LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'The strength of England's spine will determine defining weeks for Borthwick's regime'

The world game can faff and fiddle with laws – 20-minute red cards, cue yet more confusion and discord, not to mention a raised eyebrow for those who are striving to get the low-tackle message across – but there are certain fundamentals which do not change. You may wish to speed up the game (often for no good reason) but no matter how much a team leans towards a Harlem Globetrotters basketball approach it will never win anything unless it has a backbone.

If there is one thing you cannot accuse Steve Borthwick of it is a neglect of the basics. England may well have been fine-tuning their attacking ploys at their training camp in Girona but the steely Borthwick-focus will be twitching as he considers the key element in his selection plans for the high-octane (and damn expensive) November opener against New Zealand – the spine of the team.

The spine, the backbone, the core, the chain of command running through from hooker to No 8 and into the half-backs, capped by the rear-field general at full-back.

The spine of a team has always been its essence, the driving force, the tone-setter, the tilters on the tiller, the last line of defence, the identity-shaper. Let me give you: Jeff Young, Mervyn Davies, Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett, JPR Williams or Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke, Justin Marshall, Andrew Mehrtens and Christian Cullen. South Africa have plenty to offer: what about John Smit, Danie Rossouw, Fourie du Preez, Butch James and Percy Montgomery. Or, more recent vintage – Dan Sheehan, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, Johnny Sexton, Hugo Keenan. Take your pick. A piece of advice. Cut to the chase and focus on teams which have won titles.

Of course, a Jonah Lomu on the wing is always useful but the point remains. England have yet to bed in the spine of their team. That’s why they are no more than middling at the moment. It’s one good reason also why Jamie George has been given the captaincy for the series. George may lack the punch these days of his Saracens compatriot, Theo Dan, but the England captain has a presence, an intellect, a sense of ‘combat’ in him that both steadies as well as fires a team.

England do not yet have a settled number eight. As fine as player as Ben Earl is and impressive as his output has been there is a nagging sense he is an openside flanker who has been doing a magnificent job in the middle of the back-row.

The modern trend for data-driven analysis is all very well but a measuring tape tells you nothing about a player’s heart and soul, about his charismatic effect on others. And rugby is as much a game of heart and soul as it is of muscle and bone. George at hooker it is then, at the very least until this England show they have a real sense of themselves, not just in the way that they play but more so in the way in which they carry themselves. Maybe then they might become more proficient at closing out games. World Cup semi-finals, summer tests in New Zealand – this November would be a good time to correct those deficiencies, to make themselves a winning outfit rather than mere promising performers.

England do not yet have a settled No 8. As fine as player as Ben Earl is and impressive as his output has been there is a nagging sense he is an openside flanker who has been doing a magnificent job in the middle of the back-row rather than being a surefire No 8 pick in the manner of a Lawrence Dallaglio or Gregory Alldritt or Kieran Read or a Billy Vunipola of vintage years, ditto Duane Vermeulen. That is not Earl’s fault and if he continues in the splendid way in which he is operating then all might still be good in England’s world. But Earl at eight shapes who plays either side of him.

It’s baffling why Earl’s Saracens teammate, Tom Willis, was not picked for this squad. Willis has been the standout performer in the Premiership. Borthwick has put his faith in Alex Dombrandt to deliver and while there is much to admire about the Harlequin’s awareness of space and opportunity he has not yet done enough to convince he ought to be a nailed-on choice in that pivotal eight role for England in the manner Dallaglio once was. If Earl starts, an Ollie Chessum or Chandler Cunningham-South needs to be alongside him.

On to the hinge of the spine – the half-backs. Scrum-half is an area of concern for England now Northampton’s Alex Mitchell has been ruled out through injury. England lack depth and proven international contenders. Mitchell, through the energy and intelligence of his play, had made the nine shirt his to lose. None of the three candidates to fill that slot – Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet – has made an overwhelming case for inclusion in that they might offer the perfect all-round package.

Spencer brings control, Randall zippiness and Van Poortvliet a mix of the two on his best days. Spencer is a safer-looking option to launch England’s campaign although if they do decide to go for broke in the manner of Pat Lam’s Bristol then Randall is the man. It’s a tricky choice. Randall certainly catches the eye as Faf de Klerk used to do on a regular basis for the Springboks: small but busy, compact and a bloomin’ nuisance.

Ford, for me, should be very much in the conversation as to who wears the 10 shirt. But not for now. Marcus Smith is in pole position and deservedly so.

The fly-half mantle lies with the Smiths, Marcus and Fin. It looks as if George Ford is very much on the way to full recovery but will not pass muster in time for the All Blacks. Ford must be one of the most under-appreciated international players of the past decade. He has long lived in the shadow of his school-days mate, Owen Farrell, notwithstanding the times Farrell used to switch infield to 12 to accommodate Ford. There is a cleverness to Ford’s game which is hard to ignore, a mastery of the basics and an ability to read the runes of a match, to see which way the play is unfolding and react accordingly. Ford, for me, should be very much in the conversation as to who wears the 10 shirt.

But not for now. Marcus Smith is in pole position and deservedly so. The Harlequin has been speaking about his kicking woes against the All Blacks in Dunedin in the summer, a positive sign given he is prepared a la Wilkinson to never rest easy. His goal-kicking stats are fine. This is a key juncture for Smith, the chance to prove rather than merely show he has what it takes to lead the line. Fin Smith will keep him honest, that’s for sure.

Finally, to full-back, and there is no reason to deny George Furbank the starting shirt. Freddie Steward has many solid credentials but he lacks the sheer pace and penetrative ability of the Northampton man.

Borthwick has plenty to ponder over the coming days, also crossing fingers Henry Slade’s return to Exeter yields the desired pay in that the outside centre is declared fit to marshal England’s defence. This is a defining few weeks for this regime, an opportunity to show what they are made of. At the very least the Twickenham faithful will expect to see grit and drive and purpose. The spine of the side will determine whether that comes to pass.