What Next For Theo Dan?

Theo Dan may be wondering when the call from Andy Farrell is coming.

Less than two years ago you would have got short money on the England hooker being in the British and Irish Lions squad such was his impact in a short space of time.

Instead, he is on the outside looking in, with others ahead of him.

Farrell’s called England hooker Jamie George and prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour into the squad to help fill out the numbers for the Lions training camp in Portugal and pre-tour clash with Argentina in Dublin on 20 June.

Luke Cowan-Dickie is the only hooker from the original squad who can travel to Portugal after Sale Sharks missed out on the Gallagher Premiership Final.

Ireland’s Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher will be part of Leinster’s squad for the United Rugby Championship Final (URC) on Saturday, which leaves a six-day recovery period before the Lions face the Pumas, hence the call to George.

THE COMING MAN

At the end of 2023 though, Dan was firmly in discussions about who would make the Australia 2025 squad.

The then 21-year-old was the coming man. He’d helped Saracens to the Premiership title and firmly established himself as Jamie George’s heir in the England and Saracens number two shirt.

Dan impressed on his World Cup debut at France 2023, not least in the bronze medal match against Argentina.

The highlight of a barnstorming display came when he immediately made amends for a defensive lapse that cost a try, by scoring himself.

So highly did the England set-up hold him that they put a huge photo of his celebration in the Allianz Stadium home changing room.

He featured in all five Guinness