England have drafted the Northampton prop Kieran Brookes into their squad for Saturday’s opening Six Nations game against Scotland. The tight-head could yet be involved in Murrayfield after proving his fitness for Saints in their Premiership game against Wasps on Friday.
Brookes will replace Bath’s Henry Thomas at training in Bagshot on Monday having made a swifter than expected recovery from the knee operation he underwent just before Christmas. England’s head coach, Eddie Jones, must now decide whether to promote him straight into the starting line-up ahead of Leicester’s Dan Cole or name him on the bench in place of his uncapped club colleague Paul Hill.
Brookes would almost certainly have been first-choice tight-head had he not been hurt in a European pool tie against Racing 92. Jones is keen to bolster his team’s set-piece strength and the 20 stone Brookes, who has already won 15 caps, would certainly add extra ballast to the matchday squad. He also packs down regularly alongside his fellow Saint Dylan Hartley, confirmed last week as England’s new captain.
There are no fresh injuries to England’s other squad members, with Exeter’s Sam Hill also returning to first-team action over the weekend. Jones is due to announce his starting XV on Thursday before the squad fly north to Edinburgh the following day. Scotland have not beaten England since 2008, although the 2010 fixture at Murrayfield was drawn.
