With regards to Skelton - where people are saying he is in whenever he is available - what if that is only 50-60% of the time? Team cohesion needs to be factored in somewhere.
I've been skeptical about this since he was under discussion. It isn't simply a generic issue of cohesion, but impacts jumping (selection of the back row) and reinforces the role of the locks in tight. I would think that you have to design the team around his being available so that you need a "Skelton lite" when he's not there, even if the lite version is a jumper.
As for Skelton the only drama is that he doesn’t jump which means you need to change up the back row if you are planning on a Valentini, Wilson, McReight combo
Last year we saw that Skelton had taken on a jumping role though I don't think serious commentators were going as far a calling him a primary jumper. I presume he is still doing that, the same as I presume he is still in "world best" form?
@TSR It is an utter compromise and has implication outside of his availability. And we have been seeing some good locking talent coming through. Still we have few genuinely internationally rated possibilities. I wouldn't have him as Captain but I'm OK with him being the auto-pick - even when only partially available.
I'm not Schmidt of course.