Thursday 21 June 2018 14:57, UK
England have retreated from their World Cup development plan, despite the inclusion of Danny Cipriani for Saturday's third Test against South Africa, says Stuart Barnes.
After losing five Test matches on the bounce and falling to a 23-12 defeat in Bloemfontein last Saturday, Eddie Jones has made a notable selection in picking Danny Cipriani ahead of George Ford at fly-half for the Test in Cape Town, which is live on Sky Sports Action.
But Sky Sports Rugby pundit Barnes believes the England head coach has not gone far enough and claimed that Jones' overall team selection is designed to "save his neck".
"I think Eddie's selection is too conservative," Barnes told Sky Sports News. "I think it's a selection obsessed with winning the next game to save his neck rather than getting England in the right place for the World Cup, which is what Ireland and New Zealand are doing.
"It's not a bad team but there are questions - do they have the mental strength to win this game? Twice on this tour they haven't had the strength to keep it going and it remains a questions mark.
"It will be exciting and it's massively important for Eddie Jones and England."
Barnes is encouraged by the selection of Cipriani after the Wasps' fly-half made an impressive 14-minute cameo off the bench in last weekend's second Test.
"There has been a lot of pressure on Eddie Jones for quite some time now," said Barnes. "Strangely enough, the one aspect of the England game that has functioned at any stage during this tour has been attack, but Jones is saying he wants a little more carry in it and variety going forward.
"And I think, as well, this is an England team that has got in the habit of losing and you need someone to come in from the outside and break that pattern and Cipriani is the man with the confidence... it might not work, but with the confidence to go and give it a go."
Barnes' support for Cipriani did come with a warning, however.
"It's very different - 14 minutes when a team is trailing by 14 points and you are chasing the game," he said. "When you are chasing a game it's actually quite easy because you are going for everything all the time, it doesn't matter if you make a mistake.
"It's going to be very different at Newlands. England will be trying not to give South Africa a lead, so it's a very different game, but Cipriani did show a lot in the 14 minutes that he was on. And more importantly, I just think he has a different mindset and his form has been good for Wasps."
Reacting to the re-selection of Chris Robshaw in the England back-row, in place of the ill Brad Shields at blindside flanker, Barnes said: "At 2-0 down I can't understand why they would go for Robshaw over Sam Simmonds.
"If Chris Robshaw doesn't go well in this match then he could be looking at his career on the rocks. But it's an opportunity players love - to try and force their way back in."
