Sale Sharks star Tom Curry has been so swift in his rise through England ranks that it's easy to forget 2022 is his fifth year as a senior international, racking up 36 caps for his country at what feels like record pace.
And as Eddie Jones ' men prepare to enter the Six Nations without injured captain Owen Farrell, Lewis Moody believes "natural leader" Curry makes for a natural pick to be his successor.
Farrell, 30, was nearing a return from injury before a new setback in Saracens training required surgery on his other ankle, ruling him out of the entire competition.
Courtney Lawes deputised as skipper in the autumn and might have been expected to do so once again, but it's since been confirmed he's failed to recover from a head injury in time for Saturday's opener against Scotland.
Although Jones is yet to announce his new pick for the armband, it's expected the selection will come from a group of 'vice-captains' that includes Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ellis Genge.
Cowan-Dickie and Genge each boast experience leading Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers, respectively, but Moody has seen enough of Sale talisman Curry to give him the Six Nations nod.
“I think it would be a fantastic call, I do. Tom is a brilliant player and he does seem to be a fairly natural leader,” Moody told the Evening Standard.
“For me, the captain is about someone firstly and foremost who you want to follow on the field.
“You want to know they are going to give nothing but 100 per cent and be supremely confident, consistent and owning their jersey week in, week out. Tom does that in every game that he plays.
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“He is just outstanding. He is a nice guy, he’s a down-to-earth bloke and it feels like he’s got a fairly level head on his very young shoulders.
“He is a natural player, he feels like a natural leader just because of the way he goes out and performs, and the consistency with which he delivers and what he demands of his players. I think it would be a great choice.”
Moody—who was a member of England's Rugby World Cup -winning squad in 2003—made his professional debut for Leicester Tigers at 18 years of age, just as Curry did for the Sharks.
There's a stark difference in how the two developed at Test level, however, given Moody was almost 23 by the time he debuted for England while Curry is already nearing a half-century of caps.
It's a testament to just how rare a talent Jones has at his disposal, though there may be some reluctance to promote one so young into such a pressurised position.
Moody, 43, played under hallowed skippers such as Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Phil Vickery, not to mention coming up against a long line of revered leaders over the course of his 71 England caps.
He warned they “need time to grow into their role,” and with Marcus Smith's promotion at fly-half causing concerns over Farrell's future, this could be the ideal time to blood Curry in the role ahead of next year's World Cup.
“You listen to Richie McCaw talk about his experience in 2007, when he was given the captaincy, and New Zealand lost to France in the [Rugby World Cup] quarter-final," Moody continued.
“He said that was the greatest learning curve of his entire career as a captain, because he had all these senior players around him and he went away and realised that the culture was wrong, as captain he was doing things wrong, and things needed to change.
“He had a four-year window to learn and build as a captain. I think being given it at an early stage in your career gives you time to learn and develop those skills.
“You are not just naturally a great captain, whatever age you get it you have to learn on the job.”
Saracens star and two-time British and Irish Lions tourist Maro Itoje has been touted as a potential alternative for the captaincy, having put in the work to improve his leadership skills in the past year.
Jones even reversed his old opinion that the 27-year-old was too "inward-looking" to become an England captain, hinting Itoje had benefited greatly from his decision to send him to acting classes.
The debate remains open ahead of Saturday's visit to Murrayfield, where England will be desperate for revenge over Scotland having succumbed 11-6 at home to Gregor Townsend's side last year.
While he may be young, Curry has made a habit of proving his talents are way beyond their years thus far in his career, and Moody believes he has the captaincy credentials to match as England appoint a stand-in skipper.
