How to solve England's biggest problem that has stalked them for decades - and why even Italy have managed to crack it
- There's one problem position that England have not been able to solve for 20 years, despite trying everything they can possibly think of
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Unlucky 13, it turned out to be, for England’s settled centres. That’s how many consecutive matches Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade had started together before patience ran out.
So, the wheel turns again. Slade is out and Fraser Dingwall has been promoted, to be the ‘glue’ in a backline featuring four other title-winning Northampton Saints.
But this is about much more than just a Six Nations showdown with Italy at Twickenham – it is about an identity crisis which has been a major problem for more than two decades. This is about England working out what they want their midfield to look like and sticking with it.
It is a crucial area which has been in a perennial state of flux and upheaval. At least Steve Borthwick persisted with his last established partnership for a year, while switching them around along the way; with seven starts for Lawrence at 12 and Slade 13, followed by six for Slade at 12 and Lawrence 13. But a change of numbers didn’t succeed in electrifying the attack as hoped.
Ever since the World Cup triumph in 2003, England have been grappling with a midfield mission, to identity the fitting heirs to Will Greenwood and Mike Tindall. There have been times when certain combinations have thrived for limited spells, but all too often there has been endless change and confusion and upheaval.
There have been strategic shifts and square pegs in round holes. Sometimes, the inside centre has been a blaster, charged with ‘kicking the door down’, as Lawrence was told last year.
At other times, there has been a dual playmaker model, with Owen Farrell improvising at 12, so he and George Ford could play in tandem. Before that, Billy Twelvetrees was a second playmaker in that position for a time.
England have turned to rugby league and other countries for gainline threats, from Andy Farrell to Riki Flutey, Shontayne Hape to Brad Barritt, Kyle Eastmond, Joel Tomkins and, famously, Sam Burgess.
For so long, there was an over-reliance on Manu Tuilagi; the powerhouse who struggled to stay fit, which had a detrimental impact on selection stability.
Last week in York, there was fresh evidence of how midfield remains a work in progress, leading to all sort of left-field thinking.
Kevin Sinfield was asked about Tommy Freeman’s ability to play at 13, or maybe even Freddie Steward as a potential 12. Ben Earl has been used as a stand-in centre. In the past, Jack Nowell was another briefly relocated there. The search for a solution has been relentless.
Luther Burrell was one of those who came from rugby league and ended up in England’s midfield, for a productive period under Stuart Lancaster. He recognises how this area has suffered from muddled thinking and frequent tinkering.
‘I was in a mixture of very good centres at the time, but we were part of a group that lacked clarity and an identity,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘The coaches struggled to establish what they wanted from their centre pairing and that has continued over the past decade.
‘Gone are the golden days of Will Greenwood and Mike Tindall. Ultimately, it comes down to identity and how England want to set up. Look at teams who have a clear identity like the Springboks with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel – they have a certainty about how they want to play.
‘There is consistency with a team like that, not chopping and changing to face a certain opposition. South Africa will have their structure, so do Ireland as well – and Scotland now too. The Scots had a set midfield partnership which has dominated and had real clarity. With (Sione) Tuipulotu out of this Six Nations, they have struggled.’
Addressing some of the factors behind England’s lack of clarity, Burrell added: ‘Eddie Jones shifted Owen (Farrell) out of the 10 position to 12, then it was a case of, “Right, we need to get Manu on the field”, but Manu was injury-prone, so that was inconsistent.
'It always felt like they didn’t know what the best midfield setup was. When I was playing, England had so many options, which meant that we lacked clarity and identity, by saying, “This is going to be our DNA. We’re going to go straight power”.
'Instead, it was a power game in one tournament and an expansive game in the next, which meant chopping and changing, with putting a ball-player at 12. England’s playing style has kept fluctuating from a power-based to a hybrid approach, leading to constant experimentation.’
According to Burrell, part of the reason for the longevity of the Slade-Lawrence alliance was a lack of pressure coming from domestic rivals, despite the club class of Dingwall and others such as Max Ojomoh at Bath.
Exacerbating the situation has been the fact that Joe Marchant agreed to join Stade Francais in Paris when he feared that he was out of favour, but he is now sorely missed.
