Will Greenwood says Ed Slater and Josh Beaumont could feature for England this autumn
Monday 24 October 2016 19:52, UK
Sky Sports expert Will Greenwood believes Leicester lock Ed Slater could be the 'wild card' called into the England pack for the autumn internationals.
England are unbeaten since Eddie Jones took over as head coach following last year's World Cup, but will be without several key squad members when they face South Africa on 12 November.
And the situation is particularly acute in the second row, which will definitely be missing George Kruis (ankle surgery) and could also be without Maro Itoje, who injured his hand at the weekend.
Speaking on Sky Sports News HQ, Greenwood said: "Kruis has been hugely influential and now you throw Itoje into the pot, it will be fingers crossed for Eddie, because Itoje is playing some wonderful rugby.
"He would be a loss and it would also take another combination away from who he might be able to pick.
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"I think [Joe] Launchbury will come straight into the second row. He is playing exceptionally well for Wasps and was one of [former coach Stuart] Lancaster's go-to men until he picked up a neck injury, 10-11 months before the World Cup. I expect him to go straight in.
"Courtney Lawes is next in line in the pecking order. If you look at his games recently, Northampton have struggled a bit and, with that, Courtney has not been able to impose himself physically.
"A bit of a wild card might be Ed Slater. He was in the England camp, he has had some injury problems, he is back now, and he was very good against Racing 92 [at the weekend].
"We know Eddie likes no-nonsense second rows who do a job and put a shift in, shoulder to the wheel. He is exactly that sort of old school second row. That might be an option."
Itoje is capable of playing at back row but if he misses out through injury, Jones will be faced with another selection dilemma.
"You know that Billy Vunipola is going to play eight, you know that Chris Robshaw is going to play six," added Greenwood.
"In the back row, it is that seven jersey again. James Haskell is injured, Itoje played in the back row in the third Test [in Australia] but all those combinations are now out of the window.
"Does he juggle one of the number eights he has got in the squad? He is number eight heavy. Nathan Hughes [of Wasps], who scored a wonder try against Toulouse, does he shift him?
"There is [Sale's] Josh Beaumont, very athletic. My tendency might be, with the athleticism of Josh Beaumont, to say 'go play seven'.
"The safer option would be the physicality of Nathan Hughes, who is slightly older, readier for the occasion, but I wouldn't be afraid of giving Beaumont a run-out at international level.
"My preference would be Luke Wallace [of Harlequins}, he is an out and out seven, but I don't think Eddie is going to go with him."
The myriad of options could be seen as a major headache for Jones but Greenwood thinks he will relish the task.
"Eddie loves these problems," he added. "He could take a pub 15, stick them out against South Africa, work his magic, and they will win the match!"
