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'I don't get it': Mike Brown's take on shock England omission

Mike Brown of Leicester celebrates after scoring vs Sale Sharks at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on October 21, 2023 (Photo by Graham Chadwick/Getty Images).

Mike Brown, England’s most-capped fullback, has described Ollie Hassell-Collins’ omission from the England squad to tour Argentina and USA this summer as “mental,” adding, “I don’t get it at all.’

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Hassell-Collins and fellow Tigers wing, Adam Radwan, who have both been capped before, can count themselves unfortunate not to make the trip, given the impact they have made at their club this season.

Brown, who is retiring at the end of the season, believes the fact that Radwan moved in mid-season from Newcastle to Leicester might have counted against him, but he cannot fathom out what Hassell-Collins, the leading try-scorer in the Gallagher Premiership, has done wrong.

“It’s mental, I don’t get it at all,” said Brown, whose 280 Premiership appearances put him fourth on the all-time list. “I don’t know what more Ollie Hassell-Collins can do; I can’t speak highly enough about him.

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“I love Richard Wigglesworth, so I am not sitting here bagging their selection or anything like that; they’ll have their own reasons, and for what it is worth, I think Richard Wigglesworth is going to be an incredible head coach one day. Steve (Borthwick), I had as a head coach, so I am not bagging either of them. But I can’t understand why Ollie Hassell-Collins is not in there. There is no other winger in England doing what he has done this year in the Premiership.

“He is the Premiership top try-scorer (12), so he is obviously a finisher. But look at his all-round game, he is unbelievable under the high ball; he is a great left-foot kicking option; his defence has been unbelievable this year; he is a big old unit. So I can’t believe that he is not in there, with the full set of skills he has got and the finishing ability he has got.”

Brown added: Radders is different, he joined late on, but he has got such a point of difference. He could, again, be in there in that selection mix, maybe because he has just joined, he hasn’t got in there. But he has got to be in there soon because no one can do what he can do, his running with the ball, his speed, his power and athletic ability and he’s adding the other bits of his game here – his positioning, his kicking game, and high balls, which maybe hadn’t quite developed at Newcaste, where he just had that raw ability.

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“Both of them have X Factor, and for me, I don’t see any others, apart from the Exeter young lad (Paul Brown-Bampoe), who have that.”

Hassell-Collins won his two England caps just over two years ago, against Scotland and Italy in the 2023 Six Nations, while Radwan won the last of his two caps in 2021.

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4 Comments
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SaraHWieland 49 days ago

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fl 49 days ago

The England squad for the summer hasn’t been named yet.


But when it is OHC is likely to miss out bc Borthwick is happy with IFW, Roebuck, and Sleightholme as the options to start on the wing, and would rather take squad options who have time to develop.

T
Tommy B. 47 days ago

I’d prefer he take Ibitoye than OHC.


OHC has had more than one chance, and is flaky.

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PM 44 minutes ago
Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start

Nick,

I am a long suffering England fan, who has had to endure watching 4 years of dull rugby, poor selections and painful defeats. Steve Borthwick talks about GPS and picks squads by numbers and then we put in a poor performance on the pitch - it’s been a consistent trend.


Something changed in the Six Nations and we totally changed our style (literally overnight) and played some really good footie, which finally felt like positive rugby for a change.


Genge has regained his pore-Covid form and is looking back to his best and is head and shoulders above Porter.


Chessum has had a good year and hasn’t played a poor International game this season.


Tom Curry was outstanding in the 6 Nations but they have been playing him at 6, wheras he is better at 7 and is lethal at the breakdown.


Tom Willis was brought into the starting team at 8 and has been one of the best England players over the last year, who should have been on this Lions tour at 8. Earl had his best game since 2020 last week - not sure 1 game warrants Lions selection over a poor combination side and he is certainly second choice for his club 7 country behind Willis.


Pollock will be a good player but like all young emerging players, he is inconsistent and can go quiet in games, which is why Curry should be the starter at 7. He brings energy to games, which is why he is good from the bench but there is an argument to say he is the 5th best England openside (Curry x2, Underhill & Earl are currently better) but will improve over the next 5 years. We just need to stop the media building him up for a fall, let him play and develop and you will see a sensational Henry Pollock for the Lions in 4 years time.


Lions will be too powerful over 80 mins, so doesn’t really matter who they pick. Just please don’t put too much hype on Pollock. His 20 mins of International rugby going into this tour were positive but the media caused a frenzy and no other player would be selected on this basis.


Let’s enjoy the rugby and give Pollock the space and time he requires.

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LONG READ Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start