Ahead of the upcoming 2015 World Cup, Paul Grayson, the former English international Fly-half who helped lead England to their own World Cup victory in 2003, has hailed Dan Carter as “the best Fly-half of his generation” and suggested that Owen Farrell but would be his choice to come off the English bench in this year’s competition.
Grayson, who amassed over 400 points across his 32 caps in an England shirt, spoke candidly about the attributes he looks for in a top-class Fly-half and half-back partnership and also highlighted Jonathan Joseph as the player most integral to unlocking the attacking potential of the England backline in their home World Cup.
“Dan Carter is the best fly-half of his generation and in a generation that had Johnny Wilkinson in it, you had to be going some to beat that player. He had that perfect blend; pace to beat players and run himself, physical enough in defence to stop anything coming down his channel, balance in the way you play the game the way you kick, when to run, how you release other players into the game and if you’re a goal-kicking fly-half as well, obviously having a golden boot is a must as well.”
Asked for his take on the current battle between Danny Cipriani, Owen Farrell and George Ford to secure the England No.10 shirt ahead of the World Cup, Grayson opined “At the moment George Ford is in the hot seat, with Owen Farrell breathing down his neck with different qualities, and Danny Cipriani is just waiting for a chance.”
Grayson also suggested that the optimum half-back partnerships were ones formed already at club level but that similar thinking throughout a team was key; “If you can take a club partnership into an international game as I did with Matt Dawson, that job is half done. Getting that blend between players who have played at different clubs in a short period of time is difficult, what you need is overall understanding of what the team’s aims are, you have to have a sense of the type of ball you’ve got, if you’re going forward where the opposition are going to be vulnerable so your 9 and your 10 are thinking the same way at the same time… that instinctive communication, the understanding of where the other player is going to be is vital.”
“Once the ball is in play you might get one or two phases where you can pretty much predict what’s going to happen but outside that everyone needs to have their heads up and to be able to play with eyes wide open and react.”
Questioned on England’s ability to deviate from a gameplan and play what’s in front of them, Grayson replied: “I think England have got attacking flair right across the field, they’ve got forwards who can run, forwards who can pass, they’ve got pace in the backs.”
“I think Jonathan Joseph has been a man from heaven really for England at a time when they’ve been looking for creativity in the midfield, they’ve tried some blends that haven’t worked and he [Joseph] takes the pressure off them having to pick a creative Inside Centre because he has that ability to break the gain-line or break the game wide open from 13, that means you can play an attacking 10 so England’s ability to play what’s in front of them is enhanced by the fact that Jonathan Joseph is going to be a major force on the team.”
On the best Fly-halfs in the modern game: “Those 9 and 10 combinations depending on who is fit and who is playing, looking at Aaron Smith and Dan Carter, Carter has never had a fully healthy World Cup and if he can get back to anything like his best, those two are going to be dynamite.”
“England, I would think will go Ben Youngs and George Ford, which gives you physicality, a real good blend in all aspects of the game from Youngs and a willow o wisp at fly-half in George Ford, a real string-puller and creative force when on the front foot and a guy who understands the game.”
“Probably outside that, [Australia’s] Genia and Cooper. Genia if he gets back to his best is not far off Aaron Smith, Cooper is a jack-in-the box Fly-half for Australia where anything could happen, he could win you a game or just as easily lose it.”
“So those three pairings excite me because you have a blend of everything, but New Zealand, with Smith and Carter together on form together would be the best in the world.”
Asked who he thought would be England’s second option at No.10 to come off the bench in relief of George Ford, Grayson nominated Owen Farrell; “I think in terms of the blend of the bench and the player to perhaps change the game from George Ford’s style of play… Owen Farrell would fulfil the role of the “100 % goalkicker” (although there is no such thing) but that’s a real strength of his, proven at test level, a calm head, a real competitor within the England setup… so in terms of changing the game he would probably be worthy of his place on the bench as it also gives you a different blend as Farrell can fit into the Inside Centre role as well. That’s the way around I think it will work.”
Finally, Grayson also shared his thoughts on the upcoming World Cup on home soil – “Its spectacular to get the World Cup back here, the fact that the best players in the world are going to camp down here for two months in the autumn is spectacular. The legacy for rugby union going forward is in a great place, its ready to grow again and this will be the best of the World Cups so far.”