"Clean slate" - Sir Clive Woodward selects five players who MUST start for England - Page 5 of 5 - Ruck

“Clean slate” – Sir Clive Woodward selects five players who MUST start for England

5. Jamie George (Saracens)

If everyone is fit, Steve Borthwick will want the Marler-George-Cole front row.

Woodward wrote: “I can see why they’ve appointed him (George as captain). He’s clearly a good communicator, a good bloke and most importantly a great player.

“He’s also been England’s most consistent performer through a difficult period, superbly manages the referee and is the best player in his position. All massive ticks on my captaincy checklist.

“I hope George starts and finishes the Six Nations opener in Rome. That would help change the current mindset of rugby, where the front-row is taken off with 30 minutes to go.

“Really? England took Joe Marler and Dan Cole off when they were dominating South Africa’s scrum at the World Cup and it arguably cost them the game. Coaches must use their eyes — not rely on data.”

QUIZ: Can you name England’s Grand Slam winning XV from 2016?

Back in 2016, England clinched a Six Nations Grand Slam with a triumphant 31-21 victory over France at the Stade de France in Paris.

This historic win, the team’s first Grand Slam in 13 years under Eddie Jones’ leadership, marked a significant milestone.

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Now, lace up your virtual boots and see if you can recall the rest of the XV from the final match of the Six Nations.

We’ve already revealed Maro Itoje and Owen Farrell’s names to give you a head start on this virtual rugby challenge.

We use Kwizly for our quizzes – find our more here