Alex Dombrandt’s World Cup non-selection has re-opened English rugby’s obsession with shirt numbers. Steve Borthwick has chosen Billy Vunipola as his solely ‘specialist No 8’ and that has folks involved.

Persons are proper to be involved about a variety of England’s recreation plan being constructed round a man who hasn’t performed for 4 months and final performed for England nearly a yr in the past. However, speak of specialist No 8s is outdated and reductive.

Associated: Borthwick hints at key cause for Dombrandt and Slade omissions

Let’s take Dombrandt. What’s his position for Harlequins? As a provider he floats round within the midfield and customarily takes expansive ball from Marcus Smith to assault a weak defensive edge. Quite a lot of his carries appear to be carries you’d anticipate an out of doors centre to make. For England he carries a lot tighter to the ruck in opposition to a set defence. The one similarities between how he performs for Quins and the way he performs for England are that he does it with an eight on his again. 

The concept that a specialist No 8 exists is predicated on two elements, one is true and the opposite just isn’t. There’s a factor {that a} quantity eight does which is completely different to the blindside and openside flanker. They management the ball in the back of the scrum. That may be a ability and it’s not one thing that simply anybody can do to the identical stage. Its worth is decreased by how trendy scrums work, although.

England had simply 5 put-ins in opposition to Wales final weekend and three of these had been incomplete, leading to two penalties and a free-kick. Is it actually price choosing somebody who frequently performs eight however doesn’t suit your gameplan over somebody who suits your gameplan however not often performs eight for these few alternatives a match?

The second issue is predicated on a simplistic view of what a No 8 is. Lots of people assume that your No 8 is your huge ball provider. In some instances that’s true – England will definitely be hoping Billy Vunipola fills that position. However no staff wanting to achieve success will depend on a single ball carrying possibility. England might be Ellis Genge, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Manu Tuilagi, and Ollie Lawrence to punch holes. 

Trendy rugby has seen a state of affairs the place No 8s are continuously not the massive carriers. Dombrandt, Sam Simmonds, Zach Mercer, and Jack Dempsey are all examples of eights who don’t match the massive ball provider mould. They’re profitable although, as a result of their teammates fulfil the ball carrying position after which are liable for making the assault extra dynamic. They don’t fill the normal position, however they fill a job that their staff would in any other case be lacking.

There’s likelihood that Vunipola gained’t make it by each World Cup recreation, though that may solely be 4 given England’s present kind.

Nonetheless, if he does have to be changed, Steve Borthwick and his fellow coaches gained’t be pressured to pick one other specialist eight to exchange him. They’ve Ben Earl, Lewis Ludlam, Jack Willis, and even George Martin to return in and supply a complementary skillset to their facet.

After they placed on that No 8 jersey, they don’t immediately turn out to be a special participant. They maintain doing their job and so they maintain offering the abilities that the whole staff wants. That’s as a result of rugby isn’t about shirt numbers, it’s concerning the mixed abilities.

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