Eddie Jones has reiterated that his captain Owen Farrell ‘is the right man to lead the team' as he named six debutants in his 2022 Six Nations squad earlier today.
Despite captaining his side to a dismal fifth place last year and losing the spotlight to the younger and more exciting Marcus Smith, Jones backs his 12 to be captain for another year.
He said: “Owen has the respect of the team; he's a winner, he drives the competitive spirit of the team and he's the right man to lead the team.”
Jones has named six debutants in his squad – Ollie Hassell-Collins, Orlando Bailey, Luke Nortmore, Tommy Freeman, Alfie Barbeary and Ollie Chessum.
He said: “They all deserve the opportunity, they have shown enough to warrant their places in the squad.
“Ollie is a young back rower come lock, we see him in the same sort of mould as Courtney Lawes. We're looking for someone with a similar skillset as Courtney, he's got good line out skills, he can carry, he can hit, and he's got plenty of energy and vigour.
“Hassell-Collins is a big, strong winger who breaks tackles, he came through the England 7s set up. Tommy Freeman we believe can play full back or wing and possibly 13. He's got a natural feel for the game.
“Orlando Bailey has done very well in a team that has been struggling, can take the ball to the line, is a strong defender and can play 10, 12 or 15. We're particularly looking for those multi-skilled backs players who are going to be important, not only in this Covid era but going forward to the next World Cup.
“Luke Northmore is another player out of Cardiff Met Uni, which seems to be a popular breeding ground for Test match rugby players. Alex Dombrandt and now Northmore is out of there. He runs strong lines, carries well through contact and has got good footwork.
“Alfie has been picked over what we've seen over the last two seasons. He's got an extraordinary ability to break tackles and carry the ball forward in close contact. He came in as a hooker and has ended up at No.8. He feels his best position is in the back row and we agree with him, so we're looking forward to seeing how he can move forward into Test rugby.”
The squad includes a mix of youth and experience, with experienced heads Jamie George, Courtney Lawes and Ben Youngs all selected.
Youngs could become England men's most-capped player during the tournament as he is just two caps behind Jason Leonard's record 114.
The squad is without some high-profile names as George Ford, Billy and Mako Vunipola remain omitted despite strong performances at club level.
Jones added: “This year's Six Nations will be won by the team that is most adaptable.”
