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Danny Care makes the bench as England name team for the Barbarians

(Photo by Alex Davidson/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Danny Care is poised to complete his shock England comeback after being named on the bench for Sunday’s non-cap international against the Barbarians at Twickenham. Care won the last of his 84 caps in 2018 but has forced his way back into Eddie Jones’ plans through his electric form for Harlequins over the last two seasons.

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The 35-year-old Care will provide cover from the England bench for starting scrum-half Harry Randall, who has also been appointed vice-captain with Tom Curry leading a team that contains just three of the players that started last time out versus France in March – Joe Marchant, Marcus Smith and Sam Underhill.

In the front row, props Bevan Rodd and Will Collier join Jack Walker (hooker). The finally fit-again Jonny Hill is at lock alongside Charlie Ewels. Underhill is at openside flanker and Alex Dombrandt is No8. Tommy Freeman is at full-back, Joe Cokanasiga at right wing and Jonny May, another player who missed the entire Guinness Six Nations through injury, is on the left.

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Will Skelton on Champions Cup celebrations and playing for the Barbarians | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 38

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Will Skelton on Champions Cup celebrations and playing for the Barbarians | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 38

The big rig Will Skelton joins us from Monaco this week where he’s on tour with the Barbarians and rooming with George Kruis. He fills us in on the tour so far, hanging out at the palace with the Prince and who’s leading the charge off the pitch. We also hear about his man-of-the-match performance for La Rochelle in the Champions Cup Final, that famous open-top bus celebration and what it’s like playing for coaches like O’Gara and Cheika.

Marchant is the outside centre, Mark Atkinson is at inside and Marcus Smith is fly-half. Jack Singleton, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Patrick Schickerling, Courtney Lawes, Jack Willis, Care, Orlando Bailey and Jack Nowell are named as finishers.

It was Wednesday when England assistant Richard Cockerill described how well Care has fitted in with the England squad at Bagshot this week. “He has been on great form for a little while now. He is full of energy and life. He is a good character and clearly a very good player so he is adding on and off the field, it has been really positive.

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“He is very experienced, isn’t he? He has worked with Eddie before, he has worked with a lot of the guys that are in the squad now. He is a bright man, he picks things up very quickly. He is clearly a very instinctive player, he has dropped in very easily and training very well and being very good with the group.

Jones added on Friday: “This is a young team, they have prepared really well and worked hard over the past few camps to come together as a group. It is a great opportunity to play in this England XV side and show what they can do.

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“We are looking forward to playing against an unusually French Barbarians side, which you normally only get when you play the French Barbarians. We will use it as an opportunity to develop combinations and assess players for the Australia tour. We will put our best foot forward and it should make for a great game of rugby for all of the supporters at Twickenham.”

The Barbarians, coached this week by France boss Fabien Galthie, included three recent Heineken Champions Cup winners with La Rochelle – midfielder Levani Botia, hooker Pierre Bourgarit and second row Will Skelton – in an XV that featured 14 players from Top 14 clubs.

ENGLAND (vs Barbarians, Sunday)
15. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby)
13. Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
12. Mark Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
9. Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
1. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
2. Jack Walker (Harlequins)
3. Will Collier (Harlequins)
4. Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
5. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs)
6. Tom Curry (C) (Sale Sharks)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
8. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)

FINISHERS
16. Jack Singleton (Gloucester Rugby)
17. Will Goodrick-Clarke (London Irish)
18. Patrick Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs)
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
20. Jack Willis (Wasps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins)
22. Orlando Bailey (Bath Rugby)
23. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)

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J
JW 54 minutes ago
'He wants players to be able to play four positions': Former All Black critiques Robertson's strategy

Sorta “rent a comment” kinda guy really.

Haha yep another great way to say it.


Look I actually agree with the guy, he might have heard something said and seeing as he loves to make a spotlight, and be in it, he decided/mistakenly came up with this headline grabber?


Despite what I already said was the actual idea for the topic he mistook, I think, at this particular moment, there are plenty of situations people should be sticking. I’m OK with the Dmac situation if its just until Stevenson and Etene start sharing the Fullback job. I’m OK with Barrett being left at 15 and Perofeta being given the job to displace Plummer (easy task for him imo) as the first five (with the ABs in mind). But pretty much all the others, like your suggestions, they are far off optimal understanding of their core positions so should be trying to specialize for a couple of years. Think Ioane and Proctor, one or the other, not trying to get both on. Barrett or ALB/Higgins/Lam, Sititi and Sotutu at 8, Finau/Haig/all the 6’s injured or gone etc.


From Razors perspective, of a coach on the limit of what can be achieved, he wants to a balance of core and niche. Having players able to cover situations when your down a man, through card or because he’s lying on the ground, you want your players to be adaptable. Does this mean he’d like them to learn that adaptable by playing other positions fully, like for a whole game in another position, or just as in terms of their skills sets. Because if you apply what I suggested Razor was referring to as “four” positions, wingers can be very useful in other roles like a carrying 12, or a pilferring 7, let alone benefit from a tight relationship and understand of what a 13 is trying to do for them.


This concept applies to pretty much every single position. Take your(my) Lock example, theyre now lifters, they can (size and shape allowing) ruck and maul like the front row, run like a back and offload like a basketballer. Many recent young locks of of this rangy razzle dazle variety.


Personally I really like and think that adding versatility is inevitable with the amount of training and really early highperformance skill/athleticism work they get through. Max Hicks looked interesting as a 2m beanpole playing openside in France, PSDT showing the frame is certainly viable (as apposed to the typical 6 playing lock), opensides really need a running/carry side to their play these days and could easily play in midfield. Halfbacks are starting to play standing up straight rather than low to the ground, how cool would it have been if the Hurricanes had decided to retain Preston by switching Roigard to 10 for this season? Like Leroy Carter they’re already good wingers with the right pace. I do really see the back three players staying were they are for the most part though, unless theyre special players like Dmac.

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