The England squad that has just toured Argentina will be either at home resting or away enjoying their holidays, safe in the knowledge that they have had a successful summer, by recording a 2-0 series victory over the ever-improving Pumas in their own back yard. However, one person who will not be relaxing is their coach, Eddie Jones, who will be keeping a close eye on the pick of his England squad, who are locked in battle with the world champions, New Zealand, on the British and Irish Lions tour.
One particular area that Jones will be keeping a watchful eye on is the Lions partnership at fly-half and inside centre, with England’s Owen Farrell and Ben Te’o appearing to be Warren Gatland’s first choices for the number 10 and 12 jerseys this summer. Jones has never used that partnership during his time as England’s coach, preferring to use George Ford and Farrell as his midfield combination, with the latter played out of position at inside centre.
There is no denying that Jones’ tactics have worked, with Ford and Farrell the brains of the England team that have won 19 of their 20 test matches under the 57-year old’s leadership. However, during that run, England have not come up against the All Blacks, which is why Jones may have a watchful eye on how Farrell and Te’o manage the powerful New Zealand midfield this summer. While the Lions are widely expected to be defeated by the reigning world champions, Oddschecker tipped them as good value at 6/5 to win at least one match in the three-game series.
New Zealand are the reigning World Champions and Jones will have the ultimate aim of stealing their crown in 2019 with his England squad, who are currently priced at 5/1 with some bookmakers to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in two years time. Before the World Cup, England will face two Six Nations campaigns, along with a host of Autumn international fixtures, which will see Jones’ side come up against some of the world’s best at Twickenham. These challenges ahead of 2019 World Cup will offer Jones some opportunities to look at different combinations within his squad, and give him some serious consideration to what might be successful in Japan.
Jones will be able to watch just how much the pairing of Farrell and Te’o could offer his England side in the coming weeks, and the match up between Te’o and Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand’s inside centre, will give the 57-year old an excellent indication of whether Te’o could be the Red Rose’s long-term answer in the number 12 jersey.
There are other options currently not on the Lions tour this summer that Jones will be giving consideration to. Firstly, Ford is currently the man in possession of the England number 10 jersey, and his performances on the tour of Argentina - within a largely inexperienced side - were exceptional, with the 23-year old managing the team and putting in a particularly impressive shift in the 38-34 victory during the first test.
Henry Slade’s performance at outside centre will have also given Jones a selection headache, with the Exeter Chief having the potential to play anywhere across the midfield and putting his hand up for a regular place in England’s starting XV. There is also every chance that Manu Tuilagi could be fit and back in form over the next 12 months, and Jones is a known admirer of the enormous centre, who could force his way back into the side at either 12 or 13.
Jones has lots of options he could use within his England midfield, and lucky for the 57-year old, he has enough time between now and the World Cup to assess all his options against high-quality opposition. England’s ultimate aim will be to win the World Cup in 2019, and to do that, the Red Rose will have to beat New Zealand at some point, which is why Jones will be closely watching the Lions take on the All Blacks this summer, as he will want to pick up on any potential weaknesses.
One area Jones will be hoping the Lions come out on top is in the midfield, because if Farrell and Te’o can cause the All Blacks some problems in the coming month, England could have found a way to gain an advantage ahead of 2019.
