Breaking Down England's Best Back Line for 2016
A great deal of mystery surrounds the England rugby team as the fallout of a disastrous Rugby World Cup continues, questions are asked of those present and a new boss looks to a make quick impact.
Head coach Eddie Jones will still be getting to grips with the position, but a little under two months remain until the Six Nations kicks off a 2016 in which he's looking to improve England's fortunes drastically.
There's an underlying sense the talent is there for England to succeed—not least in the back line—but a host of other factors aside from talent or quality alone play their part in major tournaments.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Taking into account the recent form of those available for international duty, past involvement in the national team and the severity of any lingering injuries, we've assembled England's best possible back line for 2016.
Cipriani to Signal Change
For those tempted to trust in the young guns who emerged under Lancaster, picking between George Ford and Owen Farrell is the only debate worth having at fly-half, but where has that got the team in recent years?
If Jones is looking to really inject a change of pace into the team and reinvigorate the half-back positions with some new competition, he has to give Sale's sizzling Danny Cipriani his chance in the squad.
Of the World Cup pair, Farrell's form has been quite superior to that of Ford so far this season, and the 24-year-old is once again leading Saracens with a sheen to his game—but then he's done that on a regular basis.
Unfortunately for some players, international prospects appear limited depending on what club one represents. Cipirani's former Sale team-mate Mark Cueto agreed with Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richard in January that playing for a "fashionable" club can result in international precedence, per Chris Foy in the Daily Mail:
"Dean’s right. Naturally, if you are in a team which is winning more games than it is losing, then your job is a bit easier. You can generally put in better performances week after week, so naturally the teams at the top of the league attract more interest from England coaches.
[...]
Cips is a classic example. If he were at one of the top few clubs, no doubt there’s a lot more chance that he would be involved.
"
The fact remains that despite playing with terrific ingenuity and the kind of forward-thinking approach many England fans desire at Sale, Cipriani has been overlooked.
But at 28 years of age, the argument is there now more so than ever to utilise a player who's entering what should be his playing prime. Arguably the greatest point riding against Cipriani is his December court case for a drink-driving offence, but Breathe Sport reported every player is being granted a fresh start.
Not to mention the fact the former Wasps and Melbourne Rebels playmaker also boasts versatility as an option at full-back and centre, a useful trait as a start, never mind being a squad player.
Stuart Barnes wrote for the Times this week and asserted that Ford's confidence was shaken by the World Cup journey, owing to his bad form at Bath this term:
Cipriani is having no such issues, and although Exeter Chiefs star Henry Slade might have received his chance were it not for the broken leg he's suffered, Farrell should still have to wait his turn at No. 10.
Centre of Controversy
Again, Exeter's Slade might have expected to feature at inside centre for the Six Nations, but with his injury, we've opted for Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph to lead the midfield in 2016.
Wasps upstart Elliot Daly will also be in the frame to take the No. 13 jersey, particularly as he boasts the added advantage of a boot that can contend from halfway, per ESPN Scrum's Tom Hamilton:
However, based on what we've seen from him already in an England jersey, Bath man Joseph can be one of the first names on the teamsheet once he's back to full fitness following injury.
The call for who should start at No. 12 is slightly more open as Saracens' Brad Barritt and Bath's Kyle Eastmond each have admirers, not to mention two very contrasting styles of play.
But Northampton Saints linchpin Burrell boasts another brand of his own, something closer to a mix between the rigidity of Barritt and the flash of Eastmond, which doesn't come without its defensive risk.
Ex-England centre turned Sky Sports pundit Will Greenwood concurs that Burrell deserves to start under Jones after being left out of the World Cup squad so that failed-experiment Sam Burgess could fit in:
"Burrell, well I am loving his out-to-in defence plus he is strong and runs great angles. He has a point to prove and was strong in the media on what impact exclusion from England's World Cup squad had on him.
He is not the perfect 12 but I think Alex King has had a word in his ear and said 'don't try and be the all-court guru at 12, don't try and be Henry Slade, be Luther Burrell'.
"
Burrell told the Telegraph's Mick Cleary he was "broken mentally" after missing the tournament, but his form this season is certainly showing the swift response Jones would hope for.
At the beginning of his own England career, Burrell courted a lot of attention for his barnstorming style, but the sense is that his game has rounded a lot more since the 2014 Six Nations.
With him as a foundation at 12 and Joseph continuing to provide the flair outside him, the pair could make all other options obsolete for some time to come.
Calls for Farrell to fit at inside centre appear more out of desperation to accommodate the Sarries star in some capacity, but when more natural centre options are present, why force the change?
Simpson Springboards on Wasps Success
Scrum-half is another area of the squad that's been "going through the motions" lately, with Ben Youngs and Danny Care exchanging the starting jersey back and forth with no standout candidate apparent.
Wasps No. 9 Joe Simpson is ready to disrupt that duopoly, however, and Wasps coach Dai Young has spoken highly of his star's international chances in the future, per ESPN Scrum:
"I don't see many nines better than Joe out there.
Joe would certainly have come into the reckoning after the World Cup even if Stuart Lancaster had stayed with England.
His kicking game is up there with the best, and in broken play I think he's the best nine.
Something England kept talking to him about was the game management, making the right decisions, but I think he's more than mastered that.
He's shown how accomplished he is as a nine and a decision-maker.
But the biggest thing for Joe has been bringing in Dan Robson, because having quality players fighting for that starting shirt, it certainly focuses everybody's minds.
That's helped kick Joe to another level as well.
I think everyone realises the slate's wiped clean (after the World Cup).
"
Simpson was in the running prior to the World Cup, but if the fear was that his Wasps form then was a temporary blip, he's helped to prove himself a consistent, speedy and direct asset to the club by now.
Form permitting, one might have to agree that the all-round improvements made by Simpson mean he has to be picked for the job in another case of not being afraid to upset the incumbent squad.
Back Three Consistency
Nowhere else in the England back line right now boasts the same potential for a solid foundation more so than the back three, where one gets the sense the right selection could go a long way against the elite.
In just about every other position, even a good game or two may not solidify a player's place, but the wings and full-back areas can be tied down by a very particular three without much debate if at their best.
There is a temptation to try Anthony Watson out at 15—it's a position in which he thrived for Bath, after all—but when Harlequins marvel Mike Brown isn't doing anything wrong in his work, there's no need to "fix it."
It's for that reason Watson should continue to plug away on the wing while Brown's safe hands continue to provide a guard, and Paul Williams of Rugby World has been impressed with the Bath speedster:
Brown's place at 15 also seems assured taking into account rumours he could be considered for the captaincy under Jones and is a valuable leader figure.
BBC Sport's Sonja McLaughlan backed the Harlequins utility to take the armband:
That then leaves the left wing to contemplate, and with Christian Wade recently ruled out for two to three months with a foot injury, his 2016 is poised to see an unfortunate start.
Gloucester's Jonny May is another option, but the time has come to invest in the talents of Chiefs maestro Jack Nowell, who is already leaving his mark on Europe's elite competition this season, per OptaJonny:
Like Watson, Nowell can provide cover at full-back, and the potential upside to developing his talent at Test level now as opposed to waiting on his promotion is massive.
Just look at how Argentina starlet Santiago Cordero has benefited from being thrown in at the deep end, or how early New Zealand's Julian Savea was rewarded for his form at the Hurricanes.
Nowell has his lapses in judgement, but many would agree the 22-year-old was underutilised at the World Cup, and although his selection above more senior players would be a risk, it could yield big reward.
So there we have it, a new-look England back line to usher in the Eddie Jones era and lead the Red Rose back to its former glory. Change can be a scary thing, but the new head coach can make a meaningful statement to his squad by righting the wrongs of Lancaster's previous selection process.
England's Best Back Line for 2016: 9. Joe Simpson 10. Danny Cipriani 11. Jack Nowell 12. Luther Burrell 13. Jonathan Joseph 14. Anthony Watson 15. Mike Brown
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
