Eddie Jones is right to stick with George Ford at fly-half - we've seen what playing the tinkerman gets you
Eddie Jones does not believe in change for change’s sake. And good on him for that. His midfield set-up sees only one alteration, the well-signalled decision to give Ben Te’o a gallop from the start.
But it is at outside and not at inside centre that Te’o lines up, Jones retaining the dual playmaker axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell that has served England so well.
It had been thought that Farrell would switch to the No 10 role with Ford dropping to the bench to leave a Te’o and Elliot Daly combo in the centre. Jones is absolutely right to stick with Ford at fly-half. We have seen before the danger of meddling with Ford. It cost England dear in the Rugby World Cup.
From the moment he took over Jones has pledged his belief in Ford, praised his vision, his awareness, his decision-making, his nerve, his ability, in essence, as a world-class operator. You have to stay true to that set of values unless there is good reason for your opinion to be revised by events on the field.
Most consecutive Test wins for a Tier One nation
Given that England have won 15 matches in succession under Jones with Ford in the lead role, it would be the folly of a tinkerman to change just to see how something else might work.
The same might hold for sticking with Dylan Hartley as the starting hooker despite the legitimate claims of Jamie George.
The way a team functions is a delicate eco-system. Jones has always made much of captaincy. Some coaches live by the maxim that you pick the best XV and then chuck the armband to someone. Fair enough. Jones lives at the other end of that spectrum.
His captain is a central figure. And Hartley has performed to that billing. He sets the tone, he leads from the front, he draws more from others, he earns respect through his persona. Again, you do not dispense with those qualities readily. George does get decent game time and his day will come.
England have been set up to deliver a commanding performance. And Ford as well as Farrell (on his 50th cap), are central to that. Jones has made the right calls.
England XV: M Brown (Harlequins); J May (Gloucester), B Te'o (Worcester), O Farrell (Saracens), E Daly (Wasps); G Ford (Bath), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), M Itoje (Saracens), J Haskell (Wasps), N Hughes (Wasps).
Replacements: J George (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), K Sinckler (Harlequins), T Wood (Northampton), J Clifford (Harlequins), B Youngs (Leicester), H Slade (Exeter), J Nowell (Exeter).
Six Nations 2017 fixtures, dates, kick-off times and TV schedule
