‘Surely an opportunity soon’- Quins wing gets England backing from 72-cap great
A new coach often means new opportunities for players, and Steve Borthwick’s arrival at England to replace Eddie Jones is no different. Players that were once very secure of their spot in the Australian’s squad may find themselves playing less frequently now, or even missing out on selection completely.
One position where that feels particularly applicable is on the wing, where England’s wide men struggled to impress over the autumn, albeit in a team that seemed hellbent on playing the most sluggish rugby possible. With an inordinate number of wingers wowing fans in the Gallagher Premiership on a weekly basis over the last few seasons only to be overlooked by Jones, they have a new opportunity now. It is now maybe a level playing field with some of Jones’ favourites such as Jonny May and Jack Nowell.
One player that maybe tops the list of high performing wingers to not be capped is Harlequins winger Cadan Murley. The 23-year-old was actually part of the England squad over the autumn, but became the newest member of the lengthy list of players to be part of an England squad but not play. That list is only slightly longer than the list of players who have been capped and then ignored.
But with this new chance arising for Murley, he has received the backing from England and Harlequins great Mike Brown, who said a chance must be coming for the winger after some of his stats were shared online.
The stats showed that Murley topped the charts for both metres made, line breaks and tries in the Gallagher Premiership in 2022. He is joined on the list by some other England outcasts such as Tom O’Flaherty and Ollie Hassell-Collins (although their lack of Test rugby explains why they can top the charts as they are playing more). With days until Borthwick announces his England squad for the Six Nations, players like Murley will be very hopeful.
Surely an England opportunity soon?? 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/4mSs26ehGM
— Mike Brown (@mikebrown_15) January 4, 2023
