5 Things England Learned From The Barbarians Game

1) Lee Dickson should never play for England again

He's boring. So, so boring. His boringness adds nothing to the England side, especially not compared to options such as Youngs, Care and Simpson (although Simpson's injury seems to have ruled him out of contention). Wigglesworth is a better option for a boring scrum half, and despite being the captain of this side that won 73-12 against the Barbarians, he should never wear the white shirt of England for the rest of his professional rugby career.

2) Marland Yarde is deservedly in the squad ahead of Christian Wade, but the Wasps winger should feature as well

When the squad was first announced, I was aggrieved that Christian Wade was left out, especially considering his only down fall is his defence, which Yarde and Ashton also lack, and I still feel this way, although Yarde showed how good he can be on that Twickenham pitch. Although Wade scored a hat-trick, it should have been 4, and that drop might just be justification for leaving him out of the squad, if that happens in the knock out stages then it could result in an early England exit from the World Cup. On top of that, Wade scored from a accidental glorious kick through from the Quins winger, and he also provided a great break for Wade's second. That kind of teamwork suggests they could make for a fantastic pair of wingers in England's future. Wade should still have been included over Ashton, but Yarde justified his selection on Sunday.

3) Luke Cowan-Dickie is in the fight for the hooker's jersey in Hartley's absence

LCD showed on Sunday that there is not much to separate him and Tom Youngs. His strong running, pace, and offloading ability shone through, and like Tom Youngs he struggles to find his man in the lineout when wearing an England shirt. Even if he doesn't make the starting line-up at the World Cup, you can rest assured he will be a stalwart in the England side for years to come if he continues doing what he's doing, and sharpens up those line-outs. 

4) Do not forget about Danny Cipriani

The golden boy of English rugby showed Stuart Lancaster that he has plenty to offer, with a Man of the Match performance, a formidable kicking display and great control of his back line, he took his rare chance to start for England. He showed a cool head and responsibility that wasn't though possible a few years back [EDIT: Cipriani was arrested on suspicion of DUI at 5am the morning after or night of celebrating his MOTM performance]. He also showed his versatility at fullback, although it will still be a struggle to gain a spot in that 31 man squad, especially given the fact that there are plenty of other utility backs waiting in the wings...

5) Henry Slade and Elliot Daly are what Lancaster is looking for... but 2015 might be too soon

Two of the most versatile backs at Lancaster's disposal, Henry Slade and Elliot Daly showed why Lancaster needs them. Elliot Daly, although not setting the game alight, showed that he is a centre in the mould of Jonathan Joseph, and should an injury happen to the first choice England 13, Daly can slot in with little hassle. Coupled with the fact he can play various positions in the back line, notably 15, Lancaster may need him this World Cup, and will certainly need him as England push forward to the 2019 World Cup. Truth be told, Slade impressed more over the course of the game, but Daly may find himself with a greater chance of making the England squad due to the positions he can cover, and his similarity to Joseph. Henry Slade put in a great performance for England, he rose to the occasion and seemed like a natural in that role, even though most of his best rugby this season has come at 13. Since he can play both centres and fly-half, he may seem like an obvious pick for Lancaster, even over MOTM Cipriani, yet Slade faces stiff competition from Farrell, Barritt and Eastmond and may struggle to make his way in to the squad due to the experience of Farrell and Barritt, and the form Eastmond has shown when with Ford and Joseph. It would be a shame not to include two young talents, but rest assured that Lancaster will be calling on them in the future, and competing for multiple starting spots in the England squad.

A scintillating performance from the young England side provided Lancaster with plenty of headaches, and will make cutting the squad down to 31 much more difficult, but he knows he has a wealth of talent at his disposal and will have a side that can compete for the World Cup on home turf.