Analysing England's Three Changes Ahead of Australia Autumn Test

England have made three changes to their starting XV from last week’s defeat of Samoa as they prepare to face Australia on Saturday. Dylan Hartley, Tom Wood and Billy Twelvetrees come in, with Rob Webber, James Haskell and Owen Farrell dropping to the bench.

Here Bleacher Report analyses Stuart Lancaster’s thinking, and evaluates his decisions, his player pecking order and consistency of selection.

Dylan Hartley, England’s pugnacious hooker, returns to the starting lineup in place of Rob Webber because England will look to maximise their advantage over Australia in the scrum. The scrum has been central to England’s victories against the Wallabies in recent times (see in-depth analysis in video above), and Hartley’s extra weight and power make him invaluable in that area.

His throwing at the line-out has also been superb. Hartley may suffer from ill-discipline, but he has consistently been one of England’s best players over the past six to 12 months.

As for Rob Webber, with two starts against New Zealand in the summer, and a good showing against Samoa last week, he may have overtaken Tom Youngs as England’s second-choice No. 2.

Tom Wood is a bastion of the Lancaster regime, but he does not consistently impact matches. Outstanding in a Man of the Match performance against New Zealand in 2012, Wood tackles well, but he does not leave much of a mark on the breakdown, perhaps because his height means he can be cleared out more easily than more squat forwards.

@tomwood678's whistle stop tour of the breakdown and @EnglandRugby's approach vs Aus this wkend! https://t.co/xQZPcxHc0k (via @rugbymedia)

— Northampton Saints (@SaintsRugby) November 28, 2014

With ball in hand, one burst against South Africa apart, he has been anonymous. A redeeming quality is his line-out work, which gives England another option to complement Courtney Lawes and Dave Attwood, something the back-row alternatives would be far less able to provide.

James Haskell, meanwhile, has been in fine form for Wasps, is more physical and a better ball-carrier. He doesn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities, either. He was harshly excluded from the second Test in New Zealand in the summer, per the Express and Star, when he was removed from the 23 following the return of Wood.

On current form, Haskell at least deserves his place on the bench; such has been Billy Vunipola’s spectacular fall from grace. Especially as he can cover across the back row. It is only the weight Lancaster gives to the line-out that justifies the selection of Wood over Haskell.

Billy Twelvetrees has the skills required of a rounded, modern inside-centre, but he has yet to find any consistency in the international arena. He has been in and out of the team, a fact that is emblematic of Lancaster’s increasingly erratic selection policies, despite continuous rhetoric to the contrary.

Saturday will be a physical battle but we want to beat them.For an Englishman there’s no bigger game: @billy_12trees https://t.co/Xn8WEBRGmL

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) November 28, 2014

Ahead of the Australia match, his inclusion would make more sense if he were playing outside the solid and less flamboyant Owen Farrell. Instead, Farrell pays the price for his lack of form this autumn and is demoted to the bench. But with George Ford pulling the strings at fly-half, Twelvetrees’ ball-playing skills are not so important to the ignition of the back-line. Ford and Twelvetrees may share the same attacking philosophy but both can be targeted in defence.

Instead, England should have opted for Kyle Eastmond, who plays with Ford at Bath, or fit-again Luther Burrell. With a fly-half who can create space, Eastmond would have come into his own. Alternatively, they could have used the power of Burrell, who could have been deployed at 12 or 13, to get England over the gain line on first-phase ball. That would help make use of Jonny May, Anthony Watson and Mike Brown to attack the Australians a phase later.