In weeks like this there is usually a former Welsh international somewhere who is keen to label English rugby players as arrogant or useless or, ideally, both. This traditional parlour game, however, may soon be in need of a revamp if the diverse social mix and range of ability within Stuart Lancaster's squad remains as it currently is.
As highlighted in Saturday's Guardian, there are likely to be 13 state-educated players in England's starting XV this weekend, while the list of back-line candidates available to Lancaster is also lengthening by the week. Manu Tuilagi, Marland Yarde, Ben Foden and Joel Tomkins are all back fit, with Brad Barritt, Kyle Eastmond, George Ford, Anthony Watson, Chris Ashton, Jonathan Joseph and Christian Wade also hopeful of featuring in next year's World Cup.
Some of them face an uphill challenge even to make this summer's tour to New Zealand, with Lancaster already looking beyond this weekend and pondering a potential squad of 38 or so for the three-Test series. While Sunday's Wales game has come too soon for Tuilagi, Yarde and co, Lancaster has also made clear that a divine right to a place in the starting team no longer exists.
"It is more and more competitive which is exactly how it should be," said Lancaster, having stressed that Tuilagi is only back training this week in a fringe capacity and has work to do if he wants to split the promising centre partnership of Billy Twelvetrees and Luther Burrell. "Manu's aware of that. We've made good steps forward and this next few days is about Manu getting up to speed with where we're at.
"It is also a reflection of how well we feel the centre partnership is going. Brad Barritt was man of the match for Saracens against Bath, for whom Kyle Eastmond also had a really strong game. Those four centres – and Joel Tomkins is also in the equation – have ensured we've got some real strength in depth now."
The scheduling of the Premiership final the week before the first Test against the All Blacks, however, will offer chances to some who might otherwise have been midweek dirt-trackers. "That fact that 10-12 players might not be available for the first Test means we might have to look at other combinations," Lancaster said.
Whoever plays, the head coach believes that accusations of English arrogance no longer have any foundation whatsoever. "I'd be disappointed if it was put against us as a group because I don't think it's a reflection of the group at all. It wouldn't matter to me whether they'd all been to one particular school or another, as long as we come across as a group that's got our feet on the ground and have a bit of humility.
"State school lads have now got unbelievable opportunities to come through and become international rugby players. I think that is important. We're fortunate we have a wide net in England which is where our depth should come from. Now we're beginning to see that depth coming through. But I think the English rugby public connect with the team, not necessarily the educational background of the players. It's more to do with how the team come across as a group."
Lancaster also stresses Sunday's game is not just a matter of him pitting himself against Warren Gatland but a collective examination of England's ability to deliver under pressure. "Clearly they have a lot of very good players who got some fantastic experience with the Lions. But I do believe in the theory that the sum of the parts can overcome teams with more experience. We demonstrated it last week against an Ireland team which had over 700 caps and British Lions in a lot of positions. They had a lot of very good players and I thought we coped well."
