Matt Dawson believes that England captain Owen Farrell is ‘not good enough’ to get in the team past George Ford.
The skipper was ineligible for the first two matches against Argentina and Japan after being red-carded in August.
And Dawson feels that manager Steve Borthwick should continue with Ford, even when Farrell returns.
“I don’t think Owen Farrell is good enough to get in the team at the moment, but let’s see how he goes over the next couple weeks,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“The off-field dynamic of how great Owen Farrell is, I have heard for years and years, but I have just not seen it on the pitch.
“What I do see up close and analyse is how he plays for England. I don’t see him bringing anything that isn’t already there.
“I would not put Marcus Smith in as a starting 15 but there is nothing wrong with bringing him on if you need to change a game up.”
