Ollie is the right man for England

SINCE Ollie Sleightholme won his first two England caps against New Zealand last summer, and then came off the bench again in the autumn series to score two tries against Australia, and another two against South Africa and Japan, he has not been exposed or looked out of place.

- JEREMY CUSCOTT

Given the recent injuries to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (shoulder dislocation) and George Furbank (broken arm), and the possibility that England’s back three could be significantly altered by the start of the Six Nations, Sleightholme’s arrival as a Test class finisher is pretty timely.

Sleightholme also benefited from coming into the squad with a lot of his Northampton mates, so he should have a lot of familiarity. It will be exciting, and he will be buzzing to get more chances at Test level after finishing last season as the Premiership’s top try scorer with 14 – which is what got him noticed by England head coach Steve Borthwick.

I read recently about how difficult it was for Feyi-Waboso to make his international breakthrough, but when he did, how it came in a rush. In today’s game data plays a much bigger role in selection.

In the past, with less data available, selection was based more on conversations between the England head coach and your club coach, and also about making headlines in the press — and even now when a player like Sleightholme looks fit, quick, punchy, and powerful, it’s something no coach can ignore.

Tom Roebuck is also playing well for Sale, and, like Sleightholme, he has forced his way into the England reckoning. Roebuck is a big man who is playing big, and is using his physical size and strength to make an impact in the same way that Duhan van der Merwe does for Scotland. Roebuck looks quick, and hungry for the ball – and he also has the knack of doing the right thing at the right time.

You could also argue that where Feyi-Waboso is still learning, Roebuck has been around at the top level a bit longer.