Sir Clive Woodward has picked out five England players who ‘must start’ for Eddie Jones men during the Autumn Nations Series.
Writing in his column for the Mail Online, the 2003 World Cup-winning coach believes Jones ‘must’ bench his current captain Owen Farrell.
Woodward, who called for change prior to England’s dismal 2021 Six Nations campaign, believes the team have gone backwards since the 2019 World Cup – but the new generation is promising.
Find out who he thinks ‘must start in the Autumn below.
#1. Marcus Smith
- Age: 22
- Club: Harlequins
- Position: Fly-half
Woodward wrote: “I’ve been beating the Smith drum for a long time and would have had him starting for England games long before this autumn.
“He’s an exceptional, potentially once-in-a-generation talent capable of transforming the way England attack and bringing all of their enormous firepower to bear. In that respect he reminds me of Jason Robinson.
“He can be a game-changer for England, just as Jason’s incredible attacking threat added so much when he came over from rugby league, winning 51 caps between 2001 and 2007.”
DID YOU KNOW? He moved to the United Kingdom at the age of thirteen from Asia and subsequently received a sports scholarship to attend Brighton College