England head coach Eddie Jones has explained that Joe Simmonds still has work to do to earn a call-up to the national side.
After captaining Exeter Chiefs to a European and Premiership double, fans were shocked that the playmaker and his brother were left out of the squad to face Italy in the Six Nations.
“No 10s are like sushi chefs, a lifetime’s ambition to be good and that is always a work in progress” Eddie Jones said yesterday
“Honestly, I’m not here to talk about players who aren’t selected,” he said when asked about the Joe Simmonds situation.
“I’ve spoken to both of those boys to make sure they have an understanding of the situation.
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“Ultimately selection is a judgment situation; there are people out there who think certain players should be in and people who think certain players shouldn’t be.”
The Chiefs have only three players in the squad, which is less than half that of Bath’s eight players whom Exeter demolished 35-6 in the Premiership semi-final.
Of the trio selected, only centre Henry Slade is realistically in contention to start against Italy on Saturday.
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Where Are They Now? 5 English Wonderkids Who Never Reached Their Potential
I decided to look into five England players careers I felt didn’t match up to the ability they showed when they were younger.
This could be if a player fell by the wayside due to form or injuries or if a player’s career never achieved the success it warranted. Hope you enjoy the read!
1. Matthew Tait
Making his debut against Wales, when the then-18-year-old was repeatedly dumped by Welsh centre Gavin Henson is infamous. That day would set back Tait’s development significantly, but he still played in the Rugby World Cup in 2007. After a quiet tournament, Tait lit up the final against South Africa with a dashing break that led to Mark Cueto’s infamously disallowed try.
But if Tait’s footwork in the final demonstrated his talent, he was never able to demonstrate that consistently on the biggest stage. Shifts from outside centre, to wing and then to full-back stunted his progress and were indicative of a possible star whose versatility worked against him ultimately.
