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England have missed an opportunity to lead on player welfare by recalling Tom Curry.
The flanker was knocked unconscious and taken off in the defeat by Australia. It was a hugely worrying collision between Curry and Rob Valetini of the Wallabies.
Curry is no stranger to head injuries and I just wonder about the need for him to be playing against Japan on Sunday. Curry suffered his fifth concussion in two years on club duty in September.
In 2022, he flew home from the tour of Australia because of the impact of head injuries. There is no way Curry would be playing against Japan if he had not passed all the return-to-play protocols and been given the green light by England’s medical team. But for me, it’s not all about the science. The data will show Curry is fit to play.
However, it seems quite clear Curry’s susceptibility to head injuries is a major concern.
As a senior England international and British & Irish Lion, Steve Borthwick isn’t going to learn much – if anything – that he doesn’t already know about Curry this weekend.
Tom Curry was knocked out against Australia two weeks ago but will start against Japan
It’s hard to know what Steve Borthwick will learn from playing Curry this weekend
Asher Opoku-Fordjour making the matchday squad is a positive, but he should be starting
Why not give him another week off, let him recover, and allow him to ensure he’s fully fit to return for Sale in Europe? That, to me, would have been the best approach.
Clearly, Borthwick knows he has to win against Japan after three straight autumn defeats and a winless run of five games in total.
That is why he has picked what he thinks is his strongest side and Borthwick clearly thinks Curry is in that. Fair enough. But this is Japan. England will win, with or without Curry. So, is it really worth it?
I’m not sure it is. When I saw the England team for Japan, I was a bit underwhelmed. I’d have liked to have seen a few more new faces given a chance.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t advocating wholesale changes. I’m excited to see Asher Opoku-Fordjour on the bench. But why not give him a start – and any other new faces – in this game given the calibre of the opposition? Japan aren’t the threat they once were, so it’s a perfect opportunity to see what the next generation have got. That hasn’t happened.
It’s a shame because the RFU keep talking about the incredible talent England have coming through, leading with those Under 20 players who won the junior World Cup in the summer.
We’ve seen some of those guys in action in the Premiership, so let’s see them take that next step.
One thing I would say about the England team is that I’d like to praise Marcus Smith. I’m delighted he seems to have stamped his mark on the No 10 shirt.
Marcus Smith has had an excellent Autumn and established himself as England’s No10
Smith has had a brilliant autumn. He shouldn’t have been taken off against New Zealand and he can be pleased with his work in the Australia and South Africa games, even if he couldn’t drive the team to success. Looking at the autumn as a whole and with next summer’s Lions series in mind, I’m not sure many British players have really stood out.
But Smith is certainly one. His attacking play has been excellent. We already knew that was his area of expertise. But Smith’s game management and kicking has also been very good.
He is now the heartbeat of the side and a certainty to tour Australia with the Lions. Smith will finally end up on a winning England team on Sunday, barring a disaster.
To be honest, the prospect of a home defeat is unthinkable. That won’t happen because, unfortunately, Japan have gone backwards badly since the 2019 World Cup where they were brilliant to watch. The global game needs a strong Japan.
