England coach Graham Rowntree is confident rookie hooker Tom Youngs can emulate World Cup-winner Steve Thompson by learning his trade in the furnace of international rugby. Youngs is set to make his England debut against Fiji on Saturday after just nine starts at hooker for Leicester in the Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup.

It was only three years ago Youngs began to make the transition from centre on the recommendation of Heyneke Meyer, who was then Leicester’s director of rugby and now South Africa coach. Rowntree concedes Youngs is being plunged into Test because of Dylan Hartley’s knee injury but he believes the 25-year-old could develop into a top-class international.