There may be a clamour for Tommy Freeman to start at 13 for England in the Six Nations, but Stuart Barnes states that it might not fit their style.
The 24-year-old, who can also play full-back or wing, has started at outside centre in Northampton Saints’ past two matches, scoring four tries.
Freeman touched down three times against defending PREM champions Bath after Christmas before following that up with another effort in the 66-21 demolition of Harlequins.
He looks well suited to the 13 role, but he has competition from Ollie Lawrence, who featured there in the victory over the All Blacks in November.
The debate has generally centred around those two players but Barnes believes that observers are forgetting about the talents of Henry Slade, who made a try-scoring contribution in the triumph over Argentina.
Slade was only filling in for the injured Lawrence, but the former England fly-half reckons that territory, rather than ball-in-hand brilliance, is more important to Steve Borthwick ahead of the Six Nations.
England’s similarities to the Boks
“Northampton’s structure aims to identify and exploit space. Anywhere. England’s strategy is heavy-duty territorial. The kick, the chase, the bobbling ball – then England can be expected to attack with an added and exciting edge to their game,” Barnes wrote in his Sunday Times column.
“It’s sort of Springboks in its quest for territory, power and pace. Whereas the Saints see space as the ultimate attacking virtue, England, like the world’s best Test team, crave territory.
“There is no simpler a way to gain giant chunks of territory than by playing with an intensity that forces errors and, most importantly, penalties.”
Freeman is playing some spellbinding rugby at the moment but Slade should not be forgotten following his performances for Exeter Chiefs this season, according to Barnes.
The 32-year-old played a key role in helping the Chiefs come back from 26-0 down to level the match with Bath at the weekend.
Although the defending PREM champions responded to win the game late on, Slade had a huge influence on the contest at the Rec.
“Freeman and those moments of magic are beautiful to behold but in an age of set-piece predominance, England are missing the most obvious of tricks by not starting with Henry Slade at outside centre,” Barnes wrote.
“Slade is as good a kicker for the corner as anyone in world rugby. Bath made errors, his scalpel precision left foot magnified them.
“Translate to the Test arena. A couple of collapsed scrums, a couple of Slade kicks and England have themselves 14 points (he is also a handy back-up kicker to the likely starting No10, George Ford.)”
Silky skills of Slade
Barnes also noted the other skills that Slade has in his armoury, adding: “There’s also that gorgeous late pass he possesses. Soft hands and peripheral vision. One of those passes was central to the Feyi-Waboso 73rd-minute try on Saturday.
“Slade is capable of coming up with this sort of stuff game by game. Freeman is a wonderful player but don’t expect hat-trick after hat-trick.
“Slade is part of England’s squad, but there’s not much of a case being made for him, yet that left foot is the most underestimated potential weapon in the attacking artillery of an England team tied to the concept of pressure, penalties and territory.”
If Slade does play at 13 then Lawrence could shift to 12, but there is potentially a situation where both him and Freeman miss out on a midfield spot, although the latter will likely shift to wing if that is the case.
“Lawrence, Max Ojomoh and Dingwall are all interesting contenders as 12s – Lawrence offers handy muscle for a fly-half on the gainline but Freeman (who will play wing if not outside centre) and Slade can win matches with their differing, exceptional qualities,” Barnes wrote.
“Freeman is the exciting option, Slade the one who fits into the Borthwick template. Picking a team isn’t a matter of selecting the best players but the ones that fit the jigsaw; what works for Northampton may not work as well for Borthwick and [Lee] Blackett’s England.
“What Slade does for Exeter is perhaps the better fix for England, but the dead-ball skill is so obvious it seems nobody recognises its centrality in the modern game.”