Split with Alex Mitchell and Matt Dawson.
Alex Mitchell steps into the rugby arena for the final time this year with World Cup winner Matt Dawson insisting he can be the player to revive England and put them back on the international map in 2025.
Northampton star Mitchell wears the number nine jerseys worn by Dawson for club and country a generation ago and has been badly missed by both during his early season injury absence.
Saints, the English champions, lie eighth of 10 in the Gallagher Premiership with three wins from their eight starts thus far. England lost three of their four autumn Tests and are without a meaningful win since March.
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Mitchell established himself as the undisputed first choice during England’s run to the 2023 World Cup semi-final and was key in a Six Nations resurgence which saw them rally from a shocking start to topple Ireland and come within seconds of winning in France.
A neck injury in training stopped that momentum in its tracks and means both Saints, who host Newcastle Falcons on Saturday, and England end the year sweating on what lies ahead.
Dawson said: “Bringing Mitch back into the side might be that two to three per cent difference that takes England from losing against New Zealand and South Africa to winning those games.
“His presence can make them much more of a threat to the likes of the Springboks, who I think we’re all chasing at the moment.”
In Mitchell’s absence, Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet shared the shirt with Harry Randall used off the bench. None covered themselves in glory.
“His stock certainly rose over the autumn didn’t it?” said Dawson. “I’m not sure I ever experienced that, sat back watching games thinking I’m more valuable now!
“England were definitely short in the scrum-half position over the autumn, for whatever reason, be it players coming back and there not being a lot of continuity.
“I think it is pretty obvious that when you’ve got somebody like Mitch out of the side, it’s going to make a difference, both for Northampton and for England.
“I remember Paul Grayson saying to me six or seven years ago, ‘This guy, Mitch. Look out for him’.
I was like, ‘Really? I haven’t seen a lot of him’.
“Grays was like, ‘Daws, you’re going to love watching this fella play’.
“He was absolutely right. He plays in a style I would want to play in.
“I realise this makes me sound like an old git but there have been loads of scrum-halves coming through where you just think ‘I wouldn’t be doing this and that – I’d be having a go there’.
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“Whereas with the likes of Mitch and Antoine Dupont, it’s like ‘oh my god’. You just wish you had half an ounce of that ability.”
Mention of Mitchell in the same breath as Dupont, the world’s best player, is the greatest compliment that can be paid to the 27-year-old, who made his 100th Premiership appearance last time out.
“Sometimes, players need to know that they are the people in the jersey,” Dawson continued. “I think I played my best rugby for England when I was captain and knew I was in the team.
“I wasn’t going through that whole selection stress. I started to just play how you play, how you play at the club, because you knew you were in the team and so weren’t having to force anything.
“By no means am I saying Mitch is strutting around saying ‘I’m the number one’ but in his mind there seems to be a comfort that in the way he plays rugby is what England need at nine.
“It’s so natural to him to be a threat around the fringes and manage the game well, bring in the players around him. And it fits the way rugby needs to be played. I think Dupont has a lot to do with that.
“Because of what he has done, after decades of watching robotic scrum-halves go from ruck to ruck and just pass and kick the ball, coaches and teams are finally starting to think, ‘hold on a minute the No.9 should be a threat.
“It’s a really important part of the game to keep the opposition honest. Mitch has got that better than anybody else.”
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