Jeremy Guscott: Cowan’s arrival can help put Burns in England shirt

Jimmy Cowan’s arrival at Gloucester could be part of the breakthrough that the club has been waiting for. Cowan is a 50-cap All Black, and at his best is a very good scrum-half. If he can have the same impact that Nicky Evans has had at fly-half for Harlequins, then he will have a huge influence on this Gloucester side.
If you have a very good, experienced No.9 then you have the basis of a game that can be organised and delivered, because a dominant player in that position not only runs the forwards, but releases the backs. Cowan will give a real boost to Ben Morgan at No.8 – another new signing – and Freddie Burns at fly-half, because a bit of New Zealand edge is just what Gloucester need.
Let’s hope that when he comes over in mid-September he’s better prepared than some New Zealand players, because if he connects with his new team-mates everybody at Kingsholm will benefit.
Cowan has had some ups and downs, but I don’t want to comment on him as a character because I don’t know him. What I do know is that he has been a consistently good All Black scrum-half, and a world-class No.9 to me is more important than a world-class tighthead – although there are a lot of forwards who would disagree.
Gloucester are in a state of transition, and Bryan Redpath leaving must have come as a shock because of its immediacy and finality. Whatever is said it is very unlikely that he would have left Kingsholm, given that he has a young family, if something had not been planned with Sale. However, there are plenty of positives from the appointment of Nigel Davies as the new director of rugby at Gloucester following his first-class development of young talent at the Scarlets. The Welsh region may not have won anything, but they were clearly heading in the right direction.
Ultimately, coaches are judged on success, and although Davies did not win any major silverware with the Scarlets, he will want to do so with Gloucester. His biggest help will be a forwards coach like Carl Hogg, who knows all the ropes after being with the club for seven seasons. The appointment of Mike Tindall as player-coach might also be a smart move, but we will have to wait and see.
What we do know is that Gloucester have some of the most exciting backs in the Premiership in Burns, Charlie Sharples, Jonny May and Henry Trinder. It is time they were released and let fly, although they must never forget the nitty-gritty and make sure that as well as scoring tries they stop the team against them doing the same.
Burns has the potential to be an England fly-half, and it is in his hands to develop his own game. If he is brutally honest – which all players should be – he lacks the total control required at international level. Everyone talks about inexperience, but Burns has played 75 games for Gloucester already, and that’s enough time to be past the development stage. This season he has to become one of the team’s leaders, shore up his defence, and know when to release his backline.
A lot of people will put George Ford ahead of Burns, wrongly in my view – but, so far, like so many of the young fly-halves out there other than Toby Flood, consistency eludes him.
We talk about potential for too long in English rugby, but Burns, Trinder, Sharples and May have been in the Gloucester starting line-up enough times for them to have to step-up. They are no longer rookies – once you are first choice and done half a season in the Premiership you are a big boy.
Sharples, May and Burns were all named in the EPS last week leaving Trinder with the hardest road into England contention. He seems to have lost some ground at outside-centre and is now behind George Lowe, and failed to make the Saxons. I hope he doesn’t feel that he has to do it by bulking up, because it’s still about skill and technique, and if you have that you can overcome size and power. If Trinder runs through holes and scores tries, making sure that he is seen, he should catch up.
Smaller faster players like Trinder and Burns have to ensure that their tackling technique is very effective, because if people run through them their lack of size will be blamed.
May got his reward over the summer for a good season with a late call up for the England summer tour, but he cannot afford a lapse into second season syndrome. With the talent he has shown it seems he is destined to be an international, but it will only happen if he is consistent.
Sharples has had time off over the summer with an operation, but he’s developed into a very good winger. He is exceptionally quick and has that ‘different’ pace on the ball. He has played 90 games for Gloucester so he’s no longer green. He is good enough to be an international, and should be setting his sights on the Lions every bit as much as rival wings like Alex Cuthbert and Tim Visser.
The good news for Davies is that he has a good blend of youth and experience with old hands like James Simpson-Daniel and Olly Morgan around to keep Cowan company. Simpson-Daniel is still good enough to play international rugby, and is consistently brilliant at club level, but unfortunately he’s 30 and there’s a new generation of centres for Stuart Lancaster to sift.
Like Simpson-Daniel, Morgan has been injured so much that he is no longer on the England radar. That is tough because he was very close three seasons ago to becoming England’s regular full-back, but if he gets a clear run without injury he could still mount a challenge to Ben Foden, Mike Brown and Alex Goode.
However, the key for Gloucester’s backs, young or experienced, is that it is consistently top level performances that earn you international recognition, not being flash one week and barely average the next.