Six Nations: Playmaker Owen Farrell to be given the time to develop for England says new coach

The 20-year-old, son of dual code internationalist Andy who is currently on the England coaching team, was on loan at Bedford at the start of last season but is now preparing to start for England in their opening Six Nations game against Scotland at Murrayfield on 4 February.

“The highest compliment anyone can pay Owen is what he has just achieved,” said Lancaster.

“He has just gone from being an academy player to playing in a Premiership final; he has gone from the Under-20 World Cup and stepped straight into the senior squad. He won’t be fazed by it at all. He has temperament and presence and that is what we are looking for.”

Six years ago Lancaster’s predecessor, Andy Robinson, thrust Mathew Tait into Test rugby at the age of 18 and promptly dropped him, which set back his development.

Lancaster vowed nothing of the sort would happen to Farrell if things do not immediately go according to plan during the Six Nations, which the coach views as the start of England’s road to the 2015 World Cup.

“Am I worried about Owen Farrell playing international rugby? No I’m not,” Lancaster insisted. “Will he be dropped if he plays poorly and be kicked out of the squad? Absolutely no way.

“It is about a new era for English rugby. I always felt that January 2012 was going to be a defining moment about where we are going in the future.

“Hopefully, with the selection we have made we have picked a squad that is talented and excited and committed to getting back to where we want to be at the top of the game.”

Farrell is likely to line up in the centre against Scotland, with club team-mate Charlie Hodgson at fly-half in place of the injured Toby Flood.

“I was pretty shocked when I first heard I had been called up by England and it is a massive honour,” Farrell told Press Association Sport.

“I got my chance last year when a couple of fly-halves were injured and I got the opportunity to play with some brilliant players. You learn quickly with players like that around them.”

Farrell’s work ethic was compared this week to Jonny Wilkinson.

“You want to be the best you can be,” Farrell added from Cape Town, where Saracens are training ahead of their Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz.

“Everybody knows how hard Jonny worked. He’s the ultimate professional. Everybody knows it takes hard work. You turn up every day excited to train.”

Toby Flood is the most experienced member of the squad with 46 caps, although he is set to miss the start of the Six Nations with a knee ligament injury.

The Leicester fly-half is not alone and Lancaster has already had to make some temporary changes to his squad.