Joe Marler has revealed “in-house bitching” is becoming a thing of the past within the England squad after holding his hands up for how he choked during his costly lineout clanger in the defeat by Scotland. Marler admitted he froze at the crucial moment at Murrayfield but said England have collectively held an inquest into their disastrous finish to the Calcutta Cup clash.
They now turn their attention to Italy on Sunday with the Leicester lock/flanker Ollie Chessum in line for a debut, having been retained as part of Eddie Jones’s 27-man squad. As expected, Courtney Lawes has again been ruled out because of a head injury sustained playing for Northampton in mid-January and, with Lewis Ludlam also injured, the 21-year-old Chessum – who Jones believes can become “a younger version of Courtney” – is set for a place in the match-day squad.
