England's training camp Head-to-Heads

The English national team may not be getting the game time exposure that the likes of New Zealand and South Africa currently are in The Rugby Championship, but they are being put through their paces.

Stuart Lancaster may not have competitive games to test his charges in, but the training at altitude they are currently undertaking in Denver will not only improve their fitness levels, it will also tell him a lot about the ability and attitude of the players at his disposal.

With 45 players currently in England’s training squad, tough decisions will soon need to be made as Lancaster thins the herd and progresses towards his final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup.

We take a look at some of the most important position battles currently going on in the Mile High City.

Matt Mullan vs Alex Corbisiero

The duo of Joe Marler and Mako Vunipola are well-entrenched as England’s top two options at loosehead prop, leaving these two to battle it out for the third loosehead spot. It’s likely Lancaster will ultimately opt for three complete front rows in his final squad, making this probably the most intense competition in the front row.

Mullan comes into camp off the back of a very solid season with Wasps, where he was one of the most effective and consistent props in the Aviva Premiership. He has never let England down when called upon and, if picked, would be an extremely reliable option should one of Marler or Vunipola pick up an injury over the coming months.

That said, Corbisiero, despite struggling for both fitness and form of late, is an interesting wild card. If the prop can rediscover his Lions form from 2013, then not only does he seem a certainty for the squad, but he should offer a genuine challenge to Marler and Vunipola for selection. He may represent more of a gamble than Mullan, but an in-form Corbisiero would arguably give England three of the top six or seven looseheads at the RWC.

Tom Wood vs James Haskell

Unlike the Mullan vs Corbisiero battle, it’s more than likely that both of these players make Lancaster’s final squad. The versatility of Wood and Haskell to cover all three back row positions make them very valuable in a compact, physically-demanding schedule, and they have been the two men charged with holding down the six jersey over the last 12 months.

If fit, England’s openside flanker and number eight positions pick themselves, making the battle for starting blindside flanker the most compelling in the England pack as they head towards their warm-up games with France and Ireland next month. Lancaster’s surprising admission that he sees Sam Burgess only as a centre if selected, means that Haskell and Wood are now the two clear favourites to pack down alongside Chris Robshaw and Billy Vunipola in England’s back row.

There’s not much to separate the pair, in style or ability, but if Lancaster feels like the pack needs more impetuous at the breakdown, he could be swayed towards Haskell, who is slightly more tenacious over the ball than Wood. Similarly, if Lancaster has concerns over the lineout following Dylan Hartley’s dismissal from the squad, Wood’s ability as a lineout jumper could earn him the nod.

Danny Cipriani vs Henry Slade

Barring injury, George Ford will likely be England’s starting fly-half at the RWC, where he will be backed-up by, or playing alongside Owen Farrell. If Farrell is seen a genuine option at inside centre by Lancaster, then it could prompt the England head coach to bring a second designated fly-half.

Cipriani is obviously the more experienced candidate and has the recent dismantling of the Barbarians to his credit, but he also has an arrest for drink-driving looming over him and could yet find himself excluded from the squad as Lancaster looks to reinforce his zero tolerance stance on ill-discipline.  

In Slade, England don’t have someone with Cipriani’s experience, but they do have someone capable of also playing at outside centre, which would again tick the very desirable versatility box at a RWC. There is also speculation that Slade could fill the inside centre berth if required, but given that he is yet to even play that position at club level, it seems a leap, albeit an understandable one given his skill set.

Marland Yarde vs Semesa Rokoduguni vs Chris Ashton vs Jonny May

It would be logical to presume that England will retain their two starting wingers from their Six Nations victory over France, Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell, potentially leaving these four to fight it out for just the one spot. With England probably opting for three scrum-halves and at least eight front rowers, wing could be a position where they select just one backup.

May is the most recent of the quartet to hold down a regular starting spot with England but, aside from a wonderful try against New Zealand, did not have the success he would have liked in the jersey. Rokoduguni and Ashton both have plenty of credit built up from highly-successful Premiership campaigns, whilst Yarde offers the physical presence on the wing that England are currently lacking with Watson and Nowell.

Lancaster’s decision to take six wingers to training camp in Denver seems to highlight indecision over the position as a whole, and it is certainly not surprising given that the position has been troublesome to say the least over the last few years. The tough nature of the training camp could favour late call-up Rokoduguni, who won’t be phased by the gruelling workload, and may give him a slight edge over the more natural finishers in the group.