Watson injury opens door for uncapped 23-year-old sensation

There have been calls for Gloucester winger Ollie Thorley to start against Scotland this weekend after Eddie Jones cut his squad to 25 on Wednesday evening.

Anthony Watson will miss the Calcutta Cup game having already missed the opener in France last Sunday through injury. 

He was expected to retake his starting berth in Jones’ side in place for newly capped George Furbank, either starting at full-back or on the wing with Elliot Daly taking the 15 shirt. 

However, with Watson now ruled out, there is a campaign for Thorley to earn his first cap for England after the 23-year-old lit up the Gallagher Premiership with mazy runs covering the length and breadth of the pitch. 

It was a tough debut for Furbank in Paris, although it was a Test match where many England players struggled with the conditions and the ferocity of the French team. 

The Northampton full-back was deserving of his first cap given his form, but the same applies for Thorley. Daly could easily slot into the full-back role to give Thorley the opportunity to show what he is capable of at Murrayfield. 

Furthermore, the winger offers more physicality than his positional rivals, which is what England missed in France and may miss in the backline against Scotland with Manu Tuilagi injured. 

With the Leicester Tigers centre out, one of last week’s replacements, Ollie Devoto or Jonathan Joseph, is likely to start against Scotland, which would allow Furbank to move to the bench. 

Jones may be reluctant to make wholesale changes in the wake of the France loss, but Thorley is a player that has been unlucky not to be capped over the past year and could provide England with something they missed last week. 

WATCH: The Rugby Pod reflects on England’s loss in Paris and looks ahead to the Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland