Enfield Sport
Saracens fly-half Charlie Hodgson proving influential for England
11:46am Tuesday 21st February 2012
He may have come across the nickname ‘charge down Charlie’ more by luck than judgement but Tom Croft insists Charlie Hodgson’s return to England has been the opposite of fortunate.
The Saracens fly-half failed to start a game during Martin Johnson’s reign as England team manager – making just five appearances off the bench in his three-year spell in charge.
However, with Johnson out and Stuart Lancaster now the interim head coach, Hodgson, who made his England debut over a decade ago, has been given a chance once again.
He has grabbed it with both hands so far scoring two tries, both from charge downs, as England beat Scotland and Italy to get their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start.
It has lead to an apt nickname and, while embracing it, England team-mate Croft is adamant Hodgson’s return to the England fore has been more relevant to all work and no play.
“Charlie has had a great start to the tournament and he now likes to be called ‘charge down Charlie’, which is fine by me if he keeps helping us pick up wins,” said Croft.
“When all the focus has been on the new faces in the squad it is perhaps fitting that one of the older heads has been influential too and there is no doubt that Charlie has been exceptional for us.
“It is not just his two crucial tries in each game that have been important but it is his work rate and the way that he has controlled the games that has been massively important.
“It has been Charlie that has turned games for us when things haven’t quite been going so well but this is not down to luck, it is down to his desire to prove himself in that England shirt.”
Hodgson’s failure to impress Johnson saw him miss the World Cup however, under Lancaster he is part of a squad that featured nine uncapped players and 13 changes at the start of the Six Nations.
And, despite being 31 and a veteran of now 38 England caps, Croft insists Hodgson typifies the breath of fresh air that has swept across the set up at Twickenham.
“Even guys with 30 or 40 caps or a bit older are really benefiting from the new desire that is coming from the younger guys in the squad and Charlie is the perfect example of that,” he added.
“I’m not saying that wasn’t there before but sometimes it takes that freshness to push things along and the great way everyone has gelled is there for all to see in Charlie.”
Tom Croft is an ambassador for SSE. To check out Tom going head to head against Wales’ second row star Ryan Jones in a series of three video challenges, head to www.sserugby.com and see who wins.