Test rookie Jack Clifford ‘will rise to the occasion’ in the cauldron when England face Wales, says John Kingston

Running man: Jack Clifford, in action against Wales in May of last year, is set to make only his second start for England in Cardiff on Saturday
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Chris Jones9 February 2017

John Kingston is backing international rookie Jack Clifford to handle the intense pressure of facing Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, having watched his transformation from promising Harlequins academy player to England forward.

Flanker Clifford, who has made just one start for England from his eight caps, is drafted into the starting XV for the RBS Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium because Tom Wood’s shoulder injury has not responded to treatment.

Kingston, the Quins director of rugby, said: “Jack has played in front of big crowds and while it is a different arena, he is a quality act and will make sure he has prepared meticulously. Being thrown a challenge doesn’t worry Jack and he will rise to the occasion.”

Kingston knows how much work has gone into Clifford’s development, fuelled by the player’s desire to improve. It is a mind-set that has helped Clifford to recover from ankle surgery in September. Having started on the bench seven times as England preserved their unbeaten record during 2016, Clifford is now back in the team to help them bid for another Six Nations title.

Being able to play in all three back-row positions makes Clifford the ultimate bench man but too many careers have been disfigured by being labelled a “utility” player and the 23-year-old has no intention of being one of them.

At Quins he has experienced the frustration of waiting for a starting place, with Chris Robshaw a club-mate and England back-row rival. It has challenged Clifford to prove to the selectors at club and Test level that he deserves to start — even when Robshaw is available — and if you push Kingston he will nominate No8 as the position that he believes best suits Clifford’s skills set.

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Kingston said: “When Jack, as an academy player, trained with the first-team squad, you immediately saw someone who was very confident in his own ability. His timing on the ball, composure and decision making meant that you took a second look and thought, ‘Crikey, who’s that?’

“Gradually, I got to know him better and one of his greatest strengths is that he stays very level-headed about things.

“He is very professional in what he does and that goes with the talent he possesses.

“He has always wanted to know what he can do better and that is a very big starting point — having an attitude to listen and learn as a player.

“Nothing flusters Jack and maybe what drives him on is that he is a bit of a worrier and is always concerned about making the next move. That can translate into a real strength because he won’t accept second best and he was immensely frustrated — but controlled — when he wasn’t in the Quins team every week last season.

“He found that quite hard but that is a trait you get with a lot of the most successful players. They want to be at the top and, like Chris Robshaw, they don’t want to know what they are good at, they want to talk about the areas where they can improve.”

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