Sale Sharks captain Ben Curry has hailed the rise of in-form team-mate Tom Roebuck and backed him to push for a regular England spot heading into the Six Nations.
Roebuck enjoyed an outstanding game in Friday’s 29-7 Champions Cup demolition of French outfit Racing 92, scoring one try and brilliantly creating another for Joe Carpenter.
Having made his England bow against Japan in the summer, the winger notched his first Red Rose touchdown in last month’s victory against the Brave Blossoms at Twickenham in the final autumn international.
Backed to excel
As the 23-year-old continues to shine brightly for his club, Curry feels the homegrown wideman can become a starting winger at international level.
Roebuck was left out of England’s two summer Tests against New Zealand but came off the bench against South Africa last month and then scored against Japan.
He has three Test caps to date and – ahead of England’s Six Nations opener away to Ireland on February 1 – Curry said: “Roebuck’s knocking on the door.
“He’s not just a good player, he’s also improving and I think we can all see that so credit to him.
“I think he was very disappointed after the summer because he came on [against Japan] and played really well; to then get dropped hit him really hard.
“You can then go one of two ways – start feeling sorry for yourself or do what he’s done and say ‘I’m going to show people what I can do’.
“Fair play to him. I thought he was improving up to the summer, but he’s gone multiple steps forward since then.
“I’m really impressed with him and it’s good to have a few of us here at Sale pushing for England selection – the likes of Roebuck, Carps (Joe Carpenter) and Dickie (Luke Cowan-Dickie).
“It’s not just the impact it’s having on their own game but the people around them.
“I can’t overstate how influential they are on the team. It’s incredible and, when I talk about Roebuck getting better, he brings people with him.”
Sale boss Alex Sanderson supported Curry’s claims after Roebuck’s performance against Racing on Friday night.
Sanderson said: “Roebuck has worked hard to get there and play for England.
“But the goalposts have shifted – he was an aspiring international and now he’s an England player.
“However, he hasn’t been content with just getting there in the autumn – he wants to be the first winger on the teamsheet come the Six Nations.
“I’m not surprised how well he’s playing, given how much work he puts in.
“He comes across like dead floaty and dead chilled out but he journals and he works hard.
“He thinks deeply about it, so he deserves every success he’s got.
“He’s got a really grounded head on his shoulders, which is in contrast to how good aerially efficient he is!”
Not only did Roebuck finish clinically during the first half, he showcased his awesome aerial prowess after the break by fielding a high kick, driving at the heart of the Racing defence and sending Carpenter over for Sale’s third try.
Yet Curry, who enjoyed a man-of-the-match performance against Stuart Lancaster’s side and scored Sale’s final try, was more impressed with Roebuck’s implacable challenge on Henry Arundell late on.
The England flanker said: “My favourite moment was Roebuck’s tackle on Arundell.
“Arundell’s not a small boy, he’s a great player, but with that tackle Roebuck showed a different part to his game which maybe coaches have questioned.
“I’m really happy for him and also the work he puts in day in and day out which definitely doesn’t get seen.”
Bouncing back
Sale’s bonus-point victory was the perfect response to their opening 38-19 defeat at Glasgow.
The Sharks recently changed defence coaches with Jamie Langley returning to rugby league to take up a role on Leeds Rhinos’ coaching staff.
He has been replaced by former Sharks and Scotland winger Byron McGuigan, with Curry enthused about his ex-team-mate’s early impact.
“It was a really satisfying win,” he said.
“We had spoken about when we’re at home that no-one dictates the physicality to us.
“That was our mentality going into Friday’s game and it was a step in the right direction.
“I played with Byron for a few years and everyone saw the kind of player he was in terms of physical aggression.
“That’s where we are taking our defence and, on the back of that, he’s very clear what he wants and very detail-orientated.
“If you get lads in the right positions, it frees them up to just go and whack someone. It can be as simple as that.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/sale-sharks-star-knocking-on-the-door-for-england-jersey-in-six-nations-after-taking-multiple-steps-forward-since-summer-snub
