It’s time to make more noise about a quiet man. Ben Spencer is not one for talking the talk, but he keeps walking the walk and he is long overdue more luck and game time at Test level.
On Friday night, Bath’s captain was back in his familiar routine, orchestrating a West Country win in alliance with the great Scot outside him, Finn Russell. Spencer scored a try, set up another, was named man of the match and presented the medal to his daughter at the Rec.
Johann van Graan knows just what a supreme asset he has wearing the armband at scrum-half. ‘For him to deliver that performance was special,’ said the victorious director of rugby.
‘He’s got big dreams in international rugby, but Ben is a winner — you saw that at his previous club (Saracens). Since he became captain of our club, he’s become better and better.’
Steve Borthwick was in attendance for the Premiership opener and Spencer surely made a powerful point to the England head coach. With Northampton’s Alex Mitchell out with a neck injury and unsure yet about the extent of it, the No 9 shirt may be up for grabs again.
Bath captain Ben Spencer has been backed for an England recall against the All Blacks
England coach Steve Borthwick was in attendance for Bath’s Premiership opener on Friday
Spencer may be 32 but he remains firmly in the mix to potentially start against New Zealand
Spencer should be right in the mix to play against the All Blacks in the autumn opener on November 2 — and possibly even start. He is well equipped for that responsibility and experienced enough to cope with the high-stakes occasion.
At 32, he can still have his time in the sun, having been on international rations since his debut against South Africa in Johannesburg more than six years ago. He has just six caps to date and barely 80 minutes on the field as an England player. In 2019, he was summoned to Japan in emergency circumstances and played for four minutes at the end of the World Cup final, by which time South Africa had buried English dreams under a scrum blitz.
Spencer (right) was overlooked for the original tournament squad as Eddie Jones opted to take just two scrum-halves, including Willi Heinz, the Kiwi who returned to New Zealand soon afterwards.
Spencer’s debut off the bench was similarly brief, as was his cameo in Bloemfontein a week later, which lasted seven minutes. Another appearance as Ben Youngs’ understudy against Scotland in the Six Nations the following year was fleeting and then he found himself down the pecking order again.
Even when he was given a longer run at Murrayfield earlier this year, Spencer followed orders to slow the game down and kick, but it stifled his multi-purpose instincts. While other England contenders such as the younger Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet have greater pace as their primary weapon, Spencer is a master controller with an unsurpassed kicking game. But he also sets a swashbuckling tone at Bath, in partnership with Russell — making breaks, demonstrating exceptional handling skill, vision and finishing prowess.
Spencer (left) was an emergency arrival for England at the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Former England coach Eddie Jones had initially overlooked Spencer for his squad
Asked about his rival No 9 on TNT Sports on Friday, before kick-off, Danny Care said: ‘It’s crazy to think that he’s only got six caps for England and has never started a game.
‘He’s incredibly gifted and his box-kicking game might be the best in world rugby. Mitchell and Spencer might be battling for that England No 9 shirt in the autumn.’
Hear, hear. It is crazy. Spencer is far too good to be stuck on such a modest cap tally. So, let’s make some noise about a quiet but brilliant player, who has a stack of medals to prove it — and should have a stack of caps too.
By rights, he will start adding to his meagre collection against New Zealand.
Harlequins star Danny Care backed Spencer’s chances for a recall to the England squad
Spencer is far too good to be stuck on such a modest cap tally. So, let’s make some noise about a quiet but brilliant player
Frontrunners emerge for England role
The RFU have been interviewing for a new England defence coach, with Joe El-Abd and Paul Gustard the front-runners to replace Felix Jones.
But if the candidates’ French clubs, Oyonnax and Stade Francais respectively, resist, it will raise the question of why more is not being done to appoint someone from within the English game.
A club-country deal has just been announced and it is supposed to create more co-operation than ever, in which case it would make sense to harness that momentum.
As there is reduced fixture crossover, a defence guru could be seconded from a Premiership club for England campaigns. There has even been talk of John Mitchell — head coach of the national women’s team — being a stop-gap and that idea has merit.
But in the bigger picture, England and the RFU need to avoid seeking quick fixes due to continuing upheaval. Ideally they would have someone in the set-up who could emerge as the eventual successor to Borthwick, to ensure a more seamless transition next time. Richard Wigglesworth could be that man.
Paul Gustard is one of the leading candidates to become England’s next defence coach
Jones resigned from his role with England in August 2024 due to ‘turmoil’ in the team
THE LAST WORD
Another famous triumph for Argentina in the Rugby Championship and what a timely one it was, as the Pumas snatched a dramatic 29-28 win over world champions South Africa in Santiago del Estero.
Felipe Contepomi is moulding the South American side into a powerful, dashing force to be reckoned with, so how criminal it would be if the Pumas are marginalised when New Zealand and South Africa launch biennial tours.
Those will be epic events, but will see the Rugby Championship downgraded, perhaps to the point of collapse.
Argentina have done so much to support their neighbours, Uruguay and Chile, so they deserve backing.
Another famous triumph for Argentina in the Rugby Championship and what a timely one it was, as the Pumas snatched a dramatic 29-28 win over world champions South Africa
Australia showed a flicker of life in pushing New Zealand to the wire before the visitors clung on to win in Sydney
Meanwhile, Australia showed a flicker of life in pushing New Zealand to the wire before the visitors clung on to win in Sydney.
Maybe the Wallabies can get their act together in time for the Lions’ arrival after all… or maybe the All Blacks just aren’t up to much.
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