Of all the selection headaches paining England coach Steve McNamara ahead of the Autumn test series against New Zealand, who to select on the flanks is surely going to be the most difficult.
Indeed, England are blessed with a batch of incredible speedsters on the wings, and all of them have done enough to put themselves in the picture ahead of the three-match series with the Kiwis.
Unfortunately, though, there’s only room for two in the starting lineup, and Leeds’ Ryan Hall – one of the most prolific and consistent try-scorers in England history – is likely to snatch one of those spots.
So, for the likes of Tom Briscoe, Josh Charnley, Ben Jones-Bishop, Tom Lineham, Jermaine McGillvary and Tommy Makinson, it’s a fight for the one remaining slot. But who deserves it?
We’ve had a look at this season’s official Opta stats to see if anyone stands out.
ATTACK
| Name | Appearances | Tries | Try assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lineham | 20 | 21 | 0 |
| Jermaine McGillvary | 27 | 21 | 1 |
| Tommy Makinson | 19 | 15 | 1 |
| Ben Jones-Bishop | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| Josh Charnley | 16 | 9 | 1 |
| Tom Briscoe | 10 | 9 | 4 |
It would be unfair to expect Charnley and Briscoe to keep up with both McGillvary and Lineham’s scoring exploits given their additional appearances in 2015. Indeed, Lineham’s outstanding season, averaging just over a try a game, is mightily impressive. However, Briscoe’s impressive tally of four assists and nine tries in just 10 games means he also packs a punch.
WORKLOAD
| Player | Carries | Metres made | Average metres per carry | Tackle breaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lineham | 242 | 1854 | 7.7 | 18 |
| Jermaine McGillvary | 415 | 3519 | 8.4 | 26 |
| Tommy Makinson | 218 | 1781 | 8.2 | 13 |
| Ben Jones-Bishop | 283 | 2030 | 7.2 | 18 |
| Josh Charnley | 199 | 1421 | 7.1 | 7 |
| Tom Briscoe | 121 | 1289 | 10.6 | 15 |
This is where we really start to see the different qualities of all the wingers at Steve McNamara’s disposal. Not only does McGillvary score tries, but his workload is phenomenal. With more carries, metres made and tackle breaks, he could be a vital asset against a strong kicking game that would attempt to pin his team deep in their own half.
Ben Jones-Bishop’s stats are also impressive, while Tom Briscoe again shines, averaging over 10 metres per carry and breaking the line more frequently than anyone else.
DEFENCE
| Name | Tackles | Missed tackles | Errors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Lineham | 82 | 27 | 19 |
| Jermaine McGillvary | 138 | 41 | 28 |
| Tommy Makinson | 92 | 21 | 16 |
| Ben Jones-Bishop | 137 | 22 | 30 |
| Josh Charnley | 76 | 19 | 17 |
| Tom Briscoe | 44 | 9 | 12 |
Once again, McGillvary and Jones-Bishop rank highest for the sheer amount of work they get through, but with such responsibility they do come up with more errors.
However, Jones-Bishop ranks highest for his percentage of tackles completed, which could prove pivotal against the dangerous Kiwis.
Who would you pick on the wing? Cast your vote in the League Express poll below:
