Alan Watkins: Paul's conversion at the centre of England's difficulties

England are having their problems with injuries, and in no area are these more acute than in the centre. But even without the widespread injury problem - brought about, Jonathan Davies suggests in The Independent on Sunday, less by playing than by excessive training - Andy Robinson, the head coach, would be having his difficulties with this position.

England are having their problems with injuries, and in no area are these more acute than in the centre. But even without the widespread injury problem - brought about, Jonathan Davies suggests in The Independent on Sunday, less by playing than by excessive training - Andy Robinson, the head coach, would be having his difficulties with this position.

For instance, was Will Greenwood's international career over, whether on account of a lack of enthusiasm or of the passage of time? And, if it was, who was to replace him? If it was not, was his better position at inside or outside centre? He has resolved these questions by, sadly, getting himself injured.

The one fixed point is missing too: Mike Tindall, who used to be patronised as a stolid citizen but made himself increasingly indispensable with every match that passed.

Stuart Abbott might have expected to fill one of these vacancies. But in the Biarritz v Wasps Heineken Cup match earlier this month, he broke his leg. Or, rather, his leg was broken in a collision with the Biarritz flanker Serge Betsen. The Frenchman has now suffered an injury of his own, which is less serious but perhaps shows that God is not mocked.

I see no reason why I should not anticipate the disciplinary proceedings which the London club have started. Rugby tribunals are not the same as courts of law. From where I was sitting, which was in front of a television set, Betsen did not intend to break Abbott's leg but certainly intended to impede his further progress, using his foot for this purpose.

What the disciplinary committee decides may or may not be helpful to the Scots, whom France play on 5 February, but it is of small consolation to Abbott. In these circumstances, with at least three centres of international experience out of action, I would expect the recall of Henry Paul to be virtually automatic. But it seems that it is not so; far from it.

Personally inoffensive, as far as I know, he is nevertheless among those players who arouse controversy; about whom others take sides. There is still no adequate explanation of why Robinson removed him from the field after 25 minutes of the last pre-Christmas Twickenham international, so depriving the home side not only of a competent player but, crucially, of goal-kicking cover. Indeed, I would argue that Paul's substitution cost England the match.

One explanation is that he had missed some tackles which he ought to have made. Another explanation is that he does not play for England as he does for Gloucester. It does not seem to me that Paul plays worse for England than for Gloucester but that he is required by the house style to play differently. In particular, he is expected to stand closer to defences rather than to come from deep, and finds this difficult; or so it is asserted.

Well, if that is the trouble, it should surely have been sorted out before Paul was picked for England in the first place. And the missed-tackle explanation is clearly inadequate - all the more so since, in the previous international, Paul had created a try for Mark Cueto by means of a well-judged cross-kick.

But there is a wider point at issue. It is part of an even larger question. The wider point concerns the treatment of former league players such as Paul. The larger question is what we expect an inside centre to do.

In British rugby, it is a comparatively recent innovation. For example, Bleddyn Williams, about whom I wrote a few weeks ago, was Wales' left centre, usually partnered by Jack Matthews on the right. Matthews was, I suppose, what later became known as a "banger''.

The practice of playing a banger with a more elusive citizen, a hard centre and a softer centre, came in about 25 years ago. Almost invariably, the banger was assigned the inside position. An early example was Tony Bond, of Sale and England. The supreme exponent was Scott Gibbs, of Swansea and Wales.

This is the reverse of the way New Zealand have traditionally organised their midfield. Thus the robust, direct Joe Stanley was a centre - that is, an outside centre. He played outside the second five-eighth, who saw himself more as a second outside-half.

Iestyn Harris, who was never properly appreciated by Wales, played in this way. So does Henry Paul. And another is Mike Catt. And he is even less likely, I feel, to receive a call from Mr Robinson.