England wings must take off, says David Strettle
Saracens flyer questions whether the Red Rose are selecting wingers the right way ahead of Stuart Lancaster’s squad announcement for November internationals
Saracens flyer David Strettle has queried whether England are going about selecting their wings in the right way ahead of coach Stuart Lancaster's announcement of his squad for the November internationals.
England welcome New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia to Twickenham on successive weekends next month, starting with the November 8 visit of the world champions All Blacks.
But a year out from England hosting the 2015 World Cup, several positions in the starting side remain up for grabs with the question of who should be the Red Rose team's starting wing men still to be decided.
So many wings come and go with England because test rugby is such a bigger game that you have to have more of an all-round game
Marland Yarde and Antony Watson appear to be the names in the frame at the moment, but the likes of Christian Wade, Semesa Rokoduguni and Chris Ashton all have their supporters, too.
Strettle may be the "wrong side" of 30, but he showed his class with two tries in Saracens' 30-23 European Champions Cup win over Clermont on Saturday.
However, you have to go back to 2013 for the last of Strettle's 14 England caps and the 31-year-old, who would be a surprise pick if named in the squad on Wednesday, believes it would be beneficial if Lancaster could generate some consistency in selection out wide.
"So many wings come and go with England because test rugby is such a bigger game that you have to have more of an all-round game," Strettle said.
"The sad thing is you get young lads who come in and score tries for their clubs, get put in at the highest level and get exposed, and then people just get rid of them," he added.
