At the start of the 2016 Six Nations, Eddie Jones took charge of his first England match, against Scotland, handing out just one Test debut to a promising young openside flanker. Seven years on and for Jack Clifford read Tom Pearson – given the latter’s current form for London Irish, you would not bet against Steve Borthwick following Jones’s suit when England welcome Scotland to Twickenham next month.
Pearson is in his second season with London Irish, having emerged through the Cardiff Met university pathway that is becoming increasingly familiar given Alex Dombrandt and Luke Northmore are among his fellow alumni. By his own admission he was not ready for professional rugby aged 18 and was cut from the Gloucester academy but after three years of graft in Cardiff and a few away trips in the Welsh Championship that will live long in his memory, Pearson is pulling up trees for London Irish.
