England’s Plan A is to run at Portugal
STEVE Borthwick left Edinburgh after England’s clash against Scotland last night and set off for the Midlands to ensure he makes it in good time for the A side’s lunchtime encounter with Portugal at Welford Road.
His midnight mission shows the importance Borthwick places on the first A fixture for eight years. The England head coach’s vision is for an alignment of the professional game in the country from age-groups upwards to the Premiership, the A team and the senior national side.
“Steve had the overall say in selection and it is the 23 he wants,” said the A side’s head coach, George Skivington, who as a player appeared for England Saxons against Portugal in 2009 at Edgeley Park in a 66-0 victory with one of his assistants for the Portugal clash, Dom Waldouck, among the try scorers. Stuart Lancaster was in charge of the side.
“Steve has gone for lads he believes have the potential to play for the first team in the next few years. The fact that he is leaving shortly after the Scotland match to make sure he is at Leicester in person shows how much the A game means to him and the players know that.
“The significance of this match cannot be underestimated. It is England’s first for eight years and it is part of a concerted move to set up a pathway and put a system in place to ensure that the really exciting crop of young players in England are better able to fulfil their potential.”
The side’s captain, Bath lock Charlie Ewels, played in the last A fixture eight years ago in George against South Africa A when the hosts had the likes of Malcolm Marx, Lukhanyo Am, RG Snyman, Vincent Koch, Thomas du Toit and Stephan Lewies in their ranks.
“I was one of the younger guys then,” said Ewels. “I had played for the Under-18s and Under-20s, but it was the first time I played in a senior team for my country.
“You start to learn what international rugby is about with most of the other players older than you. You are taken out of your club environment and have a week to prepare.
“I am glad to see the return of the A team. It widens the player pool for Steve and I was honoured when he asked me if I wanted to lead the side. I have not played since the fourth round of Europe last month and, having trained with England since then, he wanted to see me play some rugby.”
Ewels is one of five full caps in the starting lineup. Scrum-half Harry Randall, prop Joe Heyes, hooker Jamie Blamire and flanker Tom Pearson are the others with the eight replacements all uncapped.
Pearson, who has played at open-side flanker for London Irish and Northampton, has been chosen on the blind-side, an indication of where Borthwick feels his future lies and Northampton will consider moving him there next season to fill the gap left by the Brive-bound Courtney Lawes.
“It was Steve’s call,” said Skivington. “Tom has spent most of the month training with the first team and he gets a chance to play. Lineout is a big part of a blindside’s game and he is athletic enough to do a job.”
Guy Pepper is on the openside after standing out in a struggling Newcastle side. “I did not know much about him before this seson and he has done really well,” said Skivington. “He is in the defensive leadership group and he has made an impression speaking to the group. He has a lot of talent.”
Packing down at No.8 is Alfie Barbeary, below, who was left out of the Six Nations squad after being sent off playing for Bath against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup last month and banned.
“I am looking forward to seeing how Alfie goes,” said Ewels, his club-mate. “He is someone who carries powerfully and wants the ball as often as possible. The benefit of having an A side is that players become conditioned to their club environment and coaches and know what to expect. “You have to test yourself in a new environment with not much time to prepare. What an opportunity we all have and we cannot waste it. It is a young side and I have been feeding off their energy.
“Time constraints mean there is a simple framework in place and my message before the game will be for everyone to go out there, enjoy pulling on an England jersey and show why they have been picked.”
England’s backs are full of running, from the back three of Josh Hodge, Cadan Murley and Will Muir to the centres Oscar Beard and Max Ojomoh and the half-backs Randall and Charlie Atkinson.
“I think it is a brilliant group,” said Skivington. “As coaches we have talked about what we can realistically go after in a short period and we have all spoken to our opposite numbers in the first team. Steve gave us a template and said for us to run with it as far as we could while giving us licence.
“Portugal play an exciting brand of rugby and showed in the World Cup they like to give it a go. I played a lot for the A side and it was a great experience, getting to know different people and ways of working.
“What really impressed me was when I had to take aside the lads who were not in the 23. I gave them time to digest it and their response in training was outstanding, something that will be in my feedback to Steve.
“This is a young group. They are not all necessarily next in line for the first team, but the discussion has been about where they could be in a few years. It is over to them.”