Over the weekend, James Simpson-Daniel has been drafted into the England squad for the Six Nations match against Scotland in Edinburgh on 8th March. SD is in a replacement for David Strettle whose recovery from another metatarsal injury recovers.
In his column in the Telegraph, Brian Moore reveals some insight into why Josh Lewsey continues to be omitted from Brian Ashton’s England squads. Whilst rumours have persisted about a personality clash between Lewsey and Ashton, Moore phrases this as the following:
I am told that Josh Lewsey's character within the squad makes him unwelcome. Whilst he is one of the few players to makes Pseud's Corner in Private Eye, surely management is about handling such people, and a short dose of behaviour modification therapy (a smack in the mouth) would suffice.Whilst I do not share Stuart Barnes' almost preternatural regard for James Simpson-Daniel, if Lewsey is beyond the handling of current management, he would at least offer muscularity.
Brian Moore is probably alluding to some of rumours that Paul Ackford has gathered in his article for the Sunday Telegraph. Ackford scotches a couple of rumours before passing on the gossip that:
Lewsey is not an easy guy to rub along with. He says what he thinks, does what he wants and England squad members find this disconcerting. He doesn't fit in.
But both Moore and Ackford agree, and they should know, that you can’t have a successful squad that’s one big happy family and that it reflects badly on management that they seem unable or unwilling to integrate this talent into the team.
Then again if Balshaw can be described by certain members of the management team as having the pace of Christian Cullen and the feet of Jason Robinson then there are clearly already deep doubts over their judgement.
Putting my value bet hat back on, now that SD is back in the squad, what are the odds of him getting some sort of virus and breaking some sort of bone?
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