Steve McNamara has released his squad for Saturday’s huge semi-final against New Zealand at Wembley and those expecting more of the same were in for a massive shock.
Is it that Wigan Warriors hooker Michael McIlorum was left out? He hasn’t really grabbed the chance given to him in these last two games so the fact he is dropped is no surprise.
Is it the recall for Carl Ablett? Possibly, as nobody seems to be sure what he brings to the team.
The real shock is the exclusion of Salford Red Devils-bound half-back Rangi Chase, a man who McNamara has largely kept faith with over the years despite some sub-par performances.
With that in mind, the decision to drop him when he is playing arguably his best rugby in an England shirt seems even more baffling.
I understand McNamara wants to use his whole squad and make sure everyone gets a game, but surely the time for that is over now?
England have done plenty of experimenting with their line-ups throughout the tournament, but Chase has been one of the constants so why change now?
Let me put it this way: England last played New Zealand back in 2011 at the KC Stadium in Hull. I was at the game and Chase, who had only just switched allegiance from New Zealand to England, was outstanding, despite Isaac Luke’s admitted attempt to break his leg.
He seems to thrive on big occasions and can create something out of nothing. Against Fiji, when it looked like England were running out of ideas, Chase took the game by the scruff of the neck and flexed his creative muscles to see us home.
He does divide opinion amongst the fans and he can be a bit of a passenger when he doesn’t “fancy it”, but it is still a hugely bold call to leave him out.
Luckily, in Gareth Widdop, we have strength in reserve.
The Halifax-born playmaker has played his whole career in the NRL and will switch from the Melbourne Storm to St George Illawarra for 2014.
He is a technically sound, elegant half-back who does the simple things very well, and maybe that’s why McNamara has picked him, as a “safe pair of hands” so to speak.
I have thought for a long time that Widdop is too good to leave out and I’m disappointed he hasn’t had more game time, but Chase has played well and Kevin Sinfield appears to be bulletproof.
He has waited patiently on the sidelines, but now is his time to shine.
Rob Burrow could also come in, but he is likely to be used at hooker at some point after his outstanding display against Fiji.
Whoever plays, they will have to be absolutely on their game to win.
We can’t afford to drop the ball in our own half as often as we did against France because Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran will control the game and make it extremely difficult for us.
We also need to get more men into the tackle more often to stop the quick play-the-ball, otherwise Isaac Luke will run amok.
Our own forwards, who have been excellent in the tournament so far, also need to set the tone by running and hitting hard. If we lose the battle in the pack, we will more than likely lose the match.
We need to be patient, do the basics right, complete our sets and build pressure. It sounds simple but if we do that, their big forwards will tire and players like Sam Tomkins will become more and more influential.
One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a cracker! If you’ve managed to swerve this Christmas shopping on Saturday, make sure you are sat in front of BBC One at 1 o’clock, you definitely do not want to miss this!
Image courtesy of UKRugbyLeague via Youtube, with thanks.
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