 Ford (left) believes England have no choice but to look to fresh talent |
Picking Anthony Allen and Shaun Perry to make their Test debuts against New Zealand will help to revitalise England, says defence coach Mike Ford. Ford, one of five selectors, believes the time is right to blood new talent.
"Do you go with the guys who have got 30 or 40 caps, but who, to be honest, haven't done much for three years?" said Ford, speaking to BBC Sport.
"Or do you go with the younger guys in form? We've got to support them - it's a gamble, but one we have to take."
The 20-year-old Allen has made just 23 first-team starts for Gloucester, while Perry, although 28, is in only his second season of Premiership rugby.
Ford said the new coaching team wanted to give England's newcomers every chance to establish themselves, in contrast to the handling of some players in recent seasons.
England head coach Andy Robinson was criticised for his treatment of Mathew Tait, when the 18-year-old made his Test debut in the first match of the 2005 Six Nations only to then find himself in the cold for more than a year.
And with less than 12 months until the start of the World Cup, Ford said England had to keep faith with the young players they had selected.
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"Do we do what's been done for the last three years and not really worked, or do we say: 'These are the lads for the future and we're going to put our faith in them'?" added Ford.
"We won't know until they play - and not just one game, but several games.
"It's a big ask to play in front of 82,000 at Twickenham and there will be nerves, but we can't say: 'Right, you've got one game and if you don't play well you're never going to play again.'
"If he's a good player before his first Test, he's still going to be a good player after it, regardless of what happens."
England's original 30-man squad to face the All Blacks featured seven uncapped players with Allen and Perry joined by Gloucester's Olly Morgan, Wasps' Tom Rees and Paul Sackey, Sale's Stuart Turner and Newcastle's Toby Flood.
 Andrew has had a full say in the selection of the squad |
England's coaching reshuffle in May, with Ford, Brian Ashton (attack) and John Wells (forwards) all joining the set-up, has seen a change to England's selection process.
All three have a voice on a five-man selection committee, together with new elite director of rugby Rob Andrew and head coach Robinson.
"Andy has the final say, and always will do," said Ford.
"We all give our views on the balance of the side, the way we want to play the game, which players fit into that style, which players are in form and so on.
"Everyone has their say, and Rob has a massive input. Most of the time we agree but there will be one or two positions where there's a difference of opinion.
"We can't come out of the selection meeting and say: 'It's not what I would have picked.' We all want the same thing: to pick a side to win a Test match."
Ford admitted he was unhappy that most members of the squad had been in action over the weekend.
 Lewsey walks off the pitch in Perpignan with a knee problem |
Wasps' Josh Lewsey suffered knee ligament damage against Perpignan, while Morgan injured his shoulder playing for Gloucester against Agen.
But Ford said he did not blame the clubs, with the Test against the All Blacks added as a controversial extra fixture to mark the opening of Twickenham's new South Stand.
"Everybody knows the situation with the club v country problem we have and that means we don't get much time with the players," he said.
"But those are cards we've been dealt. You're relying on players to come through injury free, before you can put together your 22.
"We know we can't have any more time with them, and we have to be fair to the Premiership clubs.
"They've got a job to do, but at the same time we want to get the best for England. It's not ideal but we're not going to complain."
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