England will leave it until the 11th hour to make a call on whether Owen Farrell plays against Scotland on Saturday after stating that he was unable to train at Twickenham on Friday because of an unspecified leg injury.
Farrell picked up the knock in training on Thursday and while he was present at the captain’s run on Friday, his participation was minimal. England have until an hour before kick-off against Scotland on Saturday to remove Farrell from their starting lineup, with Ben Te’o standing by to fill the No12 jersey.
“Owen didn’t train today [Friday] and we’re monitoring his leg injury,” said the England defence coach, Paul Gustard. “He didn’t train so by definition there’s a small concern about him. But we’re confident in his rehab. And if he doesn’t come through we’re very happy with Ben Te’o.”
Jonny May is with the squad as the 24th-man but as Farrell plays at No12 but provides fly-half cover for George Ford, and considering England have not called on any other No10s, it would suggest confidence that Farrell will feature in the matchday 23. The uncapped Alex Lozowski, who was reportedly seen at England’s Bagshot training base on Thursday, has been named on the bench for Saracens’ Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final on Saturday but it is understood there is nothing stopping Jones calling him up.
Pressed on who would provide cover to Ford if Farrell is ruled out, Gustard added: “We’re confident with Owen at the moment. We’ll talk about further permutations later on. It’s Eddie’s decision, what he wants to do. But at the moment it’s not something we’ve discussed.
“We’re not bringing anyone in. We have Jonny May with us at the moment as 24th man, so we have some flexibility as cover. We’re really confident [if Farrell misses out]. Whatever combination we end up with at 10, 12, 13, we’re happy.”
Farrell’s participation has been shrouded in mystery since Thursday after a spiky press conference from Jones, who gave mixed messages and went as far as to claim that his dog, Annie, was the culprit for the injury. At the time he said: “Owen could be a doubt. He’s got a bad leg, so he couldn’t finish training. He’ll be all right.” When it was put to him that he had given conflicting answers, he replied: “Yeah, but I think he’ll be all right. Is that OK?”
Both Dylan Hartley and Jonathan Joseph subsequently expressed confidence that Farrell would be fit to play but it remains a clouded issue. If he is ruled out however, it would be a major blow to England, who are seeking a record-equalling 18th consecutive victory. He was uncharacteristically off-colour against Italy but has started every match under Jones for which he has been available and has not finished on the losing side for club or country since January 2016.
If Farrell is deemed not fit enough to start, Ford would most likely assume kicking duties despite struggling badly when last doing so – he missed six of his seven kicks against Wales last May amid boos from the Twickenham crowd.
Hogg confident he can satisfy the hype
Stuart Hogg rarely lacks confidence but his claim that it is Scotland’s turn to win the Calcutta Cup and that they will do so if they play to their potential can be considered a bold statement of intent.
While England circle the wagons amid increased concerns over Farrell’s fitness, Scotland are buoyant as they seek a first win at Twickenham in 34 years and a first in the fixture since 2008. So much so that rather than carry out their captain’s run at Twickenham, they did so in a park opposite their team hotel in nearby Teddington.
Hogg’s form is a key reason for their confidence. The 2016 player of the tournament has scored three tries and played a starring role in both impressive victories over Scotland and Wales. There are question marks over his defence but if Scotland’s scrum can achieve the parity and give Finn Russell a platform to unlock his backline, Hogg will have licence to dazzle in front of the watching Lions head coach, Warren Gatland.
“If we get things right, put in an 80-minute performance and get our game plan right-then it should result in a win, I truly believe that,” the full-back said. “We have analysed them a fair bit and opportunities will come. Here is hoping we can execute them. There will be momentum shifts in this game. We will be on the back foot, we will be under pressure but it is all about how we react to these situations. We have to take the initiative and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
“England are a world class side and we have to shut them down defensively. England performances may not have been the best but they have still been getting results. Fair play to England but it is our turn to come down and win.”
Such has his form been so far in the Championship that in the buildup to today’s match, Hogg has commanded almost as much attention as Eddie Jones’s dog, Annie. Hogg acknowledges his defensive deficiencies but is determined to live up to his growing hype.
“It is nice to be talked up but it is now about me backing it up. It is now about me making it a reality,” he added. “It is up to me to go out there and express myself and to get hands on ball in space. You are never the complete player. There are always going to be weaknesses in your game and you could say defence is one of mine. I work incredibly hard on it. When things are going well there is always going to be someone to put you down. I am fully aware my defence isn’t the strongest, but I will continue to work on it.”
