England have a problem at lock – and these youngsters are the solution

Telegraph

28-02-2025

Ted Hill's call-up for the Calcutta Cup would have been welcomed by the vast majority of those to have watched him in action for Worcester Warriors and Bath over recent years. The 25-year-old is an extraordinary athlete; essentially a 6ft 5in sprinter with phenomenal spring. Such individuals are rare, and useful.
As it happened, Hill was only introduced with 30 seconds remaining of England's edgy 16-15 victory. It was almost as if he was used like an NFL special teams-style restart specialist, replacing Ollie Chessum and chasing after Fin Smith's kick to tackle Scotland back-rower Matt Fagerson:
Regardless of that rather surreal development, Hill's inclusion in the match-day 23 was significant. Typically stationed in the back row for Bath, he had been drafted in for George Martin and was therefore covering lock, leaving Maro Itoje and Chessum as the only specialist second-rows in the squad. Had either of the latter suffered an early injury, England would have been seriously compromised.
Tom Willis has scrummaged at lock a couple of times for Saracens against Bristol Bears earlier this season. Chandler Cunningham-South has one senior start in that position and Ted Hill has two. Slim pickings, and a strong hint that second rows – or at least second rows trusted by Steve Borthwick to feature in Test matches – are very thin on the ground. The news that Martin will miss the remainder of the Six Nations heightens the dilemma. Then again, England do have an ideal head coach to prepare part-timers for the engine room.
There are caveats. Nick Isiekwe, used during the autumn, has been injured. Arthur Clark of Gloucester was hurt during the Girona training camp. Joe Batley's fantastic start to the season has been disrupted. Alex Coles, who won four caps off the bench in 2024, only returned to the wider squad on February 16. Ted Hill, conversely, has been close to ever-present since being brought in to replace Charlie Ewels prior to the November campaign.
And yet, the situation still feels delicate. Not quite the same as England's scenario at inside centre, but not miles away.
Borthwick has options. There are 66 players to have worn shirt numbers 4, 5 or 19 in the Premiership this season and around 35 will be eligible and available to England now. But there are reasons Borthwick might be reticent as well.
Ewels has been sent off twice in his last two Test matches, both within minutes of taking the field. Jonny Hill, still at Sale Sharks, came back from the rupture of his patella tendon a couple of months ago. Chunya Munga has settled at Northampton Saints, but suffered a minor fitness setback in January.
Freddie Clarke is a Gloucester favourite. Hugh Tizard has now started two England A matches in succession. Joe Owen of Bristol Bears or Ben Bamber up at Sale would be wildcards but, even given the formidable form of Jack Willis, there is a strong argument that Toulon skipper David Ribbans would be the first player that Borthwick would integrate from the Top 14 exiles were he able to pick from France. Alex Moon joined Bayonne last summer as well.
It is difficult to transition from the age-grade scene and into the middle of a first-team pack. As reported in The Times earlier this month, only five locks in the past decade have graduated from England U20 to a senior cap: Martin, Chessum, Isiekwe, Ewels and Coles. Clark will probably be next, with others in the mix for Argentina if front-line England players tour with the British and Irish Lions. But it is hardly a prolific production line.
Lewis Chessum, the England Under-20 captain in 2023, is currently on loan from Leicester Tigers at Sagamihara Dynaboars in Japan. Ewan Richards, now 22, was called up by Eddie Jones for a taster of the senior England set-up in 2022. Last season, the Bath youngsters had to make do with three Premiership Cup outings as well as three more in the Premiership and two in the Championship while on loan to Cambridge. Richards has been captaining Johan van Graan's side in the Premiership Cup this term, and clearly remains part of the first-team shake-up.
In more encouraging news, some promising tyros appear on the cusp of emerging. England Under-20 are being captained by Tom Burrows, who has Olamide Sodeke as a lock partner and Junior Kpoku as a rangy, imposing blindside flanker. The latter, who trained with Borthwick's seniors a while suspended for his 20-minute red card against Ireland Under-20, remains at Racing 92 but is aiming to represent England at the 2027 World Cup.
Tom Lockett, a 6ft 8in Northampton prospect, was at the heart of an assertive performance from England A at Ashton Gate last Sunday. The 22-year-old began with holding up Sean Jansen and wrestling the carrier backwards to force a knock-on:
Lockett lifted a deft pull-back pass to Charlie Atkinson to spark the move that led to Ollie Hassell-Collins' first try:
He also called the line-out, which defied tricky moments in tough conditions to provide a decent platform. This take at the tail allowed Tom Pearson to peel and link with Greg Fisilau for a big territory gain:
Later on, towards the end of the first half, Lockett stooped low to cut down Hugh Gavin, leading to a Jack Kenningham turnover…
…and jackalled himself for a steal in the 79th minute that eventually brought about Hassell-Collins' second score:
Lockett is extremely well balanced when he opens his stride. Northampton released this video of him in full flight on the way to the try-line in a 50-23 Premiership Cup defeat of Coventry:
6'7" moving like heaven 🥵
An outrageous finish from second row @tomlockett12 yesterday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/OkWNxwLrSC
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) February 9, 2025
Recent reliance on Martin illustrates how England simply do not produce many of the hefty, Joe Launchbury-style locks who scrummage behind tighthead props. Tizard would count in this category. Rus Tuima of Exeter Chiefs has been on the radar and James Dun is among Bristol's best.
Lockett was the official player of the match for England A in their victory over Ireland A, but Kenningham was also excellent and, as a natural jumper in the back row with exceptional jackalling skills, the Harlequin could be valuable as a way for Borthwick to accommodate a bopping lock.
While Chessum has been off the pitch, leaving Itoje, Martin and Tom Curry as the go-to targets, England have needed to fudge the line-out somewhat. Ted Hill's promotion reinforces a philosophy that Borthwick has continually articulated this campaign: that international rugby union requires relentless running.
Tom Harrison, the England scrum coach, deserves significant credit for the display against Scotland. With a reasonably light back five, the hosts enjoyed marked superiority in his area. What will hearten Italy and Wales, though, is that Scotland caused issues with a couple of mauls. Martin is a trump card here for England, who were defensively sturdy when Ireland and France opted to drive.
That responsibility, as well as the myriad others that come under the job description of a modern lock, now rests chiefly with Itoje and Chessum as England aim to finish their Six Nations in a convincing manner. Yet even with two authoritative wins, they still have to face up to a curious second-row predicament.