Dylan Hartley appointed England captain: Eddie Jones selects hooker to lead England in Six Nations

England head coach Eddie Jones has chosen Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley to be his first captain. The New Zealand-born hooker missed England’s disastrous World Cup campaign last year after a ban led to exclusion by then head coach Stuart Lancaster.

The choice of Hartley as captain marks the start of the Eddie Jones era; and he has wasted no time in putting his stamp on this England side. Having dropped a number of seasoned internationals including Tom Wood and Tom Youngs, Jones’ is looking to re-establish some of the core values of the English game that Hartley is seen to represent.

In appointing Hartley, Jones has said "I know it will be a very proud moment for him, his club, his family and friends when he leads England out at Murrayfield.

“As a former captain of Northampton Saints and someone who has a lot of experience playing for England I have every faith he will lead the team tactically and passionately.

"English rugby is indebted to Northampton to have produced such a fine player.

“Dylan is an honest, hardworking bloke and I admire his aggressive and uncompromising approach to playing rugby.”

It is the Northampton hooker’s style of play that has subjected the choice to so much scrutiny. Whilst predecessor Chris Robshaw was known for his English stoicism, Hartley is emboldened with a more devious style of play. 54 weeks’ worth of bans for offences from eye gouging to finger biting has led to many questioning the decision.

Australian Jones is looking to construct a side around the English traits of a strong set piece and bulldog spirit and is looking for Hartley to be the catalyst for the team. No stranger to straight-talking Jones is looking to the Roturua-born forward to set the uncompromising standard of a powerful England pack.

Whilst many have expressed concerns with the appointment, others have pointed to the selection of World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson as a good comparison. The 1997 Lions captain was cut from the same cloth, or chain mail, as Hartley and his hardnosed edge defined the only England side to win a world cup.

In the official press release Hartley has said, “It is a huge honour to captain England and a very proud day for me and my family

“I’m really excited about the challenge ahead but in reality leading this squad of players will not fall just to me.

"It is essential for the success of this team that we quickly develop and establish a strong leadership group. There are a number of guys in this squad who will all have important leadership roles to play so we can take this team forward.

“There is a lot of young talent and potential which is great to see. Our focus over the next two weeks is to work hard and prepare for the Scotland game. Playing at Murrayfield will be a huge challenge and one we are all looking forward to.”

England’s first game comes on the 6^th February in a trip to Murrayfield to face the auld enemy Scotland. Four years ago England’s Lancaster-era was heralded in as a Chris Robshaw led side benefitted from a charge-down try to win the game 13-6.

After being knocked out in the group stages in their own World Cup, England will face a Scotland side who were mere seconds away from knocking out eventual finalists Australia in the quarter-finals. The test at Murrayfield this February may well be far sterner than the one they faced four years ago with a Hartley-led Red Rose side who will be looking to seal a win in a tough fixture.