Since Richard Hill won the last of his 71 England caps in June 2004, eight others have worn the No6 jersey that the Saracens flanker filled so well. Joe Worsley leads the way with 18 appearances, followed by Martin Corry (ten), James Haskell (five), Pat Sanderson (three), Nick Easter (two) and Lewis Moody, Magnus Lund and Chris Jones (one each).

Now comes Tom Croft, who will make his first start against Scotland in the RBS Six Nations Championship at Murrayfield on Saturday. Of that octet, Croft most resembles Jones, the Sale Sharks player whose intermittent international career since 2004 has earned him 12 caps. Both are tall, gangling players, capable of playing anywhere in the back row or at lock - and with surprising pace.

The runs from halfway by Jones in Guinness Premiership matches against London Irish and Leicester led one to believe that England had something special on their hands. Compare them to the try that Croft scored for England Saxons against New Zealand Maori in the Churchill Cup final last summer, burning away the defence and making Brian Ashton, the England head coach, suggest that here, too, was something out of the ordinary.

It is for Croft to nail down the place that slipped through Jones's fingers and the manner in which he took to the international game on his debut, as Haskell's replacement, against France in Paris 12 days ago suggests that he could remain for the long haul.

Croft, 22, comes from horsey Hampshire country, the little village of Kingsclere, where he played in goal for the local football team. He spent five years with Newbury before, like Moody, he went to Oakham School, where they revelled in his easy demeanour and appreciation of space.

At the same time he joined Leicester, revealing his startling pace while playing in the Middlesex Sevens for the club where he has Neil Back, the former England flanker, as his technical analyst, plus Corry and Moody as colleagues.

When Croft replaced the injured Haskell midway through the first half in Paris, he admits that he was “a bit on edge, like a rabbit in the headlights”, which probably accounts for the low pass he put down when England stitched together a multiphase movement that seemed likely to crack the France defence. “There was a scrum straight after, so my mindset was into that, into the defensive mode,” he said. “As soon as I came out for the second half I felt confident in my role, I knew what I had to do.”

It made his selection this weekend that much easier, although it alters the balance of the back row. John Wells, the England forwards coach, said: “James [Haskell] can run through a crowd. Tom isn't as able to do that, but give him space on the outside and it will take a very fast man to catch him.”