Slade has become a scapegoat for England’s recent struggle for creative fluency, having enjoyed a career revival after being omitted from the last World Cup, in 2023.
Burrell argued that being left out of the matchday 23 this weekend was harsh on the Exeter veteran, saying: ‘Henry Slade had a rough year last year, but I thought he found his form in the last few games. He wasn’t setting the world on fire but he was being consistent in his role.’
His sentiments were echoed by Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter. Speaking prior to the decision by Borthwick to drop Slade, he felt his player had been singled out unfairly in the aftermath of the narrow win over Scotland, when England’s persistent kicking infuriated spectators and viewers alike.
‘On the whole, he’s been pretty good, but I know he came in for some criticism after the last game,’ said Baxter. ‘England have gone territory-based, certainly in their last game, and Sladey is a naturally decent kicker so he will put the ball on his foot if that is what the plan is; to play for territory.
‘So, I feel for him a bit. A fair bit of criticism has been levelled at him, but it feels like a bigger-picture thing, rather than an individual thing. I’m pretty happy with his form and he’s certainly going to be a key player for us whenever he turns up. If England don’t want him, we’ll have him back! I don’t understand some of the criticism which has been levelled at him.’
Yet, for now, Slade must sit in the stand and watch England play without him. Borthwick has opted for a new midfield pairing, by recalling Dingwall, whose previous two appearances – including a difficult debut against Italy – came alongside Slade during last year’s Six Nations. At Twickenham, the hosts will be launching yet another centre combination, as the hunt for a solution continues.
Dingwall is content with the ‘glue player’ tag used by his head coach. He is happy to be regarded as a facilitator figure. ‘If I can go in and help everyone in that team play better, then that’s a success for me,’ he said. ‘It’s understanding who’s around you and their strengths, then doing some ugly stuff to open up space for other people, or through what you see and how you talk.’
Asked about his sidekick Lawrence, Dingwall added: ‘Ollie has unbelievable talent and can do things that not many people can do. If I can give him touches in space and put him into areas where he excels, that’s part of my role.'
England will be introducing an untried double-act against Italy’s renowned centres. Benetton pair Tommaso Menoncello – last year’s player of the championship – and Ignacio Brex pose a major threat to the home side.
They combine to telling effect for club and country, as France discovered when Brex’s no-look pass sent Menoncello through a gap and clear to score in Rome in the last round, before the visitors turned the screw.
‘They’re a very talented duo,’ said Dingwall. ‘They inter-change and bring out each other’s strengths, so they present a big challenge.’ Tom Curry added: ‘Menoncello has been playing some unbelievable rugby as the front-runner for their ball-carrying. He’s been brilliant. It’s exciting to face him.’
The Azzurri’s formidable pairing have developed a mutual understanding and a profound admiration for each other. Speaking to the BBC, Menoncello said of Brex: ‘He is a genius with his little passes and it is very difficult to defend.’
Repaying the compliment, Brex said of his partner: ‘He is younger, he is faster and he brings every physical part of the game. I’m more the playmaker and he is the creator and finisher.’
What these two demonstrate is the sort of instinctive telepathy which Borthwick craves in his team. As the RFU’s director of performance rugby – and former Italy head coach – Conor O’Shea said: ‘It does help their cohesion, having a combination from Benetton like Brex and Menoncello, who know each other inside out and backwards.’
In contrast, England have limited midfield pedigree. There is hope about how the Dingwall-Lawrence axis might work, but there cannot be sky-high expectation. However, Burrell is optimistic and claims that Dingwall could emerge as an English version of an All Black great from his playing era.
‘Fraser strikes me as that Conrad Smith-type player,’ he said, referring to the Kiwi legend who won 94 caps and two World Cups. ‘Conrad didn’t set the world on fire but was so consistent in his performances and was that glue player in midfield. He was a very intelligent player, really understood the game and his position in it – joining up the dots all around him.
‘For England, it could go horribly wrong, or it could just work. Fraser and Ollie have had time in camp and several training weeks. Fraser understands the England structure. I like how he has matured at Northampton, so it could work.’
Borthwick must hope that it does work, this week and beyond. If the new pairing click, he will have succeeded in solving a problem which has stalked the national team for generations.
