World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward has slammed Eddie Jones' England selection for their crucial 2020 Six Nations match against Ireland at Twickenham on Sunday.
"So here we go again," for the Mail Online.
"Courtney Lawes is not a Test No 6, and although I can understand the temptation to pick a lineout man in the back row to combat Peter O’Mahony, who wins a lot of ball for Ireland, that is showing too much respect to the opposition and not concentrating enough on how England intend to go about their business.
"Meanwhile, we still have one of the world’s great flankers in Tom Curry at No 8 and now we have Jonathan Joseph, a specialist outside centre, on the wing when Ollie Thorley is fit and available.
"Manu Tuilagi is at 13 when I would much prefer him to be playing 12 with skipper Owen Farrell at 10. It is all very confusing.
"Once again I must stress that selection is the No 1 skill of an international coach and I just hope all these players can adapt to the new position or system".
MEET THE ENGLAND TEAM vs Ireland
15. Elliot Daly
- Age | 27
- Caps | 41
- Club | Saracens
- Salary | Unknown
- Partner | Michelle Cussell – The fullback met his gorgeous girlfriend when he was still at school. The pair met at the £18,618-a-year Whitgift School for boys in Croydon, south London, where Daly, 28, was a pupil and she worked as a sports events organiser – although they were both 18 at the time.
- Nickname | Briefcase – He got his nickname after turned up at his first Wasps training session in his Whitgift school uniform and carrying you know what!
14. Jonny May
- Age | 29
- Caps | 54
- Club | Leicester Tigers
- Salary | £325,000
- Partner | Sophie May – The blonde-haired fitness fanatic earns her living as a personal trainer, posting regular updates on the Girlsontopoffitness Instagram page.
13. Manu Tuilagi
- Age | 28
- Caps | 41
- Club | Leicester Tigers
- Salary | £550,000
- Partner | Chantelle Garrity
12. Owen Farrell
- Age | 28
- Caps | 81
- Club | Saracens
- Salary | £750,000
- Partner | Georgie Farrell – Despite him being one of England’s star men, Owen Farrell’s wife Georgie likes to keep her life extremely private.
- Nickname | Little Faz/Faz – Used to predominantly be Little Faz but now his Dad, Andy, has jetted off to work for Ireland he seems to have shaken that part of his nickname.
11. Jonathan Joseph
- Age |28
- Caps | 49
- Club |Bath Rugby
10. George Ford
- Age | 26
- Caps | 67
- Club | Leicester Tigers
- Salary | £450,000
- Partner | Jessica Portman – The 26-year-old is a business and fashion marketing graduate who owns her own flagship boutique in London, called Portman.
9. Ben Youngs
- Age | 30
- Caps | 97
- Club | Leicester Tigers
- Salary | £350,000
- Partner | Charlotte Youngs - She is a cosmetic nurse who hails from Norfolk - just like hubbie Ben. She is believed to still be juggling her work and being a mum to her two youngsters, as well as supporting the Leicester Tigers scrumhalf’s career.
1. Joe Marler
- Age | 29
- Caps | 69
- Club | Harlequins
- Partner | Daisy Marler - Marler is happily married to long-term partner Daisy, with whom he has three children. Jasper, 5, and Maggie, 3, were joined by another new born just before the World Cup commenced.
2. Jamie George
- Age | 29
- Caps | 47
- Club | Saracens
- Salary | £200,000
- Nickname | Girthmister/Stavros – He got these nicknames early in his International career due to his size. Seems a bit harsh.
- Business | Carter & George - Along with his friend Rhys Carter, he established The Carter & George Practice to make elite medical treatment accessible for all.
3. Kyle Sinckler
- Age | 27
- Caps | 33
- Club | Harlequins
- Salary | £190,000
- Nickname | Jukebox - because the hits just keep coming
4. Maro Itoje
- Age | 24
- Caps | 36
- Club | Saracens
- Salary | £800,000
- Degree | Politics
- Nickname | The Pearl – For a perceived preciousness to the sides he plays in.
5. George Kruis
- Age | 29
- Caps | 29
- Club | Saracens
6. Courtney Lawes
- Age | 30
- Caps | 83
- Club | Northampton Saints
- Partner | Jessica Lawes
7. Sam Underhill
- Age | 23
- Caps | 17
- Club | Bath Rugby
- Degree | Politics and Economics
- Partner | Josie Jennings - She is a student at Bath and the pair have reportedly been dating since 2017.
8. Tom Curry
- Age | 21
- Caps | 21
- Club | Sale Sharks
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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