The training squad for England’s Six Nations match against Scotland on Saturday includes Manu Tuilagi, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and George Martin, increasing their potential options.

Tuilagi and Cowan-Dickie, who are both members of Sale Sharks, along with Leicester’s second-rower Martin, are expected to be able to play in the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield. This would give England the opportunity to secure their third consecutive win in the tournament this year.

Marcus Smith, the fly-half for the Harlequins, and Ollie Lawrence, the centre for Bath, have both joined the group at Twickenham to continue their rehabilitation for injuries. Smith is currently dealing with a calf injury, while Lawrence is recovering from a hip issue.

Felix Jones, assistant coach for England, expressed optimism about Steve Borthwick having a complete and healthy team to choose from when facing Scotland. Jones stated, “We are taking a day-to-day approach with the new players. As each day passes, we will have a better understanding, but everyone seemed to be in good condition today.” Jones also mentioned that Manu had a light workout today and appeared to be in good form.

When questioned about Tuilagi’s limited playing time due to a groin injury since before Christmas, Jones stated that Tuilagi has enough experience in Test rugby to perform at a high level even with low game time after returning from an injury. Experience is a significant factor.

“Ollie Lawrence was present today and we are closely monitoring his progress. We will observe how he fares in the coming days. He appeared to be in good condition.”

Following wins over Italy and Wales, Borthwick is optimistic that his strengthened team can enhance their performance against Scotland. In the last six Calcutta Cup matches, Gregor Townsend’s team has emerged victorious in four, with a 38-38 tie in 2019.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the winger for Exeter, has received guidance from experienced players on England’s team on how to ignore negative remarks on social media. Despite being born in Wales, the 21-year-old has sparked controversy with his decision to represent England.

“I have spoken to many of the players here at the England camp and I am surprised by the strategies they use to avoid distractions from rugby. It’s helpful advice,” shared Feyi-Waboso, who recently played his first match against Italy. “Currently, I make sure to delete Instagram during the week.”

There was some disturbance, but I managed to ignore most of it. Thankfully, I have a supportive family who played a significant role in my choice to represent England.

Feyi-Waboso, who played for Taunton last year and is currently juggling playing rugby with studying medicine at Exeter University, described his quick rise to international rugby as “unbelievable”. He mentioned having an upcoming exam in a few weeks and may have to temporarily leave for it. After the Six Nations, he has another exam just three days after returning from France, so he will be studying during that time.

The Italian national rugby team, participating in the Six Nations tournament, has added Harlequins player Louis Lynagh to their squad for the first time. This comes before their upcoming match against France on Sunday. On Monday, Quins revealed that Lynagh, whose father is the former Australian captain Michael Lynagh, will be joining Benetton in the summer to further his goals of playing at an international level.

Gonzalo Quesada, Italy’s head coach, has promptly chosen the winger who was previously chosen for an England training squad by Eddie Jones in 2021. The Italian team will face France in Lille following losses to England and Ireland.

Source: theguardian.com