Tom Pearson made a splash during the World Cup training camp in England. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
While it wasn't as pompous as anything his predecessor could proclaim, Steve Borthwick still pricked up his ears, urging World Cup rivals to expect the unexpected from England. Examining the training team named on Friday, and with the latest trends in mind, there's an obvious place to start speculating about how Borthwick might mess things up.
Of the 46 players in the group, 13 are potential defenders. That figure includes Maro Itoye, but not Theo Dan and Jamie Blamir, although the latter was used last season as an emergency flank for the Saracens and Newcastle Falcons respectively. In short, Borthwick left himself free to put together some quirky and fresh combinations. Existing solidarity and experience can be valuable. However, perhaps contrary to common sense, there can also be an element of surprise. A return to the 2019 English campaign, of which Borthwick was an integral part, confirms this.
Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, who made their Test debuts in separate matches on the Tour of Argentina two years earlier, were selected to start together for the first time ahead of England's first warm-up game against Wales. Underhill pulled out of the game with a toe injury. Lewis Ludlam intervened, postponing a key partnership.
When Underhill and Curry finally performed in tandem, either side of Billy Vunipola for the third warm-up test, Ireland suffered a 57–15 defeat from which they never recovered. Conversely, a crushing victory, full of power and swagger, propelled England to an impressive tournament in Japan. Eddie Jones called “kamikaze kids”. Nus Borthwick as a striker coach, especially in regards to the placement strategy, would be vital.
Four years later, mystery surrounds Borthwick's top back row squad and it looks like the England head coach is ready to let an intriguing mix of players roam during this vital pre-season. When asked about the 2019 Curry-Underhill tag team, he first hinted at a return to the future before checking the names of the Willis brothers and Tom Pearson. Pearson, the former London Irish rookie, seems to have done well over the past three weeks.
“I'm very excited,” Borthwick said. “I was talking to Sam [Underhill] yesterday. He had a difficult period due to injuries in the second half of the season, but when I watched him train – and we trained on the same field in 2019 – and chatted with Richard Hill, who has an incredible rugby mind, we agreed that this was Sam 2019. He was amazing.
“I'm also excited about the other players. We talked about the need for Jack and Tom [Willis] to handle the training pressures during this period [after the end of the club seasons in France]. And then there's Tom Pearson, who immersed himself in that environment.
Jack Willis will most likely feature in Steve Borthwick's plans for back row at the World Cup. Photo: Reuters/Matthew Childs
“On the first day, I said that he set the standards for others to follow. This is a challenge to each of the players. They compete. They work together, but they compete. And it's great to see it in the back row.”
As always, you can not consider shaking the back rows in isolation from the existing locks. Vice-Captain Courtney Lowes can still spend time in the second row, but mostly plays blindfolded as a winger. His line jump from this position makes the deck more imposing. Ludlam wore six throughout the Six Nations and was sturdy.
Curry covers both flanking places and, of course, earns extra money at the base of the fight. The versatility of Pearson will be explored. Ben Earl joins Jack Willis among the open players, who are both Premier League and Top 14 national champions. Tom Willis and Alex Dombrandt ousted Zach Mercer to join Billy Vunipole as potential No. 8.
Steve Borthwick: 'Joe Marler is a brilliant voice of experience'
With Charlie Ewels out of the game, Johnny Hill and David Ribbans are left as the only contenders. George Martin, like Itoye and Ollie Chessum, can play the role of a blind defender, but is more likely to be considered a second row player. Martin, 22, is finishing a season full of danger for the Leicester Tigers.
He and Pearson, both portly and blunt, would seem to be best suited to disrupt the established order. On the other hand, using Curry along with Jack Willis would cause a lot of headaches for rival coaches. At least publicly, Jones refused to support the Curry-Willis venture. Perhaps it was one of the cards he kept in his chest.
Four years ago in Japan, Jones enjoyed the determination and dynamism with which Curry and Underhill caused havoc, especially during the famous semi-final. victory over New Zealand. There was also a hint of innocence. Curry was 21 and Underhill 23. At their first World Championship, ignorance was bliss; for everyone except the opposition.
Bortwick promised to build connections between people on and off the pitch. Thus, new combinations can start working immediately. Video analysis softens how much England can surprise the parties. Videos featuring unlimited players in the Premier League and Top 14 will be widely shared. However, if he stumbles upon a mixture that clicks, as the Kamikaze Kids did, Borthwick will create his own secret weapon.
Recent Comments