Stuart Lancaster, the England head coach, is confident that Semesa Rokoduguni and Dave Attwood will rise to the challenge of tackling world champions New Zealand at Twickenham tomorrow.
The match will be a step into the unknown for uncapped wing Rokoduguni, while his Bath team-mate Attwood has been preoccupied this week by the birth of his first child.
Fiji-born Rokoduguni - a serving soldier in the British Army with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards who has seen action in Afghanistan - has been rewarded with a England call-up following for an outstanding start to the season at his club side.
Lancaster fully expects the 27-year-old to maintain his form at Twickenham against the All Blacks, taking the place of the injured Manu Tuilagi. "He is very composed and calm," said Lancaster of the Bath wing, one of three uncapped players in the England squad.
"He's diligent, he's done his preparation. He has been on our radar for a while and there are a lot of stats that say he is topping every category. I'm delighted for Roko. Wing is an extremely competitive position, but he has pushed himself forward with his form this season."
Similarly, Lancaster has no qualms about the inclusion of Attwood - one of seven Bath players called up for the match - despite his fiancee giving birth on Tuesday. "He's got even more to play for this weekend now," said Lancaster. "In fact the biggest worry would be if the baby hadn't arrived yet and if that would have played on his mind."
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