All of a sudden, Toby Flood has become something of an elder statesman in the England squad.
At the age of 26, it is not a role he is accustomed to playing at international level. But such is the transitional nature of the England squad that, with 47 caps, Flood was the most experienced player in the 42-man squad that arrived in Durban yesterday.
James Haskell, who joins the squad from his stint playing in New Zealand this weekend, will be the only other player to have won more than 40 caps, with Dylan Hartley, Lee Mears (both 39), Charlie Hodgson (38) and Tom Palmer (37) not far behind.
The caveat for Flood is that, for the time being at least, he is not sure of his place in the pecking order of fly halves on tour. After a season that began with a miserable World Cup and ended with him missing the Aviva Premiership Final through injury, the likelihood is that Flood will have to wait his turn in the queue behind Owen Farrell, the incumbent No 10, and possibly Charlie Hodgson, too. There are no warm-up games before the first international against South Africa a week tomorrow, so some highly competitive training sessions await. “There have been no indications yet,” Flood said. “Stuart [Lancaster, the England head coach] is keeping his cards very close to his chest. I’ll just get my head down, train hard and see where it gets me.”
The first requirement for Flood was to satisfy Lancaster of his fitness. An ankle injury suffered in the final game of the regular season for Leicester, against Bath, forced him to miss the Premiership semi-final against Saracens, when he would have come face to face with Hodgson and Farrell.
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An intensive recovery programme followed, when there was a clubversus-country spat as Richard Cockerill, the Leicester director of rugby, criticised Lancaster for commenting on the injury in public. In the end, it was not the ankle injury that ruled Flood out of the final, which Leicester lost to Harlequins, but a groin strain.
While a sprightly performance in training with England on Tuesday laid to rest any doubts about Flood’s availability for the tour, the past few weeks seemed to sum up an infuriating season. He had begun the World Cup warm-up games as England’s first-choice fly half before Martin Johnson, the former team manager, reverted to Jonny Wilkinson at the eleventh hour for the tournament. The muddled thinking surrounding England’s midfield came to a head when Flood was selected outside Wilkinson at inside centre for the quarter-final against France in Auckland.
Once Wilkinson retired from international rugby, the path seemed clear for Flood finally to step out of the shadow of his former Newcastle Falcons team-mate. Then injury struck and forced him to miss the start of the RBS Six Nations Championship, in which he made only one brief appearance, from the replacements’ bench, against Wales.
By the end of the Six Nations, Farrell looked comfortable at No 10, impressing with his assured game management and calm place-kicking. Flood acknowledges that he is now playing catch-up, especially after missing the climax to the club season.
“I missed out on some big games at the end of the season, but hopefully that won’t put me too far behind,” he said. “But also, I don’t know the new players so well, the likes of Brad Barritt.”
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Since Lancaster became head coach, his every move has been made with the 2015 World Cup in England in mind and Flood, who will be 30 at the time, is very much part of those plans.
For the time being, he may have to be content to play the role of éminence grise to Farrell, six years his junior, just as he does to George Ford, 19, his precocious understudy at Leicester. But when the chance comes, Flood will be determined to turn back the clock. “It will be an outstanding challenge for us against South Africa,” he said. “I’m desperate to be involved.”
England’s No 10s
Charlie Hodgson Age 31, Caps 38
Enjoying an Indian summer to his England career after moving to Saracens last season, starting the Six Nations as first-choice fly half.
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Toby Flood Age 26, Caps 47
Had his season disrupted by injury after a disappointing World Cup, but the Leicester player has recovered from ankle injury that had threatened his trip to South Africa.
Owen Farrell Age 20, Caps 5
Burst on to the international scene last season, first at inside centre, then started the last three games in the Six Nations at No 10.