The Rugby Debate: Winning does not matter - England should rest their top stars in South Africa

Let Anthony Watson's Achilles injury be a lesson. The Bath and England full-back is out for the rest of the season following England's defeat to Ireland.

Given the rate of attrition for England's British and Irish Lions since last summer's tour, Watson may not be the last either.

Elliot Daly and Maro Itoje have already missed time in 2017/2018 with knee and jaw injuries, and it's fair to ask how much more Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola and Jamie George have left in the tank.

Which leaves England head coach Eddie Jones facing a conundrum: does he leave his top players at home to recuperate with an eye on next year, or try instill confidence back into the recent double Six Nations winners by going all out for a 3-0 series win in South Africa?

The answer is actually simple. Think about player welfare and leave the top England stars at home.

To start with, this series against South Africa is an odd prospect. Six years ago against the Springboks, in Stuart Lancaster's first summer tour, England lost two and drew the final Test while handing first caps to Joe Marler and Jonathan Joseph. 

That South Africa side were a far better group than the current crop - Eben Etzebeth also made his debut in that 2012 series - and while the Springboks are expected to improve significantly under Rassie Erasmus there is no guarantee of that happening instantaneously.

South Africa's best Super Rugby franchise, the Lions, may top the standings but are going through the smallest of blips having lost to the Blues and been pushed hard by Japanese franchise the Sunwolves. And it would not be a stretch to suggest that mid-tablers the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls are still very much in development.

Factor in that the opening Test at Ellis Park will be South Africa's second game under a new coach, with overseas players parachuted back in and the Springboks playing just one warm-up fixture overseas in the United States, and it is England who hold most if not all of the cards, bar having to play Tests one and two at altitude.

That opens up the possibility for England to experiment with an eye on the long-term benefits, while still being fully capable of picking up a first Test win in South Africa since 2000 and also winning the series; assuming England can rediscover their bite upfront with some fresh legs.

Manu Tuilagi should be involved, if he comes through the rest of the season unscathed with Leicester, as should a number of players capped in Argentina last summer who have barely been seen since: Henry Slade, Mark Wilson, Tom (and Ben) Curry, Alex Lozowski, Denny Solomona, Don Armand, Jack Maunder, Will Collier and Nick Isiekwe.

Other players on the outside need to be tested at the top level too in order to find out what they are made of: Dan Robson, Jack Willis (both Wasps), Zach Mercer (Bath), James Chisholm (Harlequins). 

The time has come for a first cap for Marcus Smith as well if Owen Farrell (rightly) stays at home, perhaps also recent apprentices Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins) and Sam Moore (Sale).

The back row especially needs a fresh take given that Wilson, both Curry brothers, Armand, Willis, Mercer, Chisholm are stuck in log jam behind Chris Robshaw and James Haskell.

So much of England's Six Nations campaign felt turgid and uninspired due to tired legs and brains, so shake things up a bit. If November marks the start of the gauntlet towards the Rugby World Cup, then South Africa is the last chance to throw caution to the wind.

Ireland last summer unearthed key players in James Ryan and Jacob Stockdale, who are now both Grand Slam winners at 21. One year later there is potential for England to do the same.