K the exceptional

radical, but England touched down from New Zealand as confused as ever. It appears that Manu Tuilagi and Owen Farrell are set for outside centre and fly half, respectively, but nobody has made the No 12 shirt remotely their own.

One man as certain as his place is Farrell; the first five has a magnificent temperament, a given requirement for an international No 10. Yet what if the other team have a bloke with the same mental strengths and superior technical ones?

Outstanding in the Six Nations, where the psychological pressure is greater than the technical requirements, Farrell produces a worrying number of off-days for someone who is perceived as a key part of the cog rather than one of those flimsy match-winners we so mistrust.

Overnight in the first round of the premiership, George Ford and Danny Cipriani took the field against one another. The former has exceptional vision but has much to do to convince Lancaster of his mental strength.

Cipriani, on his day, has it all. The Sale first five had an interesting tour in New Zealand. He played only a few minutes of international rugby but looked the part, while his understated half against Canterbury demonstrated his ability to control a game.

The door to the team and the mind of the manager should remain open to significant potential changes. If he wants to shoot for the stars stylistically, the English Premiership has a positive part to play; whether the fast track is the right track depends upon Lancaster’s eyes being open to the exceptional.