10 October 2023 , 14:50
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Henry Arundell's World Cup snub could stem from a bust up in training with Owen Farrell, according to former England star Andy Goode.
The Racing 92 winger has only been given one opportunity in this World Cup, where he equalled the England record for most tries in a match, scoring five in the hammering of Chile. But Arundell found himself out of the matchday squad against Samoa in England's next match.
Steve Borthwick's decision surprised many as he picked Owen Farrell at 12, reviving his combination with fly-half George Ford, which again failed to fire. Arundell has enjoyed a rapid rise and is one of England's most exciting talents with his omission dividing opinion, but Goode has discussed a possible off-field incident as the reason.
He said on the Rugby Pod : "You've got a kid in the stands, scored five tries in one game, got game breaking ability, x-factor, can't get a look in, but there's a reason behind. I heard through the grapevine, and through my sources, that Henry Arundell and Owen Farrell had a bit of a scrap in training - and because you don't mess with Faz in this England squad - that's why Arundell isn't anywhere near the matchday 23 after scoring five tries.
The former Leicester fly-half went on to say: "Mate, no smoke without fire, I'm happy to say, it is what I've heard on good authority. I want Arundell in the team, we've all had scraps at training. You can't let that affect selection and Jonny May, I don't think he's up to it at the minute.
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"Then you're into squad pegs, round holes. We're playing people out of position. Stick Marchant in the centre, stick Tuilagi in the centre, stick Ford or Farrell at ten. Stick wingers on the wing, Elliot Daly on one, Henry Arundell on one, then Freddie Steward at fullback because he's so dependable. I want to see more from Freddie Steward, great under the high ball but doesn't offer enough in attack, but maybe that's how the team is set-up."
Henry Arundell scored five tries in his only World Cup outingFarrell has remained a favourite after Borthwick took over from Eddie Jones and the Saracens man became his country's all-time record points scorer following Saturday's win over Samoa, surpassing Jonny Wilkinson in the process.
His selection though continues to be a topic of discussion, leaving Borthwick in a difficult situation. Ford underlined his quality with a masterful performance in the opening game against Argentina and is a classy orchestrator of the attack.
England have continued to underwhelm going forward however, especially when compared to several of the world's leading nations. That has increased the calls for Arundell to be included given he's scored seven tries in his 265 international minutes - equating to a try every 37 minutes.