England's Possible Centre Partnerships Without Manu Tuilagi

I think we all agree it was the right decision to not consider Tuilagi for selection, and whilst he would have been our first choice to play 12 with JJ outside him, England need to look forward and see what is available to them. Judging by the predicted squad here, we will look at the possible centre partnerships and evaluate them by looking at the pros and cons of each combination. To start with, let's look at the centre partnership that featured in this years 6 Nations.

Jonathan Joseph & Luther Burrell

Jonathan Joseph excited every rugby lover this 6 Nations, and has to be the first choice 13 for the RWC, and with Luther Burrell on his inside, who excited every rugby lover in the last 6 Nations, they look like a partnership that should work. But in early 2015 it just didn't click. JJ was the guy making all the breaks, whilst Burrell inside was quite lethargic and not at all threatening like he was when he made his breakthrough performances in an England shirt.This combination also lacks a strong kicker or a strong defender, and instead has a currently fairly plain and average Luther Burrell offering little to nothing going forward and being perfectly okay in defence. If you want the excitement that this partnership should be able to bring, then you only have to look at one of the most exhilarating pairings in club rugby right now...

Rating: 6/10



Jonathan Joseph & Kyle Eastmond

Bath's brilliant performances this year are in no small part down to their centres, Joseph and Eastmond. Solid in defence, despite what some may say, Eastmond has shown why he deserves to be considered for that number 12 shirt this year. Exhilarating with ball in hand, much like his partner outside him, Eastmond offers what Burrell should. The partnership has had a lot of time to grow, and the players know exactly how each other plays. Not only is this an experienced centre partnership, but considering likely fly-half and winger George Ford and Anthony Watson, this could be an experienced back line, 4 guys who have had a season of learning one another's games and that have developed a real understanding of how they play together. The excitement that these guys bring is certainly there, and I look forward to seeing it all come together in the white of England. However, with their lack of international experience, is this the partnership you want if the RWC final is tomorrow? It is certainly more preferable to the JJ & Burrell combination as these guys have a history of playing well together, but it once again lacks a really solid defence or an impressive kicking game. Our next two combinations are going to provide an abundance of this, and we will see our other option at 13...

Rating: 8/10



Elliot Daly & Henry Slade

A complete kicking game from these two centres and a tight defence means that even with their inexperience they could be a lethal pairing. Both have shone over the year, and have deserved a call-up due to their stunning performance for their clubs. Both offer a fantastic, diverse kicking game, with Daly's long range boot and Slade's finesse they could really help Ford ease in to this World Cup. Or could they? Their inexperience is a real shame, and they should have been getting their chance for England a while back, and although they can help Ford and ease the pressure on his kicking game, they can't provide a reliable, steady, international head that Ford would want. Also, whilst both players are very exciting, they don't quite match up to Jonathan Joseph and Kyle Eastmond levels of excitement with ball in hand, but nonetheless they are great to watch. If Lancaster wants an experienced head to appear outside of Ford, along with a strong defensive and kicking game, he may be tempted by the next pairing...

Rating: 7/10



Elliot Daly & Owen Farrell

Whilst Slade has been better this season at club level, whether you like the man or not, Farrell has international experience and a reliable boot to match. He can give Ford all the advice in the world and also be a calming influence on Daly, whose first taste of international rugby will come on the biggest stage of them all. Farrell however lacks the exciting play that Slade can offer, and isn't all too experienced internationally at 12, although with his level-headedness he could cope. Lacks the attacking flair to be considered one of the best centre partnerships, but helps Ford out a lot. If you want that excitement, you have to look back to England's first choice 13...

Rating:  7/10



Jonathan Joseph & Henry Slade

This is a great mix of attacking flair, a good kicking game, and solid defence. What they may lack in experience, JJ and Slade make up for in ability and excitement. It is a combination that many have been hoping to see, as Slade's boot can help Ford out and ease the pressure on him, and his distribution can give Joseph the space to be fully effective. It is certainly one of our favourite combinations, but Lancaster will probably look for a more experienced head at 12 and sacrifice some of the attacking promise in favour of a more defensive and accomplished player, which is why he could well go four our next partnership...

Rating: 9/10



Jonathan Joseph & Owen Farrell

This combination gives you experience, a good kicking and defensive game in Farrell, and an exciting player outside him in JJ. Will JJ get the distribution required to be fully effective with Farrell inside him? I doubt it, but Joseph is a good enough player to be able to work well with Farrell, and perhaps Lancaster may look to sacrifice some attacking flair for solid defence and a reliable kicking game, not to mention some on-field words of wisdom in Ford's ear. It's not a combination that strikes me as particularly exciting, but it is a very Lancaster-like selection, and in reality it isn't a bad one. If you're after a more experienced international 12, and want to combine JJ's attacking flair with some experienced rock solid defence and some hard hitting tackles with his own face, at the sacrifice of a kicking game in the centres, then you're looking for our next combination...

Rating: 8/10



Jonathan Joseph & Brad Barritt

If the World Cup final came along tomorrow, this is the combination to play. JJ is in great form and provides scintillating offence, whilst Barritt gives everything he can to ensure that nobody is breaking his line. He can help Ford out with his defence if necessary and has shown that even against the mighty All Blacks that he has what it takes. Again, it isn't particularly exciting, at least not as exciting as some of the earlier pairings, but these two guys complement each other very well, and would be very hard to stop playing their natural game. Roberts and Davies found it tough against Burrell and Joseph, and wouldn't stand a chance breaking through the South African born centre. It might not be the partnership that people want to see, but it might just be a winning partnership.

Rating: 9/10

Which partnership do you think is the best? Are there any that might work better?

Which is your preferred centre partnership?

(The rating system is based on available England combinations, not a comparison with global centre partnerships!)