Stuart Lancaster realised on Thursday that there are no easy rides as England coach, not after a match and now, not even before the match has taken place.
Confirming that Jonathan Joseph is injured, George Ford has been dropped for Owen Farrell and Sam Burgess is starting in the centre with Brad Barritt against Wales, Lancaster was asked possibly the most difficult, the most loaded question of his tenure.
“You got one former assistant England coach (Mike Ford) on the outside saying ‘I’m mystified that you dropped my son’ and you select instead the son of a current assistant England coach (Andy Farrell). That’s not helpful for you from the outside. You know that,”
Not only was the England coach asked to explain his decision but for purposes of transparency and to stop rumours from circulating about parental interference in the selection process, Lancaster had to explain how the decision came about and who had influence.
To the backdrop of national bafflement about Ford’s omission, a player Lancaster had built the England team around over the last 10 months, the question would have stung more than just the coach. Striking at the integrity of the England rugby team selection, Andy Farrell’s role was also being questioned.
“Yes, for the sake of independence, that decision we make between all four coaches,” said Lancaster.
“There is no one else involved. It’s four people sat in an office. I ask three of the coaches for their opinion. Then I give my opinion and sometimes we differ but for the majority of the time we are on the same page.
“We have to leave the room with a consensus that we have made the right decision. That is 100 per cent what happened this time. But the bottom line is the decision is mine and mine alone that we have picked the strongest team.”
There was no straight answer to what is now a Farrell-Ford controversy, most likely because Lancaster can do without Warren Gatland gleaning intelligence. Lancaster denied that dropping Ford has damaged him.
Burgess and Farrell are physically suited to a strong Welsh defensive system. Ford was seen at times to have been cuffed about against Fiji in the opening match and Farrell is a slightly more reliable kicker.
An aura
The margins made the call with Lancaster and his team ignoring the pre-tournament opinion of
World Cup
winner
Jonny Wilkinson
that the coach should pick an outhalf, stick with him and build an aura around him.
England have done the opposite and while they have had Ford in the position since last autumn and Farrell in now, it begs the question how the future selection will fall against any physical team that will attack England down their 10 channel, or, where there is an anticipated dog fight at the gain line.
Adding to the confusion is the fact it was Ford who went to the Millennium Stadium this year in the Six Nations Championship and helped England come away with a win. He kicked a conversion and three penalties as England came from behind to win 16-21.
Lancaster now knows that his reputation is on the line. He knows that this game more than any other game in his time as coach will be judged by the result against Wales and that his selection will have heightened his own sense of personal investment and responsibility.
“I think it was always going to be the case, this game and next week too.” he said. “It will come down to the next two games (Wales and Australia). I understand the consequences. I understand the stakes because it’s the World Cup.”
Burgess, who came on as a replacement for England’s opening win over Fiji, also arrives with big game experience but not in rugby union. The centre was admirably chilled at the England base in Bagshot for his first crack at Wales as an international union player.
He won’t have played against either Welsh centres, Jamie Roberts or Scott Williams. But it did not deter the Bath player from delivering an unflinching point of view, which Lancaster will surely enjoy but maybe think he might have let something out of the bag about England’s enduring hurt.
“I never played against them before,” said Burgess of Wales. “I don’t have any of the scars.”
Billy Vunipola will also start for England at number eight as Ben Morgan has not recovered from a knee injury sustained against Fiji, while James Haskell and Alex Goode start on the bench for the first time. Goode will cover the back three and Haskell the backrow.
