England team analysis: Eddie Jones delivers on promise of aggression with powerful picks

A fascinating series begins with a bold England selection as Eddie Jones picks returning veterans and three uncapped players in his squad for the first Test against Australia.

It is certainly a team that will tell us about how World Cup preparations are shaping up. Strap in. Here are three strategic strands to watch out for.

Cokanasiga embodies kick-return aggression

Jones has been known to be creative with stats – and even with some facts – during press conferences. It is often worth double-checking his throwaway statements.

Last week, the 62-year-old suggested that Australia have tended to keep kicks in-field over recent years in order to restrict England’s number of line-outs. Well, the figures corroborate that claim.

England’s average number of throws per match against the Wallabies since 2016 sits at 10.4. According to Opta, that metric is only lower against two opponents. One is Japan (8), from the small sample size of a sole meeting at Twickenham in 2018.

The other is Wales (9), and we know they have a bespoke strategy designed to deny England a line-out platform and stifle them with steely phase defence. Jones is clearly expecting a similar ploy from Australia.

This places greater onus on kick-returns as a means of instigating attacks – and this is an England team ready to launch.

Freddie Steward is superb under contestable high balls to secure possession in the first place. Billy Vunipola will patrol the back-field, too.

Many of his touches in a mammoth Premiership final performance came from opposition clearances. Here, he puts Max Malins into space with an unfussy offload:

Joe Cokanasiga and Jack Nowell provide more power. Jones wants England to be aggressive on the first three phases after gathering the ball and wings will have licence to roam.

This was an intriguing and encouraging moment from the Barbarians match. Two phases after running back a kick himself, Cokanasiga offers himself at first-receiver:

Acting like a ninth forward, he stands flat, fixes defenders and lifts a deft tip-on pass that sends Jack Walker over the gain-line:

The speed of England’s reorganisation following kick-returns will determine how much and how often they are able to trouble Australia. This is where Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell come in.

Playmakers reunited

One headline selection sees Smith and Farrell reconvene for a second Test start together. The first, which came in a victory over Australia seven months ago, produced enough promise to persevere with what could become a potent partnership.

Steward’s try in that game encapsulated how their respective strengths can dovetail. With Smith caught in a ruck, Farrell steps up at first-receiver.

In a tidy-looking attack, Kyle Sinckler and Maro Itoje cut tight lines as Smith arcs around towards the near touchline:

Farrell is at first receiver again for the next phase, but pulls the ball behind the flat runner this time. Behind Bevan Rodd, Smith has room to attract opponents to manipulate the defensive line and manufacture space for Steward:

This angle illustrates why Jones is so eager to get Smith into a second wave, and how Farrell is the man to help with that. The pair begin close together…

…before Smith emerges with runners around him and picks the right pass:

What strikes you is how well controlled and accurate this looks.

Farrell has not started a match at inside centre for Saracens since October 2015, when he teamed up with Charlie Hodgson for a 17-15 win over Gloucester at Kingsholm.

However, he did slip there two months ago for the second half of the Challenge Cup tie against Cardiff when Manu Vunipola replaced Duncan Taylor. This carry gives Saracens quick ball from a scrum…

…and Farrell releases Malins from a much deeper position a few phases later:

Expect Farrell and Smith to adopt this shape from first-phase strikes, with Joe Marchant carving from out to in:

England will aim to create Smith space at second receiver during phase-play. Australia, meanwhile, will be hunting him.

Here, from the Barbarians thrashing, is an example of how fluency can be lost if organisation is not sharp.

Mark Atkinson stands flat at first receiver among forwards, with Smith and Cokanasiga striving to arc around into a second wave. Levani Botia shoots up in a bid to derail the attack:

Although Smith releases an inside pass to Cokanasiga, England lose all momentum:

Now imagine Farrell keeping the defence honest with bruising first-wave runners like Ellis Genge and Billy Vunipola while Smith and Cokanasiga lurk in a second wave.

Pace the priority as apprentice unleashed

Jones has resisted any urge to shift his skipper, Courtney Lawes, to lock. Jonny Hill’s presence gives England scrummaging and mauling heft, with Billy Vunipola and Cokanasiga bringing brawn in the absence of Manu Tuilagi.

Other selections prioritise speed. Danny Care starts at scrum-half and Jack van Poortvliet usurps Harry Randall to deputise from the bench. Van Poortvliet is quick between rucks and is an assured kicker – you would expect nothing less from a Leicester Tiger.

The Premiership champions are also represented among the replacements by Joe Heyes and Ollie Chessum. Both are mobile and tough. Indeed, Jones is leaning on the coaching of Steve Borthwick and the capacity of his former lieutenant to prime youngsters for the Test area. Why would you pass that up?

Lewis Ludlam has a chance to build on his promising display at Murrayfield earlier this year. Perhaps the Northampton Saint’s versatility and carrying tenacity ousted Sam Underhill and Jack Willis.

Guy Porter, yet another Tiger, is a punchy centre capable of slotting in at 13 – outside Smith and Farrell – or at 12. It will be interesting to see whether Jones is willing to give Smith a run without Farrell at any stage.

Lawes keeping the captaincy would make that more likely. Porter also offers England the option of solidifying their midfield if Samu Kerevi and Len Ikitau are causing issues.

Luke Cowan-Dickie and Mako Vunipola will be champing at the bit and, at the other end of the experience scale, Henry Arundell sheds the apprentice asterisk.

Jones vowed that the London Irish tyro would earn a shot if he impressed in training and that has clearly transcribed. Being promoted ahead of Tommy Freeman is a huge compliment.

Sheer speed is Arundell’s unique selling point and the England head coach was in the stands to watch a game-changing cameo earlier this season against Wasps. Porter is there for a more conservative wing option.

Jones promised aggression. He has been true to his word.