Five young Premiership stars to fuel England's Six Nations efforts

Chris Ashton of Northampton knows how to score tries, something which England have found rather tricky of late. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

Chris Ashton

One of England's more urgent Six Nations priorities is to boost their try count – in three autumn Tests they scored one. For that reason alone the 22-year-old Northampton wing has to be a genuine contender. He is the Premiership's leading try‑scorer this season with nine and has scored 67 in 62 games since moving to union from his native Wigan, for whom he scored 30 tries in 52 games. Jim Mallinder, Saints' director of rugby, reckons Ashton has developed substantially this season and rejects the notion that the ex-league winger's defence might be exposed at the highest level. "This year we're seeing him become a really good all‑round rugby union player. Physically he can handle himself and he's now got a good defensive understanding. His kicking game has also improved massively."

Ashton is fortunate to be playing for a forward-thinking club keen to supply him with plenty of ball in high‑profile games, not least the eye-catching Heineken Cup win over Munster, in which he scored twice. He has the footwork and poacher's instincts to make the best sides pay. "I put myself in places that maybe other people don't," he says. "I'm going to keep doing that and try to get as many tries as I can." Mallinder thinks Martin Johnson and his coaches are weighing up their options. "I honestly don't know what they're thinking. As well as the likes of Chris, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Shane Geraghty, I've heard Jon Clarke's name mentioned. We want them all to aspire to play for their country. If they do, it's a pat on the back for everyone at the club. If they don't, hopefully they'll get a chance next time."

Dan Cole

Cole's scrummaging against Clermont Auvergne, Wasps and Saracens in the last month hinted at a decent big‑match temperament. He has one other handy advantage, having attended Robert Smyth School in Market Harborough, the alma mater of one Martin Osborne Johnson. "There isn't a statue of him in the playground but there is a plaque somewhere," says Cole. Initially he was a footballer but, at 6ft 3in and 19 stone, he is now the epitome of a new-age tighthead. He also has his feet on the ground. "England won't want to pick a third‑choice player," he says. "My main aim is to move up the pecking order at Leicester and play well for them. Long-term I'd love to play for my country but you don't want to be a one-cap wonder. I'd like to stay around for a while. I've played against some international props this season and I've done all right but it's not for me to pick the England side."

Alex Goode

Venter, even so, cannot hide his excitement. And with good reason. As a schoolboy, the talented Goode competed in national schools athletics finals, played county tennis and was part of Ipswich Town's academy. An aunt, Jo Goode, won a badminton bronze at the Sydney Olympics. Normally a No10, this season he has been playing full‑back and he has made the switch look effortless. Few players appear to have so much time on the ball, which is always a sign of class. "Going forward, his best position will be fly-half. If we make the transition slowly, we believe he could be even more successful as a No10," Venter says. "Next year we won't be replacing Glen Jackson and Alex will share the fly-half role with Derick Hougaard. Because he's such a valuable player, however, he'll also play a lot of rugby for us at No15. When he does play for England he'll be so well-prepared."

Matt Mullan

The Brighton-born Mullan, who attended Bromsgrove School a couple of years behind another England possible, Ben Foden, has been helped this week by the untimely rib injury to Newcastle's Jon Golding, another strong, uncapped contender for the No1 jersey. Ruddock does not subscribe to the view that props have to be gnarled veterans to survive at Test level. "By the end of the month, once he's fully match-fit again, he should be pushing for England recognition. You've got to be brave enough as coaches to give these guys a chance. We're confident Matt can play for England and we also think Miles Benjamin and Tom Wood could do the same. We were over the moon when Alex Grove, our first home-grown international, was capped for Scotland in the autumn. We're hoping that Matt and a couple of others will follow Alex's example."

Andy Saull

It also helps that Saull, a product of Woodford RFC, is being taught the tricks of the trade by Richard Hill, among the best English flankers of all time. "Very few loose forwards have the privilege of a mentor like Richard," Venter says, and the South African believes England's outlook is rosy. "I think England have a lot of good young players. But people have to look at their careers like a career, not as a one-off selection. It's no good just saying, 'Chuck them in there and see what happens.' Instead they need to say, 'This guy is good enough, I know he's good enough,' and make sure he realises his potential."

As far as Venter is concerned, the sky is the limit for Saull, who is studying part-time for a degree in financial economics at Birkbeck College, and his club-mate Goode. "Both of them have got a bit of an x-factor. As well as natural skill levels, they've both got a great attitude. We're very pleased to have them."

In theory the locally-born Cole is Leicester's third-choice tighthead prop, behind Martin Castrogiovanni and Julian White. In the coming weeks, however, he may just be unmasked as the most promising English-born tighthead since Phil Vickery. With Matt Stevens suspended, Vickery injured and White and Duncan Bell not getting any younger, the 22-year-old's excellent form since returning from ankle surgery has been nicely timed. Richard Cockerill, the Tigers' head coach, believes Cole's potential is "huge" and England may be tempted to pick him. "Is he close to playing Test match rugby? Possibly, because there are not a huge amount of English tightheads about," Cockerill says. "Has he the quality to survive in that arena? Maybe, maybe not but he's learning all the time." It is a question of when, not if, Goode plays for England. That, at least, is the firm view of Brendan Venter, his director of rugby at Saracens. "He's very special," Venter says, taking time out this week from discussing his even firmer views on referees. The South African has, however, advised delaying blooding the 21-year-old from Hertfordshire until this summer's tour to Australia. "Martin Johnson phoned me the other day and I suggested he waits with Alex. You could put him in the team now but too many players end up being chucked out. My advice was to be a bit more patient. That's what I'd do if I was Martin." The story of Matt Mullan's rise is an inspiring one for any hard-working academy player struggling to make the grade. "When I first arrived at Worcester he was our fourth-choice hooker but he struck me as a very good professional," Mike Ruddock, the Warriors' director of rugby, says. "He was always looking to do extra work and be as fit as he could be. I found out that he'd previously played loosehead prop so I put him back there because I wanted front-five forwards who could get around the pitch." Had the 22-year-old not suffered a nasty hamstring injury in the Amlin Challenge Cup in October he would almost certainly have played a Test already. "The whisper from the England camp was that he would have been capped in the autumn if he hadn't been injured," Ruddock says. "We're expecting great things from him." England are not exactly short of open-side flankers, with Steffon Armitage and the injured Tom Rees lying in wait if Lewis Moody's bravery rules him out at any stage. Surging up through the ranks, however, is a 21-year-old Saracen from suburban Essex with all the attributes to make a significant name for himself. "The big thing about Andy is that he's lightning fast and he's got great hands," Venter says, happy to mention Saull in the same breath as one of the great modern-day flankers. "For me he plays a little bit like George Smith. George was a three-quarter playing with a No7 on his back. Andy's got the skill and pace of a back, as well as the toughness of a forward. That's why he's so coachable."