Squad Speculation: England Fullback

After the furore surrounding Mike Brown’s unavailability at the weekend and the insertion of Alex Goode into the line-up, it seems fitting to have a look (albeit a very early one) at the contenders for the number 15, and indeed 23 jersey for England’s World Cup squad.

The Incumbent – Mike Brown

It’s difficult to look past England’s current 15. He carries excellently, is very strong in contact, has a cannon of a boot and is indefatigable under the high ball. Why would Bomber drop him? If one was to nitpick, one could look at his decision-making – that brave spirit sometimes leads him to take route 1 over a safer less perilous option, and of course his temperament has been called into question too in the past. The fact is, his ability is not in doubt, and those scrapes his decision making gets him into, on those rare occasions, he can normally escape with an application of his intense capabilities. Might he give away a penalty for mouthing off to the ref in front of the posts in a RWC semi-final? The Mike Brown of 3 years ago might have, but not this one.

Verdict – Starts the first game.

The Heir to the Throne – Alex Goode

A lot of people’s problems with Goode seem to be basically that he isn’t Mike Brown. Any ranting about his pace may have been put to bed by his jinking run to save England from humiliation in the second half against Ireland last weekend, but he doesn’t carve through a line for England like he does for Saracens. He can change the pace of a Premiership game, and stand in at fly-half more than admirably. A few mavericks have called for him to play at inside centre, though the emergence of George Ford’s international pedigree seems to have slightly negated the need for an out-and-out playmaker at 12 in some pundits’ minds. Defensively he is solid, but he doesn’t turn the tackle into a weapon the way Brown does, and in attack he is occasionally too methodical. Let’s not forget he started in the famous 2012 victory over the All Blacks. He is a fine replacement and a top quality player, but like Grayson in the time of Wilkinson, he will probably be in Brown’s shadow for many years to come.

Verdict – Starts on the bench, possibly even as the backup fly-half.

The Forgotten Man – Chris Pennell

The stringy Pennell made probably one of the most respected decisions in rugby when he opted to remain with his club and go down to the IPA Championship – but those who knew him well would not have been surprised, as at school he declined the opportunity to captain the 1st XI cricket side, despite being the offspring of a former England cricketer. Pennell is a strong runner, a good defender and a versatile player – he could easily slot in at centre. The questions are really over his standard of play after a season in the Championship – we spend a long time agonising over players’ “international class” – but the fact is CP hasn’t been playing against top opposition. He is highly thought of, by fans and Lancaster alike, and his kicking game is easily equal to that of Brown and Goode, but could he cope with playing against Doncaster and Plymouth Albion and then Wales and Australia a few months later, when the competition for the shirt has been playing against Toulon and Munster?

Verdict – Versatility will get him a place in the Squad

Yesterday’s Man – Ben Foden

Ben Foden would be challenging Mike Brown were it not for injuries and loss of form at important junctures in his career. At Sale, Phillipe Saint-André hailed him as a future World Cup player for England, and it is a shame that he cannot quite live up to the hype surrounding him. Inexplicably wasted on the wing for England on occasion, he has also been a part-time scrum-half. He is not as quick as he once was, and his kicking game too has dropped off, but his ability to find and create space is still excellent. He has just become a father, and so there are murmurings of a shift in focus – some question whether England is on his radar, more than whether he is on England’s. Personally, I think no one would pass up the opportunity to play at a home RWC.

Verdict – With an injury and a drop in form for the front-runners, Lancaster may well turn to his experience

The Sort-of Dark Horse – Elliot Daly

Is Elliot Daly a fullback? If he is, and starts playing there every week, there is no reason why he couldn’t be starting for England in a World Cup warm-up game. His pace and ability to find the try line is electric, and his dependability from the tee must surely be a bonus when people are worried about Ford’s. He isn’t a battering ram, and he could get shaken easily – his youth and lack of international top-level game time would also be a speed bump – how does he cope with a ball coming down with snow on it, and George North, Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert running at him full-pelt? Only one way to find out.

Verdict – A decent bet for an injury replacement squad member

The Outside Bets – Freddie Burns, Ben Ransom and Nick Abendanon

Freddie Burns is plying his trade at 10, but has played full back and is not uncomfortable there, and if we are talking about getting our best XV on the pitch, he might well be a part of that come September/October. Ben Ransom is an exciting young player, a good all-round game, but probably too small, too inexperienced and too far down the pecking order. Nick Abendanon is playing some of the best rugby in his career. An emergency injury cover, flown in from the sunny French shores? Not a bad idea.

Verdict – Burns’ best chance is as a 10, but his ability to play 15 might push him up the order of replacement 10s / Ransom will start for England; in 2019 / Abendanon will watch the games from a bar in France, but with his boots ready in the bootbag.

Filed under: Rugby World Cup, England
Written by: Peter Randall
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