England's Locks Face Critical Summer
Not since a young Martin Johnson ran out for England against France in 1993, have supporters of the Red Rose had as much reason for optimism about a young second row as Courtney Lawes. Lawes is a physical specimen, with tremendous ball carrying ability, fierce tenacity at the breakdown and useful versatility at the lineout, attributes which have seen him cement a place in the England team over the last three years.
The Northampton Saints' lock's international development stalled somewhat this year when he missed the majority of the Six Nations due to a combination of knee and shin injuries, allowing fellow second rows Mouritz Botha and Geoff Parling to strike up a successful partnership. Both Botha and Parling will be given the perfect opportunity to build on this initial success and stake claims for their continued selection in the England team when they tour South Africa this summer, and will be keen to make the most of Lawes' injury induced absence.
There is arguably no better location for England to start answering their second row questions than South Africa, a nation whose pairing of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha dominated opposition for the best part of a decade. This dynamic duo's success did not hinge upon the fact they were the two best second rows playing, with the likes of Paul O'Connell, Chris Jack and Ali Williams providing stiff competition for that accolade, but how well they complimented each other on the field. Although both were 'complete' players, there was no doubting that Matfield ruled the lineout, whilst B Botha acted as his enforcer, a lesson which England would be wise to learn from heading into the tour.
To be fair to England, they have often made hard decisions in terms of selections in the second row, sometimes overlooking similar players in an effort to find the best combination available, just ask Simon Shaw, who enjoyed most of his international rugby from the bench during Clive Woodward's reign. In terms of the personnel available to Stuart Lancaster on the tour to South Africa, the obvious pairing is M Botha and Parling, whose Six Nations' performances are fresh in the mind, with Joe Launchbury, George Robson and Tom Palmer ready to step in should any fresh injury concerns arise.
Whilst England won't have to contest with the threats of Matfield and B Botha, South Africa are still extremely strong at the position, and will boast the likes of Andries Bekker, Juandrie Kruger and Flip van der Merwe, not to mention the exciting talent of Eben Etzebeth. Any combination of these players will test England's second rows both physically and at the lineout, and this tour could answer a lot of question regarding England's 'engine room' as we move closer to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, even with the absence of current incumbent Lawes.
If both M Botha and Parling can replicate their Six Nations form in the Southern Hemisphere this summer, then there is a good chance they will displace Lawes' position in the starting line up and leave the Saints' lock with a difficult task to regain his spot. They certainly fit the template set out by messrs Botha and Matfield, with M Botha taking up his namesakes role as the enforcer, whilst there are very few forwards in the Northern Hemisphere more gifted at the lineout than Parling.
Although neither M Botha or Parling are in the same league as B Botha or Matfield, a strong outing in South Africa should demonstrate to both Lancaster and the fans, that they are best suited to helping England win games. This will help develop a winning mentality in the England team, which is arguably just as important as developing younger players, both of which are crucial in the cyclical build up to World Cups which dominates international rugby. This also creates the perfect breeding ground for the continued development of Lawes, as well as the blooding of Launchbury, both of whom have the potential to rival B Botha and Matfield in their domination of the international scene, providing their development for both club and country is handled correctly.
