- Stuart Lancaster discusses what his EPS selections say about style of play
- Aim is to achieve balanced team playing fast, attacking rugby for interim boss
After time to digest the news of Stuart Lancaster’s first Senior England Elite Player Squad, the Interim Head Coach discusses how some of his eye-catching selections could impact the team’s style of play at the upcoming RBS 6 Nations.
Balance, options and flexibility are words often used by the 42-year-old as he looks to build a team to play fluid, fast, attacking rugby over the coming months.
And while reminding that it is always important to have a ‘Plan B’ when circumstances dictate, Lancaster told RFU.com about the specific qualities he needs to execute that brand of rugby.
With reference to the back division Lancaster spoke about the need for ball-carrying and ball-playing centres – having brought it Saracens pair Brad Barritt and Owen Farrell and Harlequins’ Jordan Turner-Hal l – and hard-working, express wings in Gloucester’s Charlie Sharples and Saracens’ David Strettle.
He said: "What we want to try and get is balance in the backline – [in midfield] you need a combination of good distributors, good carriers with pace and power. And you also want to get into situation where you’ve got different ways of playing and have the flexibility to go one way or another during a game or a tournament.
"Gone are the days when wings stay on the wing, they’re more like speed endurance men and the ability to repeat sprints is really important. So we need fit guys who are going to work hard and create the extra man. It’s a 15-a-side game but if you’ve got a wing working hard off-the-ball all the time it’s like having the 16th man.
"That’s what we’ve gone for. Ugo Monye is unlucky to miss out, he brings a different power dynamic and Matt Banahan brings the physical presence. It was tight but we’ve gone with Strets on the back of his form recently, with Charlie and Chris [Ashton] and we’ll hopefully get the ball to them."
Another key area is the back row, where Lancaster has made a number of striking additions, with Northampton Saints duo Calum Clark and Phil Dowson, Scarlets No.8 Ben Morgan and Harlequins skipper Chris Robshaw joining World Cup players Tom Wood and Tom Croft.
Accepting that quick ball in crucial to how England want to approach the game, Lancaster reiterated his satisfaction with the differing options at his disposal as he looks towards a mobile loose trio.
"Again it comes back to the balance between ball-carriers and people who can play football, particularly in attack,” he said.
"I think Tom Croft can carry the ball effectively, Chris Robshaw clearly does that and Dowson is constantly at the top of the stats in carrying ability but they can all pass and distribute well and make good decisions, which is what I want in any back rower.
"Ben Morgan is probably a more physical ball-carrying back row who’s gone well for Scarlets and obviously there’s Calum and Woody, two of the hardest working, toughest, most uncompromising back rows in the competition. So I’m happy we’ve got the balance there and it’s about picking the right guys in the team."
Lancaster continues to discuss the new leadership group which will emerge in the squad; the timeline of priorities at the Leeds training camp leading into the Scotland Test week; how principles can inspire players to make decisions on the pitch; and the value he places on training in realistic conditions.
