Sean Fitzpatrick believes England would sharpen their attacking edge by recalling veteran scrum-half Danny Care.
The All Blacks legend says Eddie Jones’ team is already on track to mount a serious challenge for the World Cup despite their spluttering start to the Six Nations.
But he reckons combining 35-year-old Care with Harlequins club mates Marcus Smith and Alex Dombrandt would make them more dangerous.
“As a New Zealander England is a worry for me with the World Cup in mind,” said Fitzpatrick. “Eddie’s got real depth. If he can [just] get his 8, 9 and 10 playing more often.
“For the life of me I’m surprised he hasn’t brought Danny Care back in.”
Quins swept to Premiership glory last season and are top-three and unbeaten in Europe playing their all-action brand of rugby. England, by contrast, managed just one try against both Scotland and Wales.
Fitzpatrick said: “I thought Harry Randall was really good on Saturday but what you see at Harlequins - I’d love to see England play like that.
“Dombrandt could be world class and Smith will get better and better as he grows in confidence.”
Care has not played for England since winning the last of his 84 caps against Japan nearly four years ago and Jones has stated that ‘youth will win the World Cup’.
Yesterday he named Randall and Ben Youngs as his only scrum-halves in a 25-man squad preparing to face Ireland on Saturday week.
“I know Test rugby is different,” Fitzpatrick continued. “And what Dombrandt does off the back of the scrum is good.
“But the way he runs at the midfield for Quins.. I remember seeing Eddie last year at a pre-season game and he said ‘Dombrandt is probably the best 12 in the English game at the moment’ in terms of the lines he’s running.”
Fitzpatrick concedes France are worthy favourites both for the Six Nations and next year’s World Cup.
But he said: “We’ll see in a couple of weeks how good they are when they play England in Paris. I think Eddie’s keeping a bit back at the moment. Once they decide how they’re going to play the game..”
Whatever they decide it will have to be without Manu Tuilagi and Luke Cowan-Dickie, though concussion victim Tom Curry will be available.
Elliot Daly has been jettisoned which suggests Joe Marchant could renew a midfield partnership with Henry Slade seen for the first time in Italy last month.
Championship leaders Doncaster are to appeal against the RFU decision to disallow their application to play in the Premiership should they top English rugby’s second division, saying it has left them "disappointed, dismayed and disheartened”.
Sean Fitzpatrick is Chairman of the Laureus Academy, and was speaking ahead of the 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards. To find out more, visit www.laureus.com
