England’s Six Nations plans have suffered fresh disruption with the Harlequins centre Joe Marchant having returned a positive Covid test. His isolation period will sideline him until later this week, making him a highly unlikely starter for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown with Scotland and adding to the visitors’ selection headaches.
Head coach Eddie Jones had been set to hand Marchant a starting role but must now reassess, with Jonny May also sidelined and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman another casualty having injured a hamstring in training. Previously omitted wingers Adam Radwan and Louis Lynagh have been called up to the squad, while Nick Isiekwe will remain as cover for Courtney Lawes who is still “going through protocols” according to an RFU spokesperson.
The prop Joe Marler is also currently isolating following a positive Covid test. In Marchant’s probable absence there could well be first Six Nations start for Gloucester’s Mark Atkinson at inside centre, with Owen Farrell and Manu Tuilagi already unavailable.
No fewer than 16 of Jones’s training squad have never previously featured in the championship and face an instant test of character at Murrayfield on the opening weekend.
No one has a better idea of what to expect than Ben Youngs, who made his England debut in Edinburgh as a replacement wing as long ago as 2010 and has never lost a Test at Murrayfield in a career which has yielded 112 caps for his country. Now 32, Youngs says his younger teammates need to understand the unique rhythms and rigours of the Six Nations and the crucial importance of early momentum.
“It’s just about making the guys aware it is bigger than what they experienced in the autumn,” stressed Youngs, now within touching distance of Jason Leonard’s all-time England record of 114 caps. “The Six Nations is an incredible tournament. It is huge and some guys come in and potentially don’t understand the magnitude of it. We have spoken about that already as a team and about what to expect.
“Everyone gets involved in the Six Nations. It really captivates the nation. The first thing we want to hammer home to the young guys is what a great privilege it is to play in. You don’t want them overthinking too much but you want them to be aware this is a great opportunity. You also have got to get at it quickly because everyone knows Six Nations is about momentum. Starting well and getting off to a good one is really important.”
With no Farrell or Tuilagi currently available to Jones – and not only them – Youngs believes it is time for others to step up as England seek to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish. “When you lose world-class players, you certainly notice it. For sure,” he said. “But it also allows guys the opportunity to come in and show what they’re about. For me it allows the team to grow. “People will come in and add more than they did previously. I think you’ve got to look at it as an exciting way for this group to try and kick on. When those other guys return you want them to be looking at the group and thinking: ‘Blimey, the team has moved forward since I’ve been away.’ That’ll be testament to us if we’re able to do that.”
England’s recent record against Scotland, however, has been patchy with a narrow 13-6 victory two years ago their only win in the last four Calcutta Cup meetings. Youngs, accordingly, is wary of the Scots’ attacking game and agrees that the fly-half Finn Russell’s likely duel with Marcus Smith will be a pivotal area. “Scotland’s game has definitely evolved, without doubt. Finn has had a big say in that. I’d say he’s a very similar style to Marcus in terms of that ability to make big plays, to roll the dice and have the tools in the armoury to actually pull them off. They play a fast game and move the ball a lot more. They have game breakers and those guys have had a huge say in where they are now.”
The Leicester scrum-half has not yet had time to establish the same instinctive relationship with Smith he enjoys with George Ford – “George doesn’t have to tell me what he wants, I know what he wants” – but insists he is still keen to improve after 12 years of Six Nations endeavour.
This season he is aiming to retain the starting No 9 jersey ahead of Bristol’s Harry Randall and Sale’s Raffi Quirke and says the youthful duo are keeping him on his toes. He is particularly an admirer of Randall’s quick-tap instincts and Quirke’s defensive enthusiasm but is not about to relinquish his shirt without a fight. “I love what I do and that love has never gone,” Youngs said, insisting he still has the requisite level of competitive desire. “If you love what you do, why would you lose motivation in it? There’s plenty that keeps me coming back.”
Youngs also believes England have benefited from a timely motivational talk from the Olympic and world champion athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill.
“She was amazing. We have had plenty of speakers come in and she is probably one of the best we have had,” he said. “It was just fascinating to watch someone who, in 2012, inspired a nation with what she did. There was plenty to take out of it, for sure.”
