lethargic at the fringes of rucks. If anything, given the potential inclusion of their own sniper from the base, Nic Stirzaker, the Wallabies will be more alert to Care’s threat.

But Care’s approach seems to embody what Jones wants his England team to be like: free-thinking.

Per the Guardian, Worcester director of rugby Dean Ryan noted after the France match: “Care’s try was an example of a team much more capable of playing what is in front of it rather than sticking to preordained sequences and one that is well prepared by astute analysis of the opposition.”

But it is worth remembering that Youngs can provide this, too. On that same night in Paris, his break was the catalyst for Anthony Watson’s score (see video below).

Care can be a very good player, but as his erratic selection for England over the past few years demonstrates, he has not had the consistency to demand inclusion.

Youngs is probably a better all-round scrum-half than Care, and when the Leicester man is providing tempo, he is just as good as Care as a running No. 9.

They run differently, though. Care is through a gap in an instant, his diminutive frame making him difficult for tight-five forwards to bring him down. On the other hand, Youngs carries the ball further in his hands before releasing a pass.

Critics will say this merely slows down possession, but at his best Youngs sucks in defends by picking the ball up from the base, creating more space out wide.

And when defences are stretched and guard the fringes of the ruck, Youngs’ arching runs past the guards and his good use of the dummy make him a potent attacker (see video below).

Youngs, as I mentioned above, is the more complete scrum-half. In particular, his box-kicking game is superior to Care’s, and with Watson—and to a lesser extent Jack Nowell—excelling in the air from the wings, we should expect England to try and gain field position by kicking to compete. Youngs can provide the ammunition.

Youngs’ case for starting would be even stronger were it not for the spectacular demise of George Ford.

Last year, the Bath Rugby man was superb in the thrilling victory over France. It is no coincidence that the man of the match that day was Youngs.

The two played together at Leicester and understand each other’s game’s well. As Owen Farrell is likely to be Jones’ fly-half, with the returning Manu Tuilagi at inside centre, Youngs’ case has been hindered slightly.

But Youngs’ all-round skills mean he is more likely than Care to control matters for England. To complement that, Care’s great strength—spotting gaps—is more useful in the final 20 minutes of a game, when defences tire or replacements are not yet up to speed with the flow of the match.

Youngs started three 2016 Six Nations games, and Care began two. There is no immediate imperative for Jones to find a pecking order, but for the Australia tour at least, he should start with Youngs and bring Care on for a high-impact final 20 minutes.