When Tommy Freeman was selected in the centres this week, Steve Borthwick asked him to stand up in front of the team and perform a rap.
It is one of his party tricks. His Northampton team-mates fondly know England’s try-scoring machine as ‘MC Freemo’.
The subject for his questionable musical interlude was the collision zone. Of all the players who have carried the ball more than 15 times in this year’s Six Nations, only France hooker Peato Mauvaka has been more effective at getting over the gain-line.
Freeman’s explosiveness is one of the primary reasons Borthwick has switched him from the wing to the No 13 jersey. Covering for the injured Ollie Lawrence, it is a blow for specialist Henry Slade, whose silky skills have been dropped altogether. And an indication of what England want from their midfield.
The shift will move Freeman closer to the action. Warren Gatland moved George North into the centres for Wales and this selection change is a similar power play for the Six Nations finale.
‘We’ve been looking at Tommy as a possible centre for a good period of time,’ said Borthwick. ‘There is no doubt we need to build depth at centre. We need to build options. I feel that now is the right time to build options as we look ahead.
Tommy Freeman’s explosiveness is one of the primary reasons Borthwick has switched him from the wing to the No 13 jersey
He has scored in all four rounds of the Six Nations so far and can become the first Englishman to do it in all five
Rapping is one of his party tricks and his Northampton team-mates fondly know England’s try-scoring machine as ‘MC Freemo’
‘With the athleticism Tommy has, the ground he covers and the power he brings in the carry, he has always been that option.’
Northampton first deployed Freeman in the centres for a pre-season game against Cambridge in 2023. Injuries to Rory Hutchinson and Burger Odendaal resulted in him having an extended run in the midfield, culminating in last season’s Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster. The goal was for him to touch the ball as much as possible.
‘Tommy’s so good at reading the game that he finds where he needs to be and scores tries,’ said Northampton coach Sam Vesty.
‘He scores in a myriad of ways, whether that’s boshing his way over, catching high balls, beating people. He’s got all the skills to get over the line and more importantly he understands how to get his hands on the ball.
‘He’s not your stand-on-the-wing-and-wait-for-the-ball-to-come-to-you type of winger. He gets touches across the whole of the pitch. He passes, he kicks. He can do it all, he has the total game.
‘The way his game is growing – bringing a more physical nature, defending better – he’s developing the skills where he can absolutely thrive at 13. When you put a guy with all those skills in the centres then wow, that can add a new dimension to your attack.’
In his new role, Freeman will have more focus on distribution and dummy lines. It may come at the expense of his pursuit of an English try-scoring record.
Having scored in all four Tests so far in this championship, the 24-year-old could become the first Englishman to score in every round of the Six Nations. It’s a feat that only Frenchman Philippe Bernat-Salles has achieved, back in 2001.
Only Philippe Bernat-Salles in 2001 has scored in all five rounds of a Six Nations championship
Freeman and George Furbank (right) link up to devastating effect for Northampton Saints
Saints stars Fin Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Freeman will line up as England’s 10-12-13 on Saturday in Cardiff
‘He’s the all-round package at the moment,’ said club and country team-mate George Furbank. ‘He’s incredibly dangerous in those outside channels. If you give him a bit of time and space then he’s going to create something.
‘He’s got an ability to beat people that others don’t have. He’s the person England will look to, to generate speed with his ball-carrying. Once they have that speed, his ability on the front foot will really suit this team.
‘He’s one of those players who you could slot in anywhere and he’d back himself. We called him “360 Freemo” when he first played in the centres because he was a bit all over the place in defence, but he settled in pretty quickly. He doesn’t get stressed by anything. He backs himself and doesn’t have too many worries. I think he’ll be all right.’
With no specialist cover on the bench, Borthwick will be praying that his midfield pairing of Freeman and Fraser Dingwall can last the full 80 minutes. No 8 Ben Earl has been earmarked to provide cover, a consequence of a 6-2 bench combination geared towards a powerful pack.
‘I have managed to jump across and listen to a few bits the backs are talking about,’ said Earl. ‘Our back rows defend on the edge of the line anyway, running strike plays, involved a bit wider in attack, so it’s not too dissimilar.
‘The crossover is crazy between a centre and a back rower. You saw Oscar Jegou come on for France against Italy last week and he was tremendous. Anyone who has played will know it is the same position, you just wear a different number and defend in a slightly different position off a scrum. That is basically the only slight technical difference.’
The toughest challenge for England’s new-look back line will come in defence. Wales will look to expose Freeman’s lack of Test experience in the midfield, where there is a risk of getting isolated.
The Welsh analysts have been studying footage of Freeman playing 13 for Northampton and will look to flood his channel with moving parts, tempting him to bite in so they can swing around the outside.
Furbank says Freeman has ‘an ability to beat people that others don’t have… he’s the person England will look to to generate speed with his ball carrying’
It is one of Borthwick’s biggest calls to date and if all goes to plan, Freeman could have plenty more to sing about by the end of the weekend
‘The front-on nature of the game is the biggest challenge of moving to the centres,’ said Vesty. ‘When you catch the ball on the wing, the defender has to turn his hips to come and get you, so he’s off balance.
‘You have less time and less space in the centres. It’s like when you play Bulldog, when someone’s coming straight at you, it’s harder to beat them. Your contact skills have to be really solid in those situations. You’re taking on a really solid defensive line and have to find little holes.
‘The defenders are really square in front of you and it’s the same when you’re making tackles. Obviously Tommy’s worked a lot with Fraser Dingwall, Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell. Primarily he’s going to be getting the ball off those three and that cohesion does stand for something.’
It is one of Borthwick’s biggest calls to date. If all goes to plan, Freeman could have plenty more to sing about by the end of the weekend.
