Six Nations 2016: If Eddie Jones really wants to sort out England's back row, he should just ask Nick Easter
Nick Easter knows his onions and is always happy to talk about them when it comes to who should play in back row against Scotland in Six Nations opener
When it comes to back-row play, Nick Easter
knows his onions and is always happy to talk about them, so when it
comes to his passing judgment on team-mate Jack Clifford, it is probably
best to sit up and take some notice.
Clifford is the 22-year-old Harlequins’ back-rower being touted as
England’s answer to their No 7 conundrum, even though he does not always
play there for his club and indeed is on the bench for their match at
Worcester.
Easter, who is still one
of the most effective No 8s in the Aviva Premiership at the age of 37,
believes that Clifford’s best position is not on the openside and that
he is much better suited to No 8 or blindside flanker, where his
powerful and pacy ball carrying can be best utilised.
“I think he is more of a six or eight,” Easter says. “Those would be
his stronger positions, probably a six. He is such a good ball carrier.”
But this is not to say that he is
ruling Clifford out of a possible call-up from Eddie Jones to the white
seven jersey very soon.
Easter sees Jack Clifford as a better six than seven
“He’s a talented boy, he has a good head on his shoulders and is willing to learn, not getting ahead of himself,” he said. “But it is how the balance of the back five is. People talk about the balance of the back row but I think the balance of the whole back five can contribute to that, in terms of how much grunt you have got there, how many ball carriers, how many line-out options, all that sort of stuff, plus your ability on the ground, which most players have got to be pretty capable at these days anyway.”
• Sir Ian McGeechan on what will happen in 2016 Six Nations
There is another team-mate, Chris Robshaw, who, we should all remember, is still England’s captain until informed otherwise, to consider as well. But it appears he is only being considered as a six now, rather than as a seven. “I don’t think it makes much difference what number he has on his back because he will do the same job, he will always have a lot of involvement and will always be effective in making his decisions,” Easter says. “He’s been fine since he came back from the World Cup. He has just been getting on with it. That’s all you can do as a player: stick on the shirt every week and play as well as you can and try to get in the squad.”
And then last weekend, in a 39-39 thriller in the Big Game at Twickenham, Quins came up against another much-proposed candidate for the England seven jersey in Gloucester’s Matt Kvesic.
Matt Kvesic has put his hand up for the England No 7 shirt
“He played well,” says Easter. “He is strong over the ball, we have always known that.” And he caused Quins all manner of problems at the breakdown, even if there was some contention over the legality of his work. “He got his timing right on a few occasions,” Easter says. “That is what it is about playing seven, pushing the boundaries of the referee and the laws.”
So who should wear seven against Scotland in February? “There has been a lot of talk but you only know when you throw these guys in,” Easter said. “England now have quite a good base going forward in the experience that has been garnered in the last four years.
“They have a number of guys in the pack who have been around a long time so you can now throw certain guys like Matt or Jack Clifford, or maybe also Will Fraser from Saracens, in and see how they go, and you are not really throwing them to the lions because they will have experienced international heads around them. You say to them, 'Right, put on the white shirt and do exactly the same as you do for your club, and we will see where you are.’”
We can be fairly certain Easter will not be one of those experienced heads around the tyro, though, even if he did make a remarkable return to England colours last year, winning seven caps he never dreamed of winning, having not played since the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when he was summoned on as a replacement in the Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.
Easter made a remarkable return to England colours last year
He even scored a hat-trick of tries on what will probably be his last appearance, against Uruguay in the World Cup, after being called into the squad for the last two weeks of the tournament.
“I will always be available, but most of my days are behind me now, I think it is fair to say,” he admits. “I’m enjoying it for Quins, I always do. Every time I go out here I just want to get as much involvement as possible, whether we have got the ball or not got the ball. I have a diehard edge to win every game as well.”
Easter has previously criticised England’s change of tack at the World Cup, and he reiterates the point here. “It was always going to be tough in that group but the Wales game was the key one and you look back at it and the selection and style of play definitely did change,” he says. “The pressure certainly did get to them [the management], we should have just have finished where we left off in the Six Nations in my view.
“Regardless of that, though, against Wales we should have been further ahead after 65 minutes. Fair play to Wales, because they were ravaged by injury and their experienced guys stood up, they got a try and suddenly the momentum was with them. But it comes down to those moments in a World Cup, to be able to win in any situation.”
