The captaincy conundrum is equally intriguing. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Imagesīut would that be the optimal use of this particular fixture, with Australia arriving at Twickenham next Saturday before the world champions, South Africa, the following weekend? And if Smith was always unlikely to train for much of the week, why was Leicester’s George Ford, currently in sparkling form but omitted from the original squad, not called up as cover? It is an odd one, unless Jones feels Tonga can be beaten even if he were to stick Joe Marler at fly-half. George Furbank has potential as a utility player for England. A utility player such as Furbank might be particularly useful in a future World Cup squad context and, in that regard, this could be a decent opportunity to see what he can do. Jones, though, has long insisted the 25-year-old Furbank, mostly a full-back for his club, has the ability to play at 10 and the Saints’ director of rugby, Chris Boyd, feels similarly.

If Smith is not the best option to step up with Farrell sidelined, is he fit enough to feature at all? If losing their captain and chief playmaker on the eve of his 100th international appearance is a disruptive enough scenario, even the idea of a stop-gap option such as Northampton’s Furbank starting at 10 with Harlequins’ Smith still only on the bench will baffle many red rose fans. Courtney Lawes would be the front-runner for the captaincy.įrom a rugby perspective, eyebrows are already being raised about the wisdom or otherwise of England’s contingency planning.

George Furbank is most likely to start at fly-half if Farrell, who also tested positive for Covid last winter, misses out, though Marcus Smith could also be promoted from the bench.

The results were not due until Saturday morning, just hours before England are due to host Tonga and any more positive tests would mean more chaos for England. The governing body opted for another round of testing for all players and staff on Friday.

Dead Man's Hand by Eddie Jones