Ahead of his 10th Six Nations campaign, there's one fresh face among the England camp who has captain Owen Farrell particularly excited to see what he can do.
New head coach Steve Borthwick named five uncapped players in his first squad after replacing Eddie Jones at the helm in December. The squad is also missing a number of stars and former staples, leaving room for the less experienced members to make a name for themselves as a new England era dawns.
"It's very, very hard to pick out," England's 11-year veteran told Mirror Sport and other media outlets at the Guinness Six Nations launch when asked whom he thought the 'rising star' of the new squad is. "I think there are quite a few. Obviously there are some uncapped players who are putting in great competition for places."
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When pressed for an answer on who has his eye, the skipper conceded: "One name I'm looking forward to seeing is Ben Curry. I've not been in camp with him before, and I'm an admirer of how he plays."
Although Curry is in fact older than twin brother and fellow Sale Shark Tom by 90 minutes, it's his sibling who has stolen more of the international limelight to date. As well as being a veteran of 45 England caps at the age of 24, the younger member of the Curry crop was also a mainstay for Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions during the 2021 tour of South Africa.
Ben, on the other hand, has a solitary England appearance after coming off the bench against the United States in July 2021. The former England under-20 has nonetheless been a reliable force for his Premiership employers, racking up 148 appearances for Sale since 2016 (55 more than Tom).
As well as his brother's absence, Curry's odds of featuring in the February 4 headliner against Scotland are also boosted by Monday's news that vice-captain Courtney Lawes has been forced out of the squad. The Northampton Saints talisman proved a high-value asset for his country across the back five of the pack in recent years, but a calf injury has thrown his tournament (or at least the start of it) into doubt.
Saracens flanker Ben Earl is another resurgent member of the squad whom many might expect to feature after failing to start any of his 13 caps under Jones. Among those uncapped newcomers, in-form wingers Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish) and Cadan Murley (Harlequins) are also drawing a great deal of excitement.
There's no denying Borthwick's first England squad has lost a touch of class without the younger of the Curry brood among its ranks, but it looks as though the family name won't go unrepresented in the weeks to come. Not only that, but Farrell's comments suggest the one available member of that bloodline could be set to ignite a legacy all of his own.
