For any hopeful England international, to run out at the Six Nations Championship whilst wearing the rose would be a truly unforgettable moment. Throughout the course of the modernised competition’s 24-year history, there have been truly iconic talents to play for England in the fabled six-team tournament.
With the 2024 Six Nations coming in over the horizon, the opportunity is there for seven uncapped England players to make their mark on the upcoming competition. The likes of Chandler-Cunningham South, Oscar Beard, Fin Smith and Tom Roebuck will all be eager to make their Six Nations debut, and commence the start of a solid career in the annual competition. Also, the likes of Northampton duo Tom Pearson and Tommy Freeman, will be out to build on their previous England caps, with their first experiences of the Six Nations over the coming weeks.
However, there have also been a fare share of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ Six Nations careers, within the England test match squad. Be it due to unfortunate injuries, competition for selection or pursuing a career overseas, these 10 rugby players only had brief roles in what has become known as ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship.’ Here are 10 England players you totally forgot played in the Six Nations.
1. Olly Morgan (2 Caps – 2007 Six Nations)
Career-long Gloucester fullback Olly Morgan made a total of 131 appearances for the Cherry and Whites, before an untimely knee injury forced him into retirement in October of 2013. The one-club fullback was able to make a test match break-through, as he was awarded two test caps in the 2007 Six Nations. Morgan started in the 15 jersey for his debut win against Scotland, before running out at Croke Park in the heavy 43-13 defeat to Ireland. This Irish win still stands as the team’s record margin of victory against tier one opposition.
2. Stu Turner (1 Cap – 2007 Six Nations)
A stalwart prop for Rotherham Titans and Sale Sharks, Stu Turner was handed his first of a trio of England caps in the 2007 Six Nations. His one and only appearence in the tournament came against Wales, as England were handed a 27-18 defeat in the final round of the competition. Turner went on to tour with England on their 2007 pre-Rugby World Cup trip to South Africa, where he ended his test match career with two heavy defeats (58-10 and 55-22), at the hands of the Springboks.
3. Shane Geraghty (3 Caps – 2007 Six Nations)
The last of the 2007 entries, as England head coach Brian Ashton trialled a handful of hopefuls ,on the run-up to selecting his soon to be Rugby World Cup runners-up. Former London Irish and Northampton Saints fly half was amongst this group, with the Coventry-born halfback leading the England attacking line in his debut against France. Geraghty etched his name into the Six Nations history books, as he added a penalty and conversion in the 26-18 victory.