England's RWC squad analysis: Backs

Following on from our look yesterday at the forwards in England’s training squad for the Rugby World Cup, we now turn our attention to the backs.

We whittled the forwards down to 17, leaving us 14 available spots for the backs.

That split may not be the one Stuart Lancaster eventually opts for, but it is consistent with past selection trends for England at RWCs.

Half-Backs

Danny Care (Harlequins), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Three scrum-halves and two fly-halves is often the preferred composition of half-backs in RWC squads, making this one of the more straightforward decisions for Lancaster and his coaching team. The starting duo of Youngs and Ford will almost certainly be retained after an encouraging showing at the Six Nations, whilst the Saracens duo of Wigglesworth and Farrell will be in pole position for the two bench spots.

This is where it starts to get a little more complicated. Lancaster has professed a desire previously to see Farrell at 12, and if that is something he is serious about, could mean that Farrell is considered more as a centre, opening up a spot for a further fly-half. Odds are this would be Cipriani, who was Ford’s backup during the Six Nations, but Slade’s ability to cover 13 could be an ace up his sleeve.

The third scrum-half, which could end up as a duel between Care and the currently injured Joe Simpson, should add a livewire threat around the fringes to the balance of Youngs and the game management of Wigglesworth.

Who makes our cut? Care, Farrell, Ford, Wigglesworth, Youngs

Centres

Brad Barritt (Saracens), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Kyle Eastmond, Jonathan Joseph (both Bath), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester)

Manu Tuilagi’s indiscretions leave this group looking a little lighter than it would have previously been, but there’s still plenty of talent and competition for spots in the squad. Joseph’s tenure as England’s outside centre should continue, barring injury, but compelling cases can be made for each and every one of the other centres in the squad.

Barritt is an unfashionable choice for many, but the resilience and defensive impact he brings to the English back line is significant and was clearly missing during the Six Nations. The duo of Burrell and Twelvetrees have Lancaster’s trust and have the versatility to cover both inside and outside centre.

Eastmond and Daly are two players who are calculated risks defensively at the highest level, but who bring with them unique and, at times, indefensible attacking skill sets. It’s difficult to see England carrying them both, with Daly’s scintillating finish to the season, as well as his ability to cover full-back, potentially turning the odds in his favour.

Who makes our cut? Barritt, Burrell, Daly, Joseph

Back Three

Chris Ashton (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), David Strettle (Saracens), Anthony Watson (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins)

Five spots left to fill in the squad, which can be trimmed down to three, if we presume Brown and Watson are both certainties for the RWC. Those two will likely be joined by Nowell in England’s starting back three, and with three natural full-backs already involved in the squad, will ask Lancaster intriguing questions over the final back three players he opts for.

There is no need to carry another full-back, especially if Daly makes the cut in the midfield, but Lancaster trusts Goode and likes his ability to cover both full-back and fly-half from the bench if required. This would leave Lancaster with one spot for a dedicated winger, which although a potentially risky scenario, is one that he has seemed comfortable with over the last year.

Strettle, May and Ashton have enjoyed productive seasons, but all have their detractors, mainly on the basis of their defence. Yarde’s defence isn’t flawless, but he’s really come on late this season and despite playing in a Quins side that is struggling, has looked dangerous in attack and solid in defence. As with the centres, compelling cases can be made for any of these wingers, especially with Christian Wade’s noticeable omission.

Who makes our cut? Brown, Goode, Nowell, Watson, Yarde

Final 31-man squad

Forwards

Kieran Brookes, Dan Cole, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Dylan Hartley, Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, David Wilson, Tom Youngs; Maro Itoje, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Geoff Parling; James Haskell, Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola, Tom Wood

Backs

Danny Care, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Richard Wigglesworth, Ben Youngs; Brad Barritt, Luther Burrell, Elliot Daly, Jonathan Joseph; Mike Brown, Alex Goode, Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson, Marland Yarde