Daily Mirror - 03.03.2020

Beware the

one that

got away

England warn Ed thEy may

soon rEgrEt lEtting thEir

formEr U20s world champ

tompkins play for walEs

DM1ST
mirror.co.uk/sport TUESDAY 03.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR Adult ServiceS

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England v walEs

Six nationS 2020

Saturday, ko 4.45pm

41

RUGBY LE aGUE: toRonto StaR iS BattLinG on

four will be playing in testing

subcontinent conditions for the

first time later this month.

Root said: “As well as

they did in South Africa,

this is another test for

them. The good thing is

they are hungry to learn

and improve.

“These are big games and a

chance to take our confidence

forward from South Africa.”

root rates new boys

BY Dean wILson

JOE ROOT says his young guns

have got what it takes to build

on their series win in South

Africa and meet the

challenge of Sri Lanka.

The England captain

(right) was delighted by the

performances of Dom Sibley,

Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley and

Dominic Bess as they triumphed

3-1 against the Proteas. And all

coach Brian McDermott says “would

make every news bulletin” if he was a

top sports star in America.

But Wilkin claims it needs to be

done as he wants to help the Super

League newcomers find their first win.

He said: “It is really important for

me I add my leadership and guidance.

“We are pretty low on troops and

the next three or four weeks are really

important.” Toronto face Leeds at

Headingley on Thursday.

wilkin’s op off for pack fight
BY JULIe stott
JON WILKIN insists he is happy to put
off knee surgery as Toronto’s needs
come before his.
The Wolfpack forward has been in
pain since he injured his knee in
pre-season and was booked in for an
operation two weeks ago.
But the 36-year-old decided to play
on instead, even though he can’t train
fully and limps badly because of the
pain and swelling. It’s a sacrifice that

He wIL KeeP GoInG

Wilkin giving all for club

CR iCKEt: SKippER UpBEat ahEad of toUR

how much effort it has taken.

England centre Alex Lozowski

said: “He has had to be patient,

but he’s now reaping the reward.

People are seeing what we have

known for years.

“That he’s got everything a

centre needs to thrive at the

highest level. His physicality is

unbelievable. He’s powerful and

explosive, a nightmare to defend

a g a i n s t .”

Tompkins, 25, will line up

opposite Sarries club-mates

Farrell and Elliot Daly. And with

Itoje, Jamie George, George

Kruis and Mako Vunipola also

on the pitch, England can’t say

they don’t know what’s coming.

“Nick is someone you’d want

in your trench every time,”

added Sanderson. “For his fight,

his tenacity, his aggression.

“I’m English and obviously I

want England to win, but I want

Nick to rip it up and I hope at

the end England are scratching

their heads, thinking, ‘How did

we let this one go?’ I really do.”

coach. “The rest were having a

laugh and he was just a bit lost.

“He said to me, ‘I don’t know

what I’m going to do’. I told him

to stay positive and to come

back for pre-season and give it

a proper crack.”

The fact Tompkins had

racked up a century of

appearances by the time he

wrote his name in lights, with a

try hat-trick in last season’s

Premiership semi-final, shows

back four years to when

Saracens won the Premiership

and European Cup double for

the first time and not many

people were saying that.

At the end-of-season drink-up

the players were in high spirits

save for Tompkins, a picture of

frustration sat in the corner

with Sanderson.

“He wasn’t getting a look in

and was almost crying,” recalled

Sarries’ forwards and defence

and 14-and-a-half stone – and

wonder, ‘How’s he going to

defend a Tuilagi’, don’t you?

“Yet every time he gets the

ball in his hand he surprises the

opposition because he carries

and tackles like someone who’s

two stone heavier.

“Technique, willpower,

whatever it is, he has an ability

in contact to punch above his

weight. And that makes him a

massive threat.” Turn the clock

TRIPLE Crown-chasing

England have been warned

that Nick Tompkins poses a

“massive threat” to their

ambitions on Saturday.

Born in Sidcup, Greater

London, the centre plays his

club rugby with Owen Farrell,

won a Junior World Cup with

England Under-20s alongside

Maro Itoje in 2014 and made

two appearances for England

Saxons two years later.

But the call never came from

Eddie Jones and at Twicken-

ham, when Tompkins pulls on a

Wales jersey courtesy of his

Wrexham-born grandmother,

England might live to regret it.

“Through the grapevine I hear

the feedback he got from

England was that he wasn’t big

enough to play international

rugby,” said Saracens coach Alex

Sanderson.

“And you do look at Nick – 6ft

BY aLeX sPInK

Rugby Correspondent

@alexspinkmirror

WORTH

NICK-ING

Tompkins back

in 2014 and

with Wales;

(circle) with

Aaron Morris

after Junior

World Cup win

r EtUrn of thE mako..

MAKO VUNIPOLA is back in England and set to

return to earn his 60th cap for his country

against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

Vunipola (right) missed the recent

win over Ireland, returning to

Tonga for family reasons. The

prop was named in a 34-man

squad, also including Anthony

Watson after a calf injury.

■■Former England wing Chris

Ashton has left Sale after a row with director

of rugby Steve Diamond.

w BBE targEts no.1 spot

RHYS WEBB is in no mood to settle for second

best on his Wales return.

The scrum-half is back in the international

fold after being released by Toulon.

Webb (right) saw his Wales

career interrupted when he

moved to France. But he is now

playing for Bath and was a

replacement in Wales’ win over

Italy. “I knew I wasn’t going to go

straight in as No.1,” said Webb. “But the No.9

jersey for Wales is the end goal.”