Theo Dan keen to make mark for England in Argentina

Keen tourist Theo Dan is relishing the prospect of adding another couple of stamps to his passport this summer.

The Saracens hooker, 24, hopes to add to his 17 England caps in Argentina and the USA as Steve Borthwick’s side head across the Atlantic.

They are destinations and cultures Dan is keen to soak up on and off the field and he has been tapping up some of his teammates at StoneX Stadium for an inside track.

“It would be my first time in Argentina and I’ve never been to the USA either, so it would be an amazing experience,” he said.

“At Sarries, we have Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti and we have spoken about it a little bit over coffees, asking them what it’s like and about the stadiums we’ll be playing in.

“They’ve both played in both of them and said it’s unbelievable. One of them is a football stadium in Buenos Aires (home of Estudiantes) and the atmosphere there is one I’m really excited to experience.

“You have to be sensible, of course, but I try to be a tourist where I can, especially when you’re going somewhere you’ve not been before.

“Japan was incredible, Tokyo was one of the best places I’ve ever been.

“I loved it there, and being able to explore bits of New Zealand was amazing as well.”

Before all that Dan will be a key man in the team for the uncapped clash against a France XV at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Jamie George

Dan’s fellow hooker Jamie George was called up to Lions training ahead of the match against Argentina on Friday and could put himself in a strong position to go to Australia rather than the Americas leaving Dan as first choice.

“Jamie is a great guy and one of my really close friends, I feel very lucky to call him that,” said Dan. “He has been a great mentor to me and also the younger guys coming into camp. He’s an incredible asset to have in any camp.”

Tobias Elliott

Dan’s Saracens teammate Tobias Elliott is in line to make his debut for England after a standout season on the wing.

“Tobias has been outstanding for us this year,” Dan said. “It might feel like he’s broken through from out of nowhere but for us at the club it’s no real surprise.

“He has been knocking on the door for the past year in training, he has trained and played really well for Ampthill and in the Prem Cup.

“It’s no surprise he’s transitioned seamlessly into the Premiership and I’m really excited for him. I hope he takes it with both hands and enjoys it as it’s a really good opportunity and he deserves it.”

Scrum-halves Charlie Bracken and Will Porter joined this week’s training squad, while Northampton full-back George Furbank will continue his rehabilitation from concussion as part of the get-together at Pennyhill Park.

Borthwick is without several scrum-half options, with first-choice Alex Mitchell selected for the Lions while Leicester‘s Jack van Poortvliet and Bath’s Ben Spencer played in yesterday’s Premiership final and Bristol‘s Harry Randall is injured.

Henry Arundell

Henry Arundell also joined the England squad for this week’s training camp at Pennyhill Park after playing his final game for French side Racing 92.

The 22-year-old wing, who has 10 caps, joined Racing in 2023 after the demise of London irish. He has agreed a return to the Premiership with Bath for next season, making him available for England selection.

England XV face France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 21 June at 3:15pm. Tickets from £25, please visit www.englandrugby.com/ xvtickets

By Paul Martin

READ MORE: Jeremy Guscott – Time for Henry Arundell to prove his worth