Legendary scrum-half Matt Dawson has raised concerns about England’s squad dynamics following the culmination of the 2024 Six Nations tournament.
In his thought-provoking column for BBC Sport, Dawson has hinted at the potential departure of two pivotal players from the England camp in the near future, echoing the recent exit of Manu Tuilagi.
The former England star suggested that the esteemed duo of captain Jamie George and seasoned fly-half George Ford might be on the brink of bidding adieu to the national squad, despite lingering doubts over whether they have fully realised their potential in the English jersey.
He said: “There is absolutely no question in my mind that the likes of Jamie George and Ford, in particular, have had a conversation between themselves along the lines of: ‘We haven’t got that much longer in an England jersey, how are we going to go out?’.
“They have played in the same sort of team with loads of their mates and got to a World Cup final, and played in big games but ‘have we really maximised our potential?’. They are two bright guys and seem to have good common sense away from rugby as well.”
Dawson added: “The coaches have changed selection, tweaked their approach and changed the intent because you can see, when they are in that groove, that is the way the team want to play.
“They look like a team embracing the quality of individuals they are training and playing with and it is incredibly refreshing to see before facing Japan and New Zealand in the summer.”
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#1. Dave Attwood
Dave Attwood facts:
He made 157 appearances in Blue, Black and White over an eight-year period during his first spell at Bath before returning in 2022
His debut came against Newcastle Falcons at the beginning of the 2011/12 season after arriving from Gloucester, scoring four tries in his first campaign
The lock quickly established himself as a key player in the Bath pack and excelled at international level too, with 22 of his 24 England caps coming whilst at the Re
The former England international has also played for Bristol (twice), Gloucester and Toulon during his established career