Austin Healey has ruthlessly picked his England backline, dropping both Owen Farrell and Jonny May from the starting XV for their Six Nations opener against Scotland.
Writing in the Telegraph, the 51-cap England international believes Eddie Jones has only created doubt, not clarity by selecting his captain in his 2022 Six Nations squad.
“Owen Farrell is a great player, but for all of his quality traits, with Smith and Farrell it feels like England have an either/or scenario, rather than selecting both,” wrote Healey.
“By doing so, you are taking a bit of Smith’s edge away.”
Below is the backline Healey would pick for the tournament opener.
England Six Nations 2022 Fixtures
- Saturday 5 February: Scotland v England (16:45)
- Sunday 13 February: Italy v England (15:00)
- Saturday 26 February: England v Wales (16:45)
- Saturday 12 March: England v Ireland (16:45)
- Saturday 19 March: France v England (20:00)
Austin Healey’s England backline
BACK-THREE:
- 15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
- 14. Max Malins (Saracens)
- 11. Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
RUCK’S BACK-THREE: 15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), 14. Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish) & 11. Max Malins (Saracens)