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Size matters for England in Argentina

114kg of prime London Irish wing Joe Cokanasiga

Relatively unknown monsters in England shirts are heading to South America next month. James Harrington wonders why.

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England coach Eddie Jones has, on the whole, been treading softly amid all the noise of the impending Lions’ tour.

But this week he briefly popped his head above the parapet to explain why he had selected an XXXL backline for England’s Lions-shorn two-Test Argentina tour.

The backs in the Premiership are too small, he claimed, saying the off-season South American jaunt would give him the chance to blood a new batch of heavyweight contenders.

So, now we know. Size is why Jones has opted for 19-year-old 114kg London Irish wing Joe Cokanasiga, and Saracens’ 22-year-old 99kg fifth-choice wideman Nathan Earle ahead of, say, Wasps 86kg cruiserweight Christian Wade – whose record-breaking 17 Premiership tries this season came, apparently, despite the fact he’s such a little guy.

Never mind that England U20 international Cokanasiga has never played top-flight domestic rugby, and has featured in only seven games in the second-tier Championship. Never mind that Earle has started just four games for Saracens since heading north from New Zealand at the start of the year, and is a long-term investment for the club that Jones is trying to push through.

This is why 1.95m, 108kg 20-year-old Harry Mallinder will loom like a blond clean-shaven Chewbacca alongside the 1.89m, 96kg 24-year-old Henry Slade in a midfield the size of a small planet. Even the relatively small cross-code, cross-hemisphere Denny Solomona comes in at 91kg – but that’s still 1kg less than fly-half Alex Lozowski.

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Of the backs heading to Argentina, George Ford is among the smallest at a mere 84kg. Hell, even scrum-half Jack Maunder is 83kg – and they’re supposed to be small. Danny Care is 85kg, but late training camp surprise call-up Willi Heinz is well into the 90kgs category.

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In Cokanasiga and Earle – and to a lesser extent Mallinder – Jones has opted for youth, neck-injuring size and raw envy-inducing talent. Players to be moulded and polished. He has form for recognising the dazzling qualities of unhewn diamonds. He found, nurtured and delivered unto rugby superstardom none other than George Smith.

Is he hoping to do it again? He’s given himself every opportunity with a squad featuring 15 uncapped players. Many will be cast aside in the months and years ahead of the World Cup in Japan, such is the cruel and uncompromising nature of international rugby. But others will shine bright and make lasting impressions.

But this size thing is surprising. Jones wants a backline of players who are more than 94kg – more than Beauden Barrett, Cory Jane, Nehe Milner-Skudder, a trio of players who, it has to be said, have done OK despite their seeming absence of weight.

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Maybe Eddie has seen something in his crystal ball. It has rained tries in all domestic competitions this season. They’re going white line-mad in Super Rugby, the three European leagues all broke their try-scoring records before the playoffs. But this golden nimble-footed hot-stepping try-frenzy period, too, shall pass.

Defences will catch up. And the first-strike catch-all weapon for any defence is size. Jones is looking World Cup-distances down the line. And he’s betting big for … well … big. We’ll just have to wait and see whether he’s right.

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B
BeamMeUp 20 minutes ago
The Springboks have something you don't have

A few comments. Firstly, I am a Bok fan and it's been a golden period for us. I hope my fellow Bok fans appreciate this time and know that it cannot last forever, so soak it all in!


The other thing to mention (and this is targeted at Welsh, English and even Aussie supporters who might be feeling somewhat dejected) is that it's easy to forget that just before Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, the Boks were ranked 7th in the world and I had given up hope we'd ever be world beaters again.


Sport is a fickle thing and Rassie and his team have managed to get right whatever little things it takes to make a mediocre team great. I initially worried his methods might be short-lived (how many times can you raise a person's commitment by talking about his family and his love of his country as a motivator), but he seems to have found a way. After winning in 2019 on what was a very simple game plan, he has taken things up ever year - amazing work which has to be applauded! (Dankie Rassie! Ons wardeer wat jy vir die ondersteuners en die land doen!) (Google translate if you don't understand Afrikaans! 😁)


I don't think people outside South Africa fully comprehend the enormity of the impact seeing black and white, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa and all the other hues playing together does for the country's sense of unity. It's pure joy and happiness.


This autumn tour has been a bit frustrating in that the Boks have won, but never all that convincingly. On the one hand, I'd like to have seen more decisive victories, BUT what Rassie has done is expose a huge number of players to test rugby, whilst also diversifying the way the Boks play (Tony Brown's influence).


This change of both style and personnel has resulted in a lack of cohesion at times and we've lost some of the control, whereas had we been playing our more traditional style, that wouldn't happen. This is partially attributable to the fact that you cannot play Tony Brown's expansive game whilst also having 3 players available at every contact point to clear the defence off the ball. I have enjoyed seeing the Boks play a more exciting, less attritional game, which is a boring, albeit effective spectacle. So, I am happy to be patient, because the end justifies the means (and I trust Rassie!). Hopefully all these players we are blooding will give us incredible options for substitutions come next year's Rugby Championship and of course, the big prize in 2027.


Last point! The game of rugby has never been as exciting as it is now. Any of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Argentina, Scotland, England & Australia can beat one another. South Africa may be ranked #1, but I wouldn't bet my house in them beating France or New Zealand, and we saw Argentina beating both South Africa and New Zealand this year! That's wonderful for the game and makes the victories we do get all the sweeter. Each win is 100% earned. Long may it last!


Sorry for the long post! 🏉🌍

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