Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Duncan Bech

Australia vs England: Who will Eddie Jones select on the left wing for second Test?

PA / AP

Unless head coach Eddie Jones throws a curve ball in selection, England’s left wing position for the pivotal second Test against Australia on Saturday is a shoot out between Joe Cokanasiga and Henry Arundell.

Here we examine the two options ahead of Thursday’s team announcement.

Joe Cokanasiga

Cokanasiga is the man in possession (PA Wire)

Club: Bath

Age: 24

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 17st 9lbs

Caps: 12

Tries: 11

A force of nature with the size, strength and speed to torment defences, Cokanasiga should be setting the world alight yet he was a peripheral figure in the first Test.

The big wing of Fijian heritage has been besieged by a series of family challenges, a serious knee injury and Covid, but having emerged successfully from those crises his inability to make an impact on Australia appears to be rooted in the mind.

A promising start at Perth’s Optus Stadium quickly faded through his failure to go hunting for the ball or make himself available as a support runner.

It was a frustrating performance from a player who needs to develop the rugby instinct to match his ferocious physical attributes.

Henry Arundell

Arundell scored on his debut on Saturday (AP)

Club: London Irish

Age: 19

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 15stones 2lbs

Caps: 1

Tries: 1

The question of whether the gamebreaking skills displayed for London Irish and the England Under 20s would transfer to the highest level was answered in mesmerising style as his seven-minute appearance as a replacement inspired a late fightback against the Wallabies that secured scoreboard respectability.

Finishing a dynamic solo try and helping to set up a second made it one of the great England debuts, but starting is a different matter.

With only two Premiership starts under his belt there are still shortcomings in his defensive game that would be leapt upon by the likes of Marika Koroibete and Andrew Kellaway.

Over-exposing a 19-year-old with such a bright future could be harmful at this stage of his development.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.