Dingwall backed to plot course through the midfield maze

Borthwick has opted for the Northampton centre, his 'glue' player, over an array of talented England backs

- Robert Kitson

Even Steve Borthwick admits that picking his team to face Australia on Saturday was tricky. And even after he had made his mind up, there was a training ground snapshot which underlined the slim margins involved. "There was a piece of play where the skill showed by the team not starting was absolutely incredible," said Borthwick. "I couldn't praise them highly enough for the way they tested the team that is starting.

Which neatly sums up England's intensifying backline debate. Ollie Lawrence, Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell, Henry Slade, Cadan Murley and Max Ojomoh are all fit and can't even make the matchday 23. Not to mention the up-and-coming Noah Caluori. Nor Owen Farrell. Let alone the injured Elliot Daly, George Furbank, Seb Atkinson, Ollie Sleightholme and Will Muir.

In the end, though, it is less a question of individuals than of horses for courses and identifying the most effective combinations. Which makes perhaps the least discussed player on England's teamsheet a vital cog. Forget, for a moment, the rationale for choosing George Ford at fly-half or Tommy Freeman at outside-centre and consider the merits of the frequently unsung Fraser Dingwall.