Eddie Jones announces his first England squad on Wednesday – and he is already facing significant decisions, which includes the captaincy, and the majority of positions on the field with many players making their case for selection.
The central point of discussion for a long time is who will play at number ten, with George Ford and Owen Farrell battling for the shirt, but with four very talented scrum-halves in excellent form, this position may give Eddie Jones a fresh selection headache.
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Jones must look closely at Harlequins captain Danny Care when selecting his scrum-half for the RBS 6 Nations. The playmaker, who has won over 50 caps, has made a dashing start to the season and is probably the most dangerous running nine in the Aviva Premiership who is qualified for England. For a whole year Care had been third choice behind Ben Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth, but it may now be his time to shine.
Will Chudley (Exeter Chiefs)
Will Chudley’s brilliant season for Exeter Chiefs so far should surely see him play some part during the upcoming Six Nations, but just how big of one is the real question. The disappointment of missing out on the Rugby World Cup seems to have spurred the nine on, and if Jones is going to pick his starting XV on league form the Chiefs man surely should be in the discussion.
Joe Simpson (Wasps)
Joe Simpson’s chances have probably suffered due to Wasps poor Aviva Premiership performances in recent weeks, however, we’d never write him off. The number nines high-octane, attacking rugby could be exactly what is needed to transform England’s fortunes.
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs is the safe option for Jones. He has looked impressive for Leicester so far this season and has been England’s first-choice scrum-half for a decent stretch. However, the jury is still out on whether Youngs is a international scrum-half following some disappointing displays during the Rugby World Cup