These 2 England rugby youngsters will become stars of the future, according to former captain Chris Robshaw

Marcus Smith, left, and Tom Collins, right.Getty Images

• The 2018 Six Nations Championship kicks off this weekend.
• Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw says the tournament will be the most exciting to date.
• Robshaw highlighted two England youngsters who can develop into international stars of the future.

English rugby is spoilt for choice when it comes to developing young talent for the national team, according to former captain Chris Robshaw.

Ahead of England’s debut 2018 Six Nations match against Italy in Rome on Sunday, Robshaw was quick to name two players to watch: Northampton Saints wing Tom Collins and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith.

Smith is already in the England side after being called up by head coach Eddie Jones. Smith is the most promising teenager in English rugby and Harlequins recently handed him a new contract in an attempt to ward off rivals.

Collins has a fight on his hands to displace George North and Rob Horne at Northampton, but the 23-year-old has produced stand-out performances in the Aviva Premiership this season.

He won the Six Nations with an England Under-20 international team five years ago, and could get the change to repeat that feat for the senior England side in the coming years.

“There’s a whole list of these guys who will go on and progress,” Robshaw said.

What is most impressive about the current England roster, is the volume of experienced players still in their mid-20s. Saracens centre Owen Farrell and Leicester Tigers fly-half George Ford, for example, have scored a combined 825 points for the England team in the past five years.

“There’s so much more rugby to come from these guys,” Robshaw said.

Chris Robshaw captained England through a four-year period from 2012.Getty Images

As for the upcoming Six Nations, Robshaw promises the “most exciting” tournament yet. He told Business Insider that the teams all performed well in the Autumn Series last year, so the Six Nations should “be a lively one.”

“What’s brilliant about the Six Nations is that anyone can beat anyone. You have to be on it. Every single game, you have to be on it… And that’s why fans love watching it,” he said.

If England win, it will be the first time a nation has clinched the Six Nations for three consecutive years. Robshaw summed up the task: “We want to create history.”

This interview was arranged through coconut drinks firm Coco Fuzion 100, for which Robshaw is a brand ambassador.