Son of Scotland U21 cap moves closer to making England debut

THE son of a former Scotland Under-21 player from Duns this week moved a step closer to making his Test debut against Scotland in the Calcutta Cup when a toe injury ruled Tom Wood out of the England squad at least for the opening match.

Calum Clark is one of many Scots-qualified players in England who has been followed by the Scotland management and, technically, he is still available for Scotland as he has yet to feature for England at any senior level. The 22-year-old Northampton flanker was among a handful of surprise choices by new England coach Stuart Lancaster when he named a fresh Six Nations squad earlier this month.

However, Lancaster knows him well from the Leeds academy and soundings south of the border suggest that Clark is in line to make the 22 at least for the opening match at Murrayfield in two weeks’ time. His father David, who hails from the Berwickshire market town, told The Scotsman that it would make for an intriguing day at Murrayfield for the family.

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“It will be a little bit awkward,” he said, laughing, “but I’ve followed him for a long time now and I don’t tend to say too much in the ground. Myself and my father Jim and brother Stuart, who still live in the Borders, do get funny looks when we’re talking with a Scottish accent about a boy playing for England, especially when my dad’s wearing his tartan trousers.

“But we have been big supporters of Calum’s all the way through his career and if he makes his England debut against Scotland at Murrayfield it will make us all very proud. In a way, it’s probably destiny for him to play his first game there.”

David, marginally taller than Calum at 6ft 5in, played three times in the second row for Scotland under-21, having left Duns to study PE teaching at Jordanhill, and also followed tutor Bill Dickinson to Selkirk, where the former Scotland ‘adviser to the captain’ also coached for a spell. However, his first teaching post took him to Stockton-on-Tees, which was where Calum was born to David and Jane.

“He played for the school I’m with now, Richmond in West Yorkshire,” explained his father, “and an England selector, David Sanderson, saw him playing and told Stuart Lancaster, who was then at Leeds, he should have a look at him.

“Stuart took him into the Leeds academy at 14 and he really enjoyed it. He then went to Northampton last season and that’s been a great move. He really enjoys it there and his game has developed really well.

“But he never discounted Scotland. He talked about playing for Scotland when he was about 15, but he was selected through the English counties squad for England U16s. Scotland U16s wanted him for trials but he’d already been picked.

“I was in touch with Graham Marshall at U18 level and we talked about him being involved then, but England U18s selected him at 16 and he ended up playing there for two years. It was the same with England U20s.

“He was called up for the Saxons in July, but got injured in a training session, so we thought he’d be around that squad this year, which would be a nice introduction to senior international rugby. It was quite a surprise to see him called up to the elite squad. We never dreamed of that. So, I suppose he’s nailed his colours to the England mast now.”

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There could be a handful of ‘Scots’ facing Andy Robinson’s team on 4 February, with former Scotland under-21 caps Lee Dickson and Tom Palmer now wearing the lilywhite. All are possible starters, but none are definites. There remain several possibilities for Lancaster in determining his back row for the Calcutta Cup match, with Clark vying with Chris Robshaw of Harlequins and clubmate Phil Dowson for the No 7 jersey.

Though 6ft 4in Clark is making a name for himself as a powerful and skilful breakdown operator, and was described by Lancaster as the most competitive player he had ever seen, he has played more often in the No 6 jersey at Northampton and starts there today in the Saints’ Heineken Cup match against Munster, with Dowson at openside.

Unfazed by the prospect of a Calcutta Cup debut, he said this week: “I suppose my call-up was a big surprise and shock for everybody, me included. Touch wood, if I come through Saturday without injury I am fully aware that I have an opportunity at the camp next week but it’s nothing more. I will just work hard in the way I do at Northampton every week.”

Agreeing with Lancaster that his competitiveness and work ethic were the key traits that had brought him this far, his father David echoed the sense of realism of his son. “As to what lies ahead, I’ll quote Calum. He says he’s done nothing yet and we shouldn’t get carried away. It would be an absolute dream if he was to play at Murrayfield but his advice to us was ‘don’t go booking any tickets or hotels yet’. That will be the canny Scot in him!”