England star Ben Earl believes the back-row and centres are more aligned than ever, as noise gets louder over a potential start at 12 this November.
The British and Irish Lions tourist, who won the Player of the Match award for his efforts in England’s 25-7 win over the Wallabies last weekend, has seen his name increasingly thrown into the mix over a possible positional switch in recent weeks, with England regularly deploying a 6/2 split.
Earl has previously shifted into midfield in the latter stages for England, but is yet to start a Test match with either 12 or 13 on his back at the time of writing.
‘We have got a lot of boys now who could do a good job anywhere’
He isn’t the only one tipped to feature in the backline sooner rather than later, either. Henry Pollock was namechecked as a possible option to cover wing if needed, while Guy Pepper was also understood to have been involved in the backs unit training last week as well.
“It’s a massive strength of our squad,” said Earl.
“We have got a lot of boys who could do a good job anywhere. Henry (Pollock) could do a very good job on the wing; Ted Hill (who is currently injured) was very fast when he was here.
“A good game as a 12, 13 or a back-row, it’s scary how aligned they are. The best 12s, sevens and eights almost have the same skill-sets. It is going to become the norm.”
As the back-rower suggests, the positions are becoming more and more aligned and he is leading the way on that front. Earl once again dominated for England ball-in-hand prior to his departure from the field in that win over the Wallabies, leading the way for both carries (12) and metres (77) before his exit, while also beating four defenders and making one line break.
Those stats alone prove he could easily make the jump into the backline if needed, but it’s where he made those carries that matter most. Alongside some steely carries in the tight, Earl is often used as England’s main strike runner in broken field, similar to how many 12s are utilised, where he can put his pace and power to good use.
Around that, he is also now following up alongside wingers to make the most of the kicking strategy, notably scoring England’s first try as a direct result of that.
‘If I were to play 12…’
However, despite having all the skills to succeed in midfield should he make the move, Earl also aired the need to still stick by your ‘super strengths’ in that new position.
“If I were to play 12, Steve (Borthwick) would want me to be myself and bring what I can bring.
“The moment you start losing your self-identity and try to shoehorn yourself into a new role, you lose what you bring.
“England’s big thing for as long as I have been involved is bring your super strength. Bring what you can do and see where that gets you.”