Eddie Jones' hand is forced as he rings changes for England Test opener against Springboks

No holding back: Mark Wilson is in the starting XV while Zach Mercer (right) is on the bench
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Will Macpherson1 November 2018

When announcing his team for the first of four matches in a mighty tough looking month, Eddie Jones referenced the specific challenges of taking on South Africa, against whom they lost this summer.

The physicality and forward grunt required, the accuracy needed in the backs. Given the injury-hit hand he has been dealt — and he did not mention that this time, in the official press release at least — Jones appeared to do that.

But in reshaping his backline to give it a more robust feel, Jones gave a glimpse into his plans way beyond this game — to next year’s World Cup. The final of that competition is a year away tomorrow, and Jones has 13 games to get his team right before they face Tonga at the Sapporo Dome on September 22. Time is not on his side.

The key switch comes in the key position, No10. Back there for just the third time under Jones is Owen Farrell, the co-captain, chief decision maker and best manager of a game.

Regular fly-half George Ford has to settle for a place on the bench, while Danny Cipriani suddenly seems a distant memory.

In South Africa, Jones went with ball players reared at fly-half in the No10, 12 and 13 jerseys. Now, Farrell and Henry Slade are broken up by the bruising Ben Te’o, who is lucky to start, having played just 28 minutes for Worcester this season, but whose physicality will be welcome.

Lurking on the bench is Manu Tuilagi. The sense is that Jones would love the Leicester man at inside centre before too long, perhaps even next week against the All Blacks, against whom he made such an impact in 2012.

Tuilagi has not started for England since 2014, the year that Chris Ashton made his last Test appearance; there was no space for the winger in the 23, but he should get his chance this month.

Jones’s back three has been taking shape over the last year and Mike Brown’s removal from the squad earlier this week is a further indication of which way the wind is blowing.

He wants Elliot Daly at full-back, one winger to be a flyer — Jonny May this time — and the other to be more of an all-rounder. There, Jack Nowell got the nod over Ashton. It will be fascinating to see, though, how the head coach manages an early injury in the back three, because cover on the bench is not obvious.

The forward pack is harder to read a great deal into. Seminal players are missing at every turn, from Mako Vunipola in the front row to his brother Billy in the back.

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Indeed, so bad is the crisis that the next two in line in both those positions are missing too: for Mako, Joe Marler permanently and Ellis Genge for now; for Billy, Nathan Hughes through idiocy and Sam Simmonds through injury.

Jones is also without Chris Robshaw, Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury through no fault of his own, but has chosen to overlook the experienced Dan Cole, James Haskell and Ben Morgan.

Indeed, when Billy misses out — as he does so often — the whole team’s tactics need revisiting, with more oomph required elsewhere. Mark Wilson got the nod to fill those boots because of his chop-tackle and physicality, but plays No6 more for Newcastle.

The man selected there, Brad Shields (above) has shown no great form for Wasps.

As the omissions of the likes of Brown and Cole show, Jones is looking forward. The props boast four starts between them, the back-row 10 caps in total. Some of those on the bench can be considered a fair way down the pecking order should injury issues ease.

There will always be injuries to contend with, but there should not always be this many.

Up front, Jones had his hand forced. In the backs, he might finally have found balance for the road ahead.

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