Wednesday 13 January 2016 21:19, UK
Stuart Barnes says the players Eddie Jones has discarded are more significant than who has been selected.
On Wednesday, England head coach Jones named his first squad since succeeding Stuart Lancaster and selected a much-changed group.
Dylan Hartley, Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi return in Jones' Elite Player squad for the Six Nations, but the 33-man party sees a number of big-name omissions including Tom Youngs, Tom Wood, Geoff Parling, Richard Wigglesworth and Danny Cipriani.
"I think who England have left out is more significant and in many ways more interesting than who has been left in," said Barnes on Sky Sports News HQ.
"Eddie Jones has kept banging the drum about England having to do what England do well and getting the set-piece right. I found it astonishing that England did not recall Dylan Hartley to the World Cup when Tom Youngs' one weakness was lineout throwing, which cost England so dear.
"So the omission of Tom Youngs means that he is saying, 'Let's get the basics absolutely right'.
"Tom Wood did not have a great World Cup and did not have a good year leading up to it but he could have been a bridge between the old regime and the new - so too could have Richard Wigglesworth, who is playing extremely well for Saracens.
"But I am impressed that Eddie Jones has said he is going to burn the bridges and look for young players.
While Danny Cipriani is the third best fly-half at the moment, I think he is the best England player who does not have a number on his back.
"He is not worried about a scrum-half who can slow the game down and kick it - he has gone for [Danny] Care and [Ben] Youngs and they are going to push on in terms of pace. Old players who he does not think will take them through to 2019 have been quite ruthlessly discarded.
"It is a brave decision that could yet haunt him in this Six Nations campaign but I think he is right and that impresses more in a way than anybody who he has picked."
Unlucky Cipriani?
One player who Barnes would have liked Jones to select was Danny Cipriani, who he believes could have made a huge impact coming off the bench.
Barnes said: "I would have liked to have seen Danny Cipriani in the squad though. While he is the third best fly-half at the moment, I think he is the best England player who does not have a number on his back.
"By that I mean as an impact sub when you are 10 points down with 10 minutes to go, he can come on at No 10, 12, 15 and change a game. I think in a squad of 33 there is room for that little bit of flexibility. So I am slightly disappointed there, but it is not as if Danny Cipriani has been playing so well that the case couldn't be overlooked."
Among those that have been picked, there are seven uncapped players in the squad - Sam Hill, Josh Beaumont, Jack Clifford, Elliot Daly, Ollie Devoto, Paul Hill and Maro Itoje - and two of the 'new boys' have really caught Stuart's eye.
"Jack Clifford looks to me like he is nailed on to the openside flanker [spot] against Scotland," added Barnes.
"Clifford is a very exciting young player who I am looking forward to seeing. He is very dynamic, he carries well - Eddie Jones has been talking about the gain line and England really lacked that upfront during the World Cup. Clifford gives that to them but the question is: does he have that expertise over the breakdown?
"Paul Hill is probably in this squad because of injuries to others but he was an outstanding U20s player and has been brilliant in a powerful Northampton pack. I would not be surprised if he is pushing Dan Cole all the way for the tighthead spot in Edinburgh."
New look England
England's first game under Jones will be on February 6 when they travel to take on Scotland at Murrayfield in the Six Nations. And Barnes is expecting a different approach from England.
"I think there will be a fair amount of change for England's opener against Scotland," explained Barnes.
"Not so much in personnel but more a change in how England approach the game. Jones is talking in a very positive way.
"I think that George Ford will come back into the No 10 slot and Owen Farrell will play at 12. I think Chris Ashton will come back and in the second row George Kruis will be a new face starting. And after the World Cup, well, Dylan Hartley is a fresh face too."
Jones has also said that he will only make up his mind on his captain once he has settled on his starting XV. The former Australia and Japan head coach has also said that whoever does get the nod as England skipper will only be appointed for the duration of the Six Nations - another smart move according to Barnes.
He said: "It is also a great decision not to name his captain yet and down play the role of a captain.
"A captain is a critical man in a rugby team when he is a legend like Richie McCaw. England do not have anyone even remotely near that status so why elevate the captaincy to an all-encompassing, all-powerful position?
"To say that he won't choose his captain until he has gone from 33 to 23 to 15 is really smart. I also think that it is smart to say that whoever he does pick as captain will only be captain for the Six Nations.
"England must not be caught in the position where they are selecting the second best player in their position just because they are captain. The downgrading of the significance of the captain is a very smart and sensible move by Jones."
