Daly faces key England fitness test

ELLIOT Daly faces a key training session as he seeks to prove his fitness for England’s NatWest 6 Nations clash with France.

The Wasps wing has missed the opening three rounds of the title defence with ankle and calf injuries but is in contention for the trip to Paris next Saturday.

Should he emerge unscathed from today’s practice run-out at Twickenham, Eddie Jones will know he is available as England look to revive their tournament prospects in the wake of a comprehensive defeat by Scotland.

“Hopefully he’ll be able to train with us and if he trains with us, then he could well be in consideration for France,” head coach Jones said.

Having established himself as a starting wing under Jones, Daly was in danger of missing the entire Six Nations because of the high ankle sprain sustained on club duty for Wasps in mid-December.

The 25-year-old made a quicker-than-expected return, only to then be afflicted by a minor calf issue.

“The calf thing was nothing major, but it set me back a week. I was coming back early from my ankle so it’s probably turned out even,” Daly said.

“The calf just felt a little bit tight at the back end of the week at Wasps. It wasn’t anything major but it just had to be managed for a week.

“I feel really good. I did a lot of stuff to come back from my ankle and I’ve only been a week out with my calf so I’ve maintained most of that. It’s just about getting up to speed now. I’m pretty much there.

“The training with England is suited to getting you back quicker. We’re at match intensity all the time pushing yourself to the limit. If you can do that, then you can do it in the game.”

Under Jones’s guidance England have excelled at winning tight matches in the latter stages until their 25-13 loss at Murrayfield, but Daly insists they still retain a sense of indestructibility.

“I think so because of the way we train. We want to cover absolutely everything,” Daly said. “Eddie chucks us the ball and usually it’s a ‘one shot, one kill’ scenario. If you drop the ball you’re defending. The way he trains is really good in that regard.”