It’s time for Fin to run the country from No. 10

JEREMY GUSCOTT

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK

HERE’S my England backline to face South Africa in Johannesburg on July 4, based on current form and availability. Ben Spencer scrum-half, Fin Smith fly-half, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso left wing, Max Ojomoh inside-centre, Tommy Freeman outside-centre, Henry Arundell right wing, and George Furbank full-back.

Most of this backline know each other from previous England camps, and at club level have either played together, or played against each other. Given that both Ojomoh and Arundell were not included in the initial Nations Cup training squad, this will not be head coach Steve Borthwick’s backline, but my comments on training apply to any backs he selects.

The time they have in camp before leaving for South Africa makes getting in sync in attack and defence a priority, so they become a collective force capable of taking the game to the Springboks.

Defensive drills are more than anything about rinse and repeat until they are second nature, and it is the same with set moves in attack. Practice makes perfect, and it also applies in broken play drills where backs have to adjust and adapt while counter-attacking or manipulating defences to create space and mis-matches.

Decisive: Fin Smith leading the charge for Northampton

PICTURE: Getty images

McParland has looked very good for Northampton when Mitchell has been absent, and grown in confidence, but he’s not experienced enough yet to start against the Springboks – although I wouldn’t mind seeing him come off the bench. The same can be said for Bracken, who has made a good impression at Saracens.

The biggest thing is to understand one another, and remember to keep depth in your running off the ball, and work on the timing of your runs onto the ball to disrupt South Africa.

There’s also been talk of resting Spencer over the summer, but I would definitely play him against South Africa – and I think that Borthwick has more faith in him now. Spencer’s experience is even more important following Alex Mitchell’s hamstring injury, and I don’t believe there is a better box-kicker, or game manager in the Prem. His consistency of precision kicking means he’d challenge the best in the world, and he’s also sneaky quick around the fringes or breaking from deep.

At fly-half I rate George Ford, but I believe that Fin Smith should be given the chance to be influential now, and in the future. The Northampton backline is as creative and clinical as any I’ve seen, and Sam Vesty deserves praise for doing such a great coaching job. However, I’m sure that players like Smith, Furbank and Mitchell have also had an input in attack, and how it has encouraged young backs such as George Hendy and McParland.

“There’s been talk of resting Spencer but I’d definitely play him against the South Africans”

The other scrum-half options are Jack van Poortvliet, Archie McParland, and Charlie Bracken. I thought Van Poortvliet was sensational when he first burst on the international scene, but the Leicester nine has had difficulty reaching the same heights again following injury.

Having just turned 24, Smith has won a Premiership title, been on a Lions tour, and played in a European Cup final, and for me he’s earned the right to show what he can do against South Africa, and their new fly-half star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, below.

Smith’s not as fast as Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and although the French would probably back Matthieu Jalibert to be as quick, my hunch is that the South African is probably just ahead, although both are at the top of the Test fly-half rankings. However, Fin has a great all-round game. We’ve seen him in some epic matches, and once he gets his chance at international level I’m sure we’ll see more of the same.

The main thing is that Smith will not get sidetracked into putting a personal duel with Feinberg-Mngomezulu ahead of putting England in the right areas at the right time. In international rugby you don’t generally prioritise setting-up how to play the opposition ahead of setting-up how you want to play.

It’s important for players like Fin, who are in key tactical positions, to experience some adversity, because you generally learn the most from hard times. He got a taste last summer with the Lions when, after starting in the pre-Australia loss against Argentina, he was kept out of the Test 23 by Finn Russell and Owen Farrell. You learn in such a competitive environment that it’s all about the team, and supporting it, even when you’re not the number one.

Another learning opportunity was England’s defensive weaknesses in the Six Nations. It should have highlighted that each player must defend their own channel, and not get pulled out of shape by attacking mavericks like Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Defend your channel, not the player. If the opposition runner moves from Smith’s

channel into the inside-centre’s, it is up to that defender to react immediately and take responsibility. Being joined-up in thought and action is essential.

I’ve picked Bath‘s Ojomoh at inside-centre because he has the rugby IQ to do those duties in a well-drilled defence, while in attack, as I said last week, he can create tries as well as score them at the highest level.

There are obvious reasons for playing Freeman at 13, and they are physical presence, power, and pace – because against the Springboks you must meet strength with strength. If Freeman’s abilities as a strike runner and Ojomoh’s as a playmaker come together it would be a big step forward.

Borthwick has plenty of options at wing. I like how Tom Roebuck takes his chances and competes in the air, and I’m keen to see how young Noah Caluori goes under international pressure, so it would be good to see him come off the bench this summer. That’s tough on Cadan Murley, who has done reasonably well in an England shirt, and Adam Radwan, whose pace and finishing has helped Leicester’s revival.

However, my starting wings are Feyi-Waboso and Arundell. Feyi-Waboso is so explosive in acceleration and power in contact he’s very difficult to defend against, and if he’s fit and ready to go I’d back him. Arundell’s pace is scary, and although he’s nowhere near the finished article, and could read the game better, he’s a match-winner.

So, for danger and speed I go with them. Which brings us to a full back who can see the big picture, whether coming into the line or counter-attacking. Since coming back from injury George Furbank’s form has been a bit up-and-down, but given the to-ing and fro-ing with Freddie Steward, I lean towards the Northampton 15 and his understanding with club-mates like Smith and Freeman.

Furbank is a footballer who can kick his way out of trouble in defence, and if someone kicks poorly to him he can counter and make them pay.

England must play quick rugby from frontfoot ball against South Africa, just as they did against France in the last round of the Six Nations. The Springboks are the best team in the world at the moment, but, if you raise your game and go at them, they are not unbeatable – as Australia proved in Johannesburg soon after the Lions tour.