Centres of contention

Billy Twelvetrees or Anthony Allen? Stuart Barnes enters the debate facing Leicester - if not England.

Points fest proves that Twelvetrees has the edge over Allen

The conundrum of club and country was illustrated in black and white on Saturday afternoon. Leicester have - next to Eliota Fuimaono of Gloucester - the most consistent inside centre playing Premiership rugby. Anthony Allen has been discarded by England after his unfortunately premature selection and harsh dismissal but for his club he is a central cog. I would be surprised if Richard Cockerill doesn't come to the conclusion that several of the five tries scored by Gloucester at the weekend were the direct result of Allen's rest from the action. He has a point. The inside centre channel is one of the key defensive positions on the pitch. Both in terms of the speed with which he usually pressurises opposing midfields and his organisational excellence, Allen is a man most sorely missed. Come the play-offs this most dependable of club men will be wearing the 12 shirt. In terms of the man most likely to hold the system together in a final or semi-final he is undoubtedly the right man. Few critics would expect Leicester to omit Allen. Yet long-term, Billy Twelvetrees is potentially of another class altogether. England lack anything resembling the complete international centre but this inexperienced young man has nearly every aspect of the game required to become the international inside centre England would die for right now. He has an immense and intelligent kicking game. He can bash it up and down in the time-honoured English fashion or he can pick an angle and attack space rather than the bloke opposite him. Big, strong and quick he is going to be a handful on the front foot. Best of all he is an exquisite passer of the ball. England and Northampton and Leicester's recognised first XV would be infinitely more threatening with Twelvetrees in the midfield. He is not so much one of the future contenders for the international shirt, he is the ONLY one. Allen has an edge in defence and experience but his understudy has a greater range of options required of anyone aspiring to be a good quality international midfield operator. Martin Johnson should have been begging his old mate to give the younger man more starts because England is in a desperate state at 12 (especially as Riki Flutey seems to find another injury every time he strings two decent performances together). Until he has more experience Johnson will never do what someone like Robbie Deans would do and chuck him into the deep end. I am not advocating that Johnson should do just this but nor am I certain that perhaps he should not have been more vociferous in the ears of the Leicester management.

Bolder

But what is vital for England isn't necessarily good for Leicester. The Tigers - and any other club - are not a breeding ground for the national team. It should be a matter of give and take and there are certain boundaries neither side can be expected to step over. The Leicester coach doing something he believes detrimental to his club for the benefit of his country is one such example. Leicester pay the manager's salary. In an ideal world, Twelvetrees would have played more often than he has to date this season. Indeed a bolder policy, for all Allen's unquestioned consistency, might have added a further string to Leicester's bow. The former Bedford centre is not regarded as a good enough defender. Fair enough. He makes mistakes, what youngster does not? But here's the central question. Is it easier to coach defence or attack? There is no debate. Defence is a matter of will and communication. Adjustment to the speed of opponents is the core issue affecting the inexperienced defender (so given the lack of attacking speed in this season's Premiership it shouldn't prove too great a hindrance). Neither Will Greenwood nor Mike Catt were considered good defenders by Phil Larder in the early days of the formative World Cup-winning team but Woodward's trust and patience and the players' determination made them into excellent defenders. On the flip side try making a player without the basic skills and vision into an international midfield back: you cannot.

Effortless

Hence the current limitations within the England midfield, hence the frustration (from me if no-one else) that Twelvetrees hasn't been given a few more chances to improve his defence. He will not travel to New Zealand now but granted a dozen more Premiership games, his talent could have taken him there as a subtle alternative to the current blood and thunder. When the Tigers analyse the 41-41 draw and put their defensive frailties under the microscope I hope they remember Twelvetrees' towering kick which led to one try, the effortless pass they played a role in Alesana Tuilagi's hat-trick score and the clean try scoring break of his own. It was the experienced Jeremy Staunton and not the inexperienced Billy Twelvetrees that cost Leicester victory. Club and country have differing priorities but I wish they didn't share an aversion to youth and inexperience and place such blind trust in experience for its own sake. Eighty-two points and 10 tries at Welford Road - five scored by a young Gloucester team against Leicester... surreal in the extreme!

Stuart answers your emails...

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A chance in France

Do you think Steffon Armitage's potential move to Toulon would be a good move for the player and would Michael Lipman be a good replacement for him at London Irish? Scott (London Irish fan)
STUART SAYS: In terms of lifestyle, Toulon would be a positive challenge and so too would playing in the physical demands of the Top 14, Scott. It would be a blow for London Irish to lose Armitage, but if he feels England have dismissed him you can see the logic of the move. Michael Lipman is doing well in Super Rugby and would be a decent replacement but I cannot help thinking there are planty of good young sevens waiting for their chance in England.

Official complaint

Hi there Stu. Leinster were the better team against Leicester and deserved to win, but I was not too impressed by Nigel Owens performance! The game should have had a French ref (ie non-Magners) as this was a big advantage to Leinster. Should this be made a rule for this competition for the future? All the best for rest of season, Graham Tyler, Leicester
STUART SAYS: Graham, I said on the Rugby Club that my only issue with the officiating was the advantage of familiarity between the Magners team and Magners referee. Different leagues have different foibles and styles and referees become part and parcel of that package. It is not a criticism of Nigel Owens but I do feel the knockout stages should ensure that French referees do not referee French league teams, English refs Premiership teams and Magners referees Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Italian teams. But, as you point out Graham, the best team won and the referee had nothing to do with that!

The mighty Quin

Hi Stuart. Alan Quinlan announced his retirement this week. As a Munster fan, I would consider him one of our greatest ever players, and would place him alongside legends like Mick Galway and Anthony Foley. I was wondering what the view across the Irish Sea is of him? Thanks, John Rooney
STUART SAYS: Alan was/is a Munster legend, John. He encapsulated all I love about Munster. He was a sly one all right but he had a range of skills and a desire to win that marked him out as one of the sharpest European back-row operators of his period. He was a fine player and is a great man. A good man to share a beer with and now that he's hanging up those boots I look forward to a pint with Alan here and there. He is up there with Munster's main men - and that says plenty about him.