By Mitch Phillips
LONDON (Reuters) – England fans wondering if Steve Borthwick has abandoned the concept of twinning Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell will have to wait beyond Sunday’s match against Italy after the coach, predictably, said his big call was with only that game in mind.
In the team named on Friday Farrell will start at flyhalf, with Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade in midfield and Smith dropped to the bench.
Smith at 10 and Farrell at 12 has been the England combination for the last eight games – seven under Eddie Jones and in Borthwick’s first last week, the home defeat by Scotland. Smith’s exuberant, creative performances for Harlequins have demanded his inclusion and Borthwick, like Jones before him, wouldn’t consider naming a team not containing Farrell.
However, the pairing has never clicked in they way Farrell and his long-time friend George Ford did, their pinnacle being England’s performance for the ages when they beat New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final with Ford at 10 and Farrell a marauding 12.
There was talk that Borthwick would break up the partnership for his first game in charge but, probably influenced by a series of injuries that limited his midfield options, he stuck with it.
As before, it didn’t really work. Many observers feel that Smith will never really blossom and show the best of his club form while the dominant personality of Farrell is literally on his shoulder.
His best work for Harlequins comes when he has the line-busting presence of massive South African inside centre Andre Esterhuizen as his first receiver, but the slighter Farrell cannot fill that role.
Instead, the two men more often seem to take it in turns to play flyhalf, rarely producing the kind defence-splitting “double vision” that their coaches yearn for.
After revealing his team, Borthwick was immediately questioned on his most eye-catching selection, but stayed true to his “one game at a time” philosophy in response.
“I’ve decided to change that combination for this week. As ever, when I pick a team, I look at the plan we want to play against a specific opposition and that’s what I have explained to the players,” he said.
“I feel blessed we’ve got some fantastic fly-halves but my policy always has been, and I’ve been very clear about this, is that I pick a team for the game we are playing. I’m not looking to games beyond or aspects beyond in months to come — I focus upon this week.”
Borthwick did reveal that the return to availability of the classy Slade, ruled out last week with injury, was a major factor in his thinking.
“In terms of a dynamic, having Henry Slade available this week is very important,” he said. “Having his distribution skills and his left foot kicking option… I think any team with the ability to have right and left footers across the backline is a strength.”
Lawrence was not included in Borthwick’s first training squad but has forced his way into the 12 shirt with a great opportunity to make it his own – or at least give Borthwick a selection headache.
“Ollie has played really well all season for his club, he’s certainly a player in form. So I want him to bring that skillset that he has, in the way he carries the ball, and the way he also defends in the physical manner he does,” Borthwick said. “I think we’ve got some exciting players there in the centre. That’s why I decided to make the change.”
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Christian Radnedge)