It is the same in the Premiership, and Quins, despite being much improved, especially in terms of a harder edge up front, and being fourth in the table, have let slip a few opportunities this season, not least last Sunday. “We were our own worst enemy again against Gloucester, as we have been for most of the season,” Easter says. “We just let them score too easily and that is something that needs to be ironed out. But we are reasonably happy about where we are. A few games have got away from us, but as well as our threats out wide, we did a lot of work on our scrum and maul in pre-season.
“Every top team has a very strong set-piece – you can’t get away from that – and last year ours wasn’t very good. That allied to some top-quality signings and I think we have got our mojo back.” Easter never lost his. He just keeps on churning out consistent performances, as he doubtless will again at Worcester this afternoon.
Easter sees Jack Clifford as a better six than seven“He’s a talented boy, he has a good head on his shoulders and is willing to learn, not getting ahead of himself,” he said. “But it is how the balance of the back five is. People talk about the balance of the back row but I think the balance of the whole back five can contribute to that, in terms of how much grunt you have got there, how many ball carriers, how many line-out options, all that sort of stuff, plus your ability on the ground, which most players have got to be pretty capable at these days anyway.”
• Sir Ian McGeechan on what will happen in 2016 Six Nations
There is another team-mate, Chris Robshaw, who, we should all remember, is still England’s captain until informed otherwise, to consider as well. But it appears he is only being considered as a six now, rather than as a seven. “I don’t think it makes much difference what number he has on his back because he will do the same job, he will always have a lot of involvement and will always be effective in making his decisions,” Easter says. “He’s been fine since he came back from the World Cup. He has just been getting on with it. That’s all you can do as a player: stick on the shirt every week and play as well as you can and try to get in the squad.”
And then last weekend, in a 39-39 thriller in the Big Game at Twickenham, Quins came up against another much-proposed candidate for the England seven jersey in Gloucester’s Matt Kvesic.
Matt Kvesic has put his hand up for the England No 7 shirt“He played well,” says Easter. “He is strong over the ball, we have always known that.” And he caused Quins all manner of problems at the breakdown, even if there was some contention over the legality of his work. “He got his timing right on a few occasions,” Easter says. “That is what it is about playing seven, pushing the boundaries of the referee and the laws.”
So who should wear seven against Scotland in February? “There has been a lot of talk but you only know when you throw these guys in,” Easter said. “England now have quite a good base going forward in the experience that has been garnered in the last four years.
“They have a number of guys in the pack who have been around a long time so you can now throw certain guys like Matt or Jack Clifford, or maybe also Will Fraser from Saracens, in and see how they go, and you are not really throwing them to the lions because they will have experienced international heads around them. You say to them, 'Right, put on the white shirt and do exactly the same as you do for your club, and we will see where you are.’”
We can be fairly certain Easter will not be one of those experienced heads around the tyro, though, even if he did make a remarkable return to England colours last year, winning seven caps he never dreamed of winning, having not played since the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when he was summoned on as a replacement in the Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.
Easter made a remarkable return to England colours last yearHe even scored a hat-trick of tries on what will probably be his last appearance, against Uruguay in the World Cup, after being called into the squad for the last two weeks of the tournament.
“I will always be available, but most of my days are behind me now, I think it is fair to say,” he admits. “I’m enjoying it for Quins, I always do. Every time I go out here I just want to get as much involvement as possible, whether we have got the ball or not got the ball. I have a diehard edge to win every game as well.”
Easter has previously criticised England’s change of tack at the World Cup, and he reiterates the point here. “It was always going to be tough in that group but the Wales game was the key one and you look back at it and the selection and style of play definitely did change,” he says. “The pressure certainly did get to them [the management], we should have just have finished where we left off in the Six Nations in my view.
“Regardless of that, though, against Wales we should have been further ahead after 65 minutes. Fair play to Wales, because they were ravaged by injury and their experienced guys stood up, they got a try and suddenly the momentum was with them. But it comes down to those moments in a World Cup, to be able to win in any situation.”
It is the same in the Premiership, and Quins, despite being much improved, especially in terms of a harder edge up front, and being fourth in the table, have let slip a few opportunities this season, not least last Sunday. “We were our own worst enemy again against Gloucester, as we have been for most of the season,” Easter says. “We just let them score too easily and that is something that needs to be ironed out. But we are reasonably happy about where we are. A few games have got away from us, but as well as our threats out wide, we did a lot of work on our scrum and maul in pre-season.
“Every top team has a very strong set-piece – you can’t get away from that – and last year ours wasn’t very good. That allied to some top-quality signings and I think we have got our mojo back.” Easter never lost his. He just keeps on churning out consistent performances, as he doubtless will again at Worcester this afternoon.
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