New-Look England

Stuart Lancaster has bravely named an inexperienced, new-look Elite Player Squad ahead of the 2012 Six Nations tournament. The caretaker manager has included nine uncapped players in the squad including exciting talent Owen Farrell who is in a battle with his Saracens team-mate Charlie Hodgson for the number ten shirt when the competition kicks off in February. The eight other uncapped players are Calum Clark, Lee Dickson, Phil Dowson (all Northampton Saints), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Jordan Turner-Hall, Joe Marler (both Harlequins), Rob Webber (Wasps) and Ben Morgan (Scarlets).

Following England’s shambolic showing and the world rugby showpiece last summer, there has been a huge player fallout, which was expected as well as needed. Many selection issues have been taken out of Lancaster’s hands with Steve Thompson and Jonny Wilkinson calling time on their international careers. Add to this a host of players such as Toby Flood, Manu Tuilagi, Courtney Lawes and Andrew Sheridan but to name a few being ruled out for at least the opening game at Murrayfield and it’s obvious that changes were imminent. Mike Tindall, Mark Cueto, Nick Easter, Shontayne Hape and Riki Flutey all drop out of the squad to make way for a fresh batch of internationals.

Refreshingly, the selection committee haven’t been afraid to call upon form players despite their lack of experience, or indeed in cases such as Charlie Hodgson, in spite of their experience. The amount of uncapped players involved speaks volumes of England’s future as they look to put the disappointment of the World Cup behind them. It shows that the management may have finally realised that picking players that are playing well for their clubs may result in that form being replicated on the international stage.

With only Graham Rowntree remaining from the old boys club that have lingered around Twickenham since 2003, it finally looks as though they’re moving forward. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the old guard chipping in with their ancient opinions. Lawrence Dallaglio has taken time out from his busy schedule of bolognaise making to weigh in with his views.

When asked about the inclusion of Scarlets’ phenomenon Ben Morgan, he said,

"No, you need some experience in the squad first.

"The lad needs to experience the culture and the environment.

The 2003 World Cup winner then went on to say,

"Owen Farrell is playing well and England have got some interesting selections at 10.

"Jonny Wilkinson has retired, Toby Flood looks like he might be injured. Do you think putting Owen Farrell in against Scotland away is a fair baptism? I think Stuart Lancaster might look to the likes of Charlie Hodgson.

"I'd certainly have Farrell in the squad, he is definitely an England number 10 or 12 of the future. I remember Jonny Wilkinson coming into the England team and he made his debut on the wing at home, he didn't make his debut at 10 away from home."

This is exactly the sort of prehistoric, dinosaur-like mentality England have to rid themselves of. Just because a player has experience doesn’t necessarily make him a better candidate than someone without. Wales lead the way in this field at the moment by playing the players that are performing consistently for their regions. Warren Gatland has shown this by handing leading roles to the likes of Toby Faletau, Rhys Priestland, George North & Sam Warburton. In doing so, he’s not been afraid to cast aside tried and tested internationals such as Lee Byrne, Stephen Jones, Jon Thomas and Martyn Williams. These young players coming through have made world rugby stand up take notice of their performances, least of all their neighbours from over the bridge.

Now that Martin Johnson has left, taking with him the mindset of “this worked in 2003, so it must be right”, England can begin to look forward to an exciting period. Stuart Lancaster has said all the right things surrounding his selections,

"We've picked a side which is exciting, talented and committed to get us back to where we want to be - at the top of the game.

"I've spoken to those not selected and told them the door is not closed.

"But I want to use this Six Nations as an opportunity to develop the next players in those positions and develop a leadership group that is strong and wants to be the best.

"We think it's a tremendous opportunity to build a squad that has potential for now and for the future.

"They have been on the cusp of it for a while. Now they deserve their chance after proving themselves in big games for their clubs."

Not many England supporters will be overly confident going into the tournament, but we all know how important momentum is during the competition. If they can return from Scotland with a win, they then face the Italians in Rome, a team which they have never lost to; before a homecoming at Twickenham against the Welsh. If they can go into that game with two wins under their belts, anything is possible.

Now that he has retired and can not inflict any further damage upon any team he comes across, it's safe to say that for the rugby neutral, it's a great shame that Jonny Wilkinson will never grace the six nations again. His legacy for England is immeasurable, but for everyone else in the competition, they can breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief. But even without the great man, England certainly have the potential to be an exciting rugby team that achieves results at the same time. Hopefully, under the guidance of Stuart Lancaster who has absolutely nothing to lose, we’ll see the best they have to offer.