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In his time at the helm, Eddie Jones has been able to rely on his locks to dominate their opposition and provide the team with a strong core. In almost every big game in the last four years he’s had two of his key four locks available; such a strength has the position been that in recent years a natural lock has worn the six jersey.
On the 13th January 2016, Jones named Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Joe Launchbury & Courtney Lawes and if it wasn’t for Kruis departing for a year with the Panasonic Wild Knights and the injury picked up by Lawes, it’s difficult to have seen changes made.
Whilst he’s deprived of his two senior locks in the short & medium term, you’d wager them to both return to remain central to England’s plans. So shorn of their usual performers, who does Eddie turn to in the remaining internationals of 2020 in such a key position?
To most viewers of club rugby, Jonny Hill of Exeter would appear to be the strongest contender to start, let alone warranting a place in the squad. It stands to reason that if you are a key component, a certain starter for the number one team in the country, that you’d be given the chance to show you can perform in the international arena. His form post lockdown has been of the highest standard and dare it be suggested, shades of Itoje in his power in the defensive line.
The England head coach appears keen on the uncapped Northampton Saints pairing of David Ribbans & Alex Moon, selecting both in recent training squads. Both players have improved immensely in the past twelve months and the South-African born Ribbans in particular has caught the eye; both have their best rugby ahead of them and I expect them to play a key part in improving their clubs fortunes in the next few years.
Jones has long had a soft spot for Charlie Ewels, who has accumulated 15 caps in the last four years; although memory as him coming on from the bench, often when the bench has been stacked as a 6-2 split. The general feel to his international career so far has been that Ewels is in the squad without being essential to the team.
A fine player, his career hasn’t kicked on from such early promise. Like his Bath teammate Elliott Stooke, who has frequently been called into camp, both are capable players but haven’t shown the consistency needed for international rugby.
Although not selected, I expect the young Saracens duo of Nick Isiekwe and Joel Kpoku to have the higher career trajectory of those mentioned. It’s amazing to say that Isiekwe is only 22, but he’s already been through a lot in his career.
Eddie Jones has appeared to have lost faith after capping him so young, but given his physical strength and athleticism, you expect his time will come. Despite only turning 21 during lockdown, his utter dominance of Under-20 rugby would suggest Kpoku has the ability to be a star of the senior game.
So the plan for the next few tests for Jones should be to cap Ribbans & Hill. I’d suggest partnering each with Itoje & Launchbury in their first internationals, two players who perfectly embody the work-rate and professionalism needed at this level, and for whom they’d do well to emulate.
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