Is it Ben Foden's time?
© Getty Images
|
Paul Rees, writing in The Guardian, believes that Martin Johnson must allow his side to utilise their creativity in the upcoming Six Nations.
"To see or not to see, that is the question ahead of Wednesday's announcement of England's revised elite-player squad for the Six Nations championship. Martin Johnson and his selectors went for experience when the original 32 was announced last July, but the sterility of England's autumn international campaign, allowing for a plague of injuries, amounted to an indictment of short-termism.
"When Johnson took over as team manager in the summer of 2008 he invested in youth, only to think again after Australia, New Zealand and South Africa stormed Twickenham. The majority of the forwards named in last July's elite squad are in their 30s, some veterans of campaigns fought with Johnson the player. How many, though, will be fit for battle in next year's World Cup?
"Johnson started with the best of intentions but soon fell victim to the pressure that constricted his two immediate predecessors. Even though he was armed with a contract that ran until the end of the World Cup, he reacted after coming under fire in November 2008 by abandoning long-term planning and concentrating simply on the next match."
RSS feed
