England ‘should blood hooker Singleton’

HIGHLY-rated Worcester hooker Jack Singleton is a viable World Cup candidate for England and must be given a chance to prove it, insists Sixways forwards coach Mefin Davies.

Singleton, 22, has twice toured with England without winning a cap – in Argentina last year and again in South Africa this summer – and former Wales Grand Slam hooker Davies believes Eddie Jones would be remiss not to give his protégé a chance.

Davies said: “This autumn is the perfect opportunity for Jack to make a World Cup bid.They should play someone like Jack because he’d gain a wealth of experience from it.

“Two years ago, Jack was a senior academy player here who nobody outside the club had heard of, but he started 21 Premiership games for us last season and he’s getting better all the time.

“He’s been involved in England squads and played against the Barbarians, so it’s just a case of others having the guts in selection to give guys like him and Nick Schonert a chance.”

While Dylan Hartley, Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie stand in Singleton’s way, Davies said: “Hartley’s had concussion problems and it only takes one injury.

“Suddenly England might be scratching around for guys with experience, so the best thing England could do is check out these guys in the autumn internationals. I’m confident they wouldn’t let anybody down and England can then make decisions from there.”

Tight-head prop Schonert, 26, is a growing force who is beginning to apply serious pressure to England incumbents Dan Cole, Kyle Sinckler and Harry Williams.

Davies added: “Dan Cole’s still doing well, while I like Harry a lot and Sinckler’s a different kind of ball-playing tight-head who’s been on a Lions trip, but you need your foundations in place, which is scrummaging, and Nick offers that in abundance.

“There’s a shortage of tight-heads in England and Nick’s been training hard and will play a lot of rugby, so you have to keep that conveyor belting moving.”