Brad Shields has a chance to make his mark in the No 6 jersey, while Maro Itoje could benefit with guidance from Ben Youngs
Paul Gustard put on a brave face when addressing the fact that 14 tries have been conceded in the past two matches by claiming that more are being scored at international level and pointing out how England themselves have scored 11. Of more concern will be the 53 missed tackles across both matches. Gustard is a proud coach and certainly the defea last week will have hurt but it seems obvious that his imminent departure to join Harlequins has had an effect on the national squad. Gustard’s career highlight with England remains the second Test in the 3-0 series victory in Australia in 2016 – a remarkable defensive performance in a 23-7 win. That, too, followed a chaotic and high‑scoring series opener – albeit one that England won – but given the circumstances, if he can instil similar resilience this weekend it would eclipse that unforgettable backs-to-the-wall display in Melbourne.
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