Winds of change blow as Jones selects England squad fans have been craving

The winds of change are finally rustling the palm trees beside the nearby Swan River. Not only will Courtney Lawes lead England into Saturday’s first Test against Australia in preference to Owen Farrell but Eddie Jones has also parachuted three experimental new caps into his matchday 23. It is as significant a cabinet reshuffle as English rugby has undergone for a while.

Most strikingly of all it is a development that has, according to his head coach, left Farrell “very unhappy”. Normally in these situations the deposed captain swallows his disappointment and there is diplomatic talk of smooth, orderly transitions. Not this time. If anything, to use the Australian vernacular, it seems that Farrell has spat the dummy and is totally spewing.

The party line is that England are trying to take some pressure off the 30-year-old Saracen in an effort to help him recapture his best Test form. Maybe it will bear fruit but the knock-on effects could prove considerable. Barring a major U-turn someone else will now lead England at next year’s World Cup with Farrell no longer seen by the management as first among equals.

If, to some extent, the decision has been partially prompted by Farrell missing the entire Six Nations following ankle surgery it would have been easy enough to reunite him with the armband for this tour given that, in his absence, England did not collectively pull up many trees with Lawes in charge. Instead Jones has gone the other way and left a dismayed Farrell – “I Fought the Lawes and the Lawes Won” – humming along to The Clash.

Maybe the recent changing of the guard in English cricket – and Joe Root’s subsequent mountain of runs – has helped to sway Jones. Or could it be belated acceptance that Farrell can be