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Versatile Tommy Freeman makes case for England at centre as Northampton Saints crush Sale Sharks
Has Tommy Freeman provided the answer to England’s midfield dilemma for the autumn Test series?
The England wing proved his versatility by starting at outside centre and delivering an irresistible performance as Northampton Saints crushed Sale Sharks with their first statement victory after a stuttering start to their defence of the Gallagher Premiership title.
With Henry Slade still awaiting his first action of the season and Fraser Dingwall ruled out of the autumn campaign with a knee injury, Steve Borthwick will no doubt have taken note of Freeman’s all-action display as the England squad head to Girona next week for a training camp ahead of their opening game against New Zealand on November 2.
“It is a real strength that he can do it and do it really well,” said Sam Vesty, Northampton’s head coach. “It is going to get him in a lot of squads and a lot of teams. But he is pretty good on the wing. He has got all the attributes to fit that bill.”
Freeman finished with the man-of-the-match award, scoring the first of seven tries and creating the second for England team-mate George Furbank.
It was a decent night for Borthwick’s England players, Ollie Sleightholme scoring a brace of tries and Fin Smith imperious at fly-half.
“Steve’s got some great decisions to make in that space,” said Phil Dowson, Saints’ director of rugby. “I’d be surprised if Freeman is not in the mix somewhere. Wherever he can get the ball that’s where we want to put him. And playing in the centre he gets more access to it.”
Freeman said he had been working on his versatility.
“I am happy playing in the midfield, but I like playing on the wing as well. I am comfortable in both. It is there if he [Borthwick] needs it, and, if I can keep putting in performances like that, it will up my chances.”
Sharks bitten by sin-binned Wills
Saints had the four-try bonus point wrapped up within 23 minutes. Freeman and Furbank crossed, and, although Luke Cowan-Dickie drove over for a try, Sale were hamstrung after Alex Wills was sent to the sin-bin for making contact with George Hendy in the air.
Saints scored three more tries before Wills had returned. A succession of quick passes from a line-out and a long-range effort by James Ramm found Sleightholme for a simple run-in, before Tom James secured the bonus point when he finished a 70-metre counter-attack instigated by Ramm.
Sleightholme then scored his second after Tom Roebuck was deceived by the bounce of the ball from Smith’s kick. The miserable half was completed when Hendy picked off a pass by Waisea Nayacalevu.
Joe Carpenter crossed for a try for Sale at the start of the second half and Gus Warr was held up brilliantly by Henry Pollock over the line, only for Ramm to complete the rout.
