Dunn questioned if he would win an England cap before Italy debut
Tom Dunn warmed hearts with the footage of him talking with family on his phone after England had defeated Italy a week ago, but just minutes earlier he was dreading th e p ro s p e c t o f a n oth e r aborted debut.
The video of a tearful Dunn wearing his first cap went viral in the aftermath of a 34-5 victory over Italy that was sufficient to clinch the third Six Nations title of the Eddie Jones era.
The Bath hooker replaced Jamie George with only two minutes of the Stadio Olimpico showdownleft to banish memories of Murrayfield on February 8 when he sat on the bench as an unused replacement.
“I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some demons, but whether I got on wasn’t in my control,” Dunn said.
“All I could control was what I was doing, so I did a few throws on the side of the pitch, bounced around and warmed my shoulders up a bit. All I could do was be ready, and I was.
“For the Scotland game, there was quite a big build-up, all that excitement and then almost a come-down after the game.
“I was buzzing that we won the game, but just that little bit of disappointment that I didn’t get my cap.”
Jubilant that his moment had come in Rome, Dunn can be seen on the footage wiping away tears as his voice crackles with emotion.
“The first conversation was with my other half and my
kids, just showing my cap on the camera – my kids enjoyed that and enjoyed seeing me on telly,” he said.
“They’re only four and two, so they don’t really understand. They just like seeing me.
Then sharing a moment with my other half was lovely.
“The second conversation was with my parents. Again, it was a very proud moment because it was a great honour to play.”
Meanwhile, Jones insists he could field a ninth forward for theAutumnNationsCupopener against Georgia at Twickenham.
Jones has mischievously floated the possibility to adding bulk to his backline in a repeat of the tactic he used against Los Lelos as Japan coach at the 2015 World Cup, when he deployed number eight Hendrik Tui on the wing.
“I remember the last time we played them with Japan before the 2015 World Cup, we played them with nine forwards and six backs, such was the strength of their pack,” Jones said. “We might consider doing the same again.”