Scotland 'sniffs' English trio without caps on Sale

Roebuck made a splash in Sale's win over Saracens, strengthening his case for international recognition. Photo: Getty Images/Ian Kruger

Sale Sharks backing Tom Roebuck, Arron Reid and Gus Warr are the subject of an international tug-of-war and Steve Borthwick has warned he will have to act quickly to tie up the trio.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend last week visited dual-qualified forwards Robeck and Reed and scrum-half Warr. Borthwick also recently visited Sale's Carrington training ground to meet Roebuck and Reid among other players. Both managers will announce their squads for the Six Nations next month.

Roebuck boosted his international profile with his scoring performance in Sale Sharks' Premier League clash with Saracens last Friday. The 22-year-old was born in Inverness but grew up in Cheshire and has previously been called up to Eddie Jones' training squad.

However, as long as he remains unrestricted, he will not be tied to any country and Sale's director of rugby Alex Sanderson has warned Borthwick of Scotland's interest. “Roebuck was exceptional [against Saracens] — he could have easily been man of the match, especially with the scoring he took about six men with him,” Sanderson said. “He's been in good form all season so I'm sure he'll be on England's radar. Well, he's on their radar, so we'll see what Steve [Bortwick] does.

“Gregor Townsend has been sniffing around all week. Steve keeps his cards very close to his chest, so he wouldn't let me tell him what I was thinking, but I called him just to let him know that Gregor Townsend was in town. He arrived to meet them, so now the ball is in Steve's court, isn't it?

Fin Smith could move to Scotland

A similar fight is breaking out over Northampton midfielder Fin Smith, who was in Borthwick's Six Nations squad this year. Telegraph Sport understands Smith has been told he will be guaranteed a place in the Scotland squad if he shows his allegiance north of the border, while Owen Farrell's absence opens up an extra half-space in England's Six Nations squad.

< p>Players like Smith and Roebuck are keen to keep their options open, but even if they are not selected for the opening Six Nations games, they could still be forced to make a decision in England A's match against Portugal on February 25. Represent England A will «capture» the player, meaning under World Rugby laws he cannot represent another country for three years, even if he has no restrictions remaining at Test level.

Fin Smith has emerged as a potential England midfielder in Owen Farrell's absence. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers Ben Curry rallies to catch England's attention

Another player who could return to England's Six Nations squad is flanker Ben Curry, who is for sale. Tom's twin brother, who is likely to miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury, played four Six Nations games this year in Borthwick's first campaign.

However, he was not selected for the World Cup squad and was advised to become more physical in defense. His answer was excellent. Last week, Opta Sports released statistics showing Curry made the most tackles (41) of any player in the world in 2023 and had the second most tackles per 80 minutes among players with over 800 minutes played.

< p>As if to underscore his point, Curry produced a man-of-the-match performance last Friday against Saracens' vaunted backline in front of England coaches Richard Wigglesworth and Kevin Sinfield. “He's good in the frame there, that's what Steve said,” Sanderson said. “One of the improvements that England asked him for was his physical superiority in defense. Statistics came out this week showing he made the most dominant tackles in 2023.

New look, bigger Ben Curry is causing problems for Premier League attack coaches. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers

“He's more focused on tackling than on the ball. If you're a good Jackal, sometimes you try to get them out and get the ball, but he's worked on his mentality about what England want and put on a little bit of size. He's grown up a little. He enjoys that part of the game.

“He fills a role that he wasn't always known for. He's always been physically good and good on the ball, but the actual impact on the gain line — owning the gain line — he does that better than anyone else. So what else does he need to do?