Nothing tells us more about the selection stasis in which Steve Borthwick appears to be stuck more than his reluctance to start Henry Pollock at the openside for England against Argentina.

When New Zealand identified Richie McCaw as an exceptional talent, there was no question that his best position was No.7, which is why, despite playing occasionally for the Crusaders at No.8 or blindside, in his 145 caps as one of the All Blacks all-time greats, the overwhelming majority were at openside.
It was also why, just to emphasise the point, McCaw’s autobiography was called The Open Side.
It is als...