England Rugby – January 2006

First of all - Happy New Year, everybody! Having broken one resolution already, I hope you will all join me in an attempt enjoy the second one – to see England take the starting blocks they provided themselves in 2005, fly out of them in 2006, and not stop until RWC2007. That, after all, is the Holy Grail, the be all and end all of International Rugby for the ‘big five’ and especially for its holders who, believe it or not, play in white shirts with red roses on their chests.

A couple of losses on the way is not going to quell anyone’s festive cheer, and so, developing the squad is Andy Robinson’s number one task for a prosperous 2006; turning his boys into men, and his men into potential World Champions, and Lord knows there’s plenty of potential kicking about. Five members of the XV from that glorious night in Sydney did not start the VI Nations opener the year before, so there are spaces up for grabs. Not one to be outdone by Clive Woodward, I have chosen eight men to keep an eye on in 2006.

On The Bench:

Harry Ellis – One could hear the sigh of relief all around England when the Tigers’ scrum-half’s knee injury was discovered to be far less serious than first thought. It was hardly David Beckham’s metatarsal, but England are going to need Ellis, and they’re going to need him now. His sprightly performance against the Samoans showed a maturity to match his potential and electrifying speed. All back play begins at 9 and his service could be vital to breathing fresh life into Robinson’s men, especially since Matt Dawson’s form doesn’t even warrant a place in the Wasps starting line-up these days.

Tom Voyce – If there’s a classier winger operating in England at the moment, I am yet to clap eyes on him. Like Ellis, the farm boy from Cornwall via Wycombe was given his berth at the tail end of the autumn, and grabbed it with both hands, one for each try. Coupled with great pace, and an eye for the line matched only by a Mr Cueto of Sale, Voyce has a rare understanding of the game and can unpick defences with his brain as well as his body. Andy Robinson has been asked, directly, whether or not he has “the round objects” to pick the man known as Crowbar, and if he doesn’t, he’d better find them quickly.

Lee Mears – There has been less chat about the Bath hooker after his rival Steve Thompson’s positive displays, but until the day England wins every single one of their line-outs, there is always room for a better hooker. England does not boast the best front five in the World, but it could, if tweaked in the right areas. As the All Blacks have shown, there’s nothing quite like competition for places to build confidence.

On The Fringes:

Josh Lewsey – What’s that? 30-odd caps worth of Josh Lewsey MBE, on the fringes? It sounds ridiculous; but, as a centre, Lewsey is starting to show us something new, and we like it. 3 tries in 3 games for Wasps starting at 13 is not easily ignored and nor are the countless tackles and line-breaks that have accompanied them. Lewsey’s defensive positioning is superb, and he’s beginning to acquire an Umaga-like quality, arriving on the shoulders of his inside backs and his wingers like an express train, except more than usually on time. If it were to come down to a contest between for pace, running angles and finishing between Lewsey, Noon and Tindall…well, what contest?

photo copyright of Claire

Tom Varndell – Leicester’s answer to Carl Lewis has been scoring tries for fun this year, the party didn’t stop at Twickenham, and few would bet on its halt any time soon. He might not be the first in England’s enormous queue of wingers, but he has youth on his side, and at the rate he’s developing, a reshuffle may soon be in order. Pace is scary; Varndell’s, doubly so. Something needs to be added to stop those sighs of relief that have echoed around opposition dug-outs when England show signs of moving the ball away from the pack – Varndell might just be it.

Tom Rees – With all these Toms and Harrys around, England’s dressing room only needs a few…actually, I’ll stop. Anyway, tipped by almost everyone worth listening to, and everyone else for that matter, as the year’s hottest prospect, Rees has got World Class stamped all over him. Not yet guaranteed a start in the back row at Wasps, he’s had to make do with some remarkable cameos off the bench, most of them involving tries that would make your average winger turn away with embarrassment. Comfortable at both 6 and 7, Rees may be the man to provide the foraging and the dynamism that England’s back-row has lacked.

On The Radar:

Ben Skirving – It’s no easy task to force one’s way past the England captain, harder yet if you’re still knackered from getting past Lawrence Dallaglio and James Forrester. Mind you, having shunted one captain (Hugh Vyvyan) onto the flanks, and one All Black captain (Taine Randell) onto the bench, the Saracens number 8 should be getting quite accustomed to it. Only 22 years of age, Skirving has plenty to learn, but as a ball-carrier he is already taking on much of the Guinness Premiership and beating them. Being, as he is, everything that Martin Corry is not, it’s going to take one hell of a big call from Andy Robinson, but you never know.

Anthony Allen – Not yet out of his teens, in fact barely out of nappies, the Gloucester centre is unlikely to feature in the England set-up any time soon, and thank goodness. Fear of another attack of Mathew Tait syndrome should put paid to that. But a gradual introduction, perhaps a Churchill Cup tour, may be just reward for a man who has done his best to invigorate the Cherry and White backline. A recognised 7s player, Allen has a keen eye for space, and exceptionally quick feet. Most crucially of all, he plays at inside centre, and in this country, the words ‘gold’ and ‘dust’ spring to mind. By the time we start thinking about Christmas again, start thinking about Allen.

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