The inclusion of Elliot Daly at full back for Sunday’s Six Nations game against Ireland at Twickenham is another strange Eddie Jones selection. Daly had previously been moved away from this position and back on to the wing following several unconvincing performances under the high ball and the one thing you can be absolutely assured of against an Ireland side playing at Twickenham is that England’s full back is going to spend a lot of time under the high ball. George Furbank has picked up an injury and with Anthony Watson also injured Jones has taken the gamble of moving Daly back into the firing line rather than call up a specialist 15 . It could be a long afternoon for him.
Jones has decided to pick two lock forwards on the bench even though he is starting with Courtenay Lawes on the blind side and Lawes has often moved to lock as the game progresses which leaves a distinct lack of back row cover on the bench. Ellis Genge must consider himself unlucky to not make the starting line-up following his impressive performance against Scotland and Mako Vunipola’s absence due to family reasons with the starting slot given to the unimpressive Joe Marler.
Selection peculiarities continue with the shifting of Jonathan Joseph to the wing from outside centre following the much needed return of Manu Tuilagi to give England some grunt in midfield and the encouraging return of Henry Slade albeit to the bench. Slade very quickly became an instrumental part of this side and England look so much better with Slade and Tuilagi in the centre with Farrell at 10.
England can expect a very tough afternoon against Ireland and they will know that they will need to turn in a much improved performance from the one produced against Scotland if they are to prevail.
I am strongly of the opinion that Eddie Jones’ stubbornness in selection is now hurting England and I would be very surprised if he in is charge come the end of the Autumn Internationals as anything other than a Grand Slam this year is going to be seen as a failure given the resources available to him and the World Cup showing.
My line up would be :
Genge, George, Sinckler, Lawes, Itoje, Underwood, Simmonds, Curry
Care, Farrell, Tuilagi, Slade, May, Thorley, Goode.
Bench : Harry Williams, Ben Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill, Dan Robson, Ben Earl, Devoto, Daly.
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