Former Lion offers theory why Chessum call-up led to Genge benching

Former British & Irish Lions, and England tighthead Dan Cole has suggested Joe McCarthy’s injury has had a wider impact on Andy Farrell’s pack selection for the second Test against Australia on Saturday.

The Ireland lock has failed to recover from a foot injury to make the match at the MCG this weekend, with Ollie Chessum starting alongside Maro Itoje after being on the bench last week, and James Ryan coming into the squad to join the substitutes.

That is not the only change in the pack, however, as Ellis Genge has swapped roles with Andrew Porter, with the Irishman starting this week after being on the bench last week.

That decision by Farrell may have come as a surprise to many, as the England loosehead enjoyed a destructive 50 minutes on the field in the first Test, particularly in the opening 20 minutes, where he contributed two huge carries in the four phases leading to Sione Tuipulotu’s opening try.

Fixture

British & Irish Lions

Australia

26 - 29

Full-time

British & Irish Lions

All Stats and Data

But Cole believes Chessum’s call-up may be a reason for this change in the front-row.

“It’s quite interesting,” the 2013 Lions series-winner said on his For the Love of Rugby podcast. “Chessum brings explosive carry power. You watch Chess, he’s one who can catch a ball almost standing still, and within two steps, he can be at max velocity, he can level change, he can change direction.

“I think it’s quite interesting Gengey and Andrew Porter swapping roles, and part of me thinks that might be due to McCarthy’s injury in the fact that McCarthy is such a work-horse – you see him clearing breakdowns, he tackles, he jackals, he disrupts breakdowns. He’s just constantly busy and I think Chess is not as busy but gives you more explosive plays in ball carrying.

“Genge is also an explosive ball carrier, while Porter has an incredible work rate. So it’s almost as though those two selections have almost swapped roles. You’re replacing Gengey’s ball-carrying with Chessum’s ball-carrying and McCarthy’s work rate with Porter’s work rate. So you’re keeping the balance of the pack the same in some regards.

“He also might tweak a bit more out of that bench. The bench didn’t have the impact we wanted last week, and if Gengey comes on and he’s firing, then you might find the rest of the bench might follow his lead, and it offers more out of the bench than you did before.”

The recently-retired prop believes McCarthy’s absence has also impacted the decision-making on the bench, where Ben Earl has dropped out of the squad in place of Wales’ Jac Morgan.

“Jac Morgan is probably one of the more well-rounded back-rows on this tour,” he added.

“He can do the lineout bits, he can carry, he can jackal. Whereas Ben Earl is probably – yes, he can defend – out and out carries, like [Henry] Pollock, they’re more offensive players. Morgan offers you that more rounded role which is why, again, potentially losing Joe McCarthy, you bring a Jac Morgan onto the bench because he can do everything, especially if we don’t have the 5/6 cover that we had last week with Chessum.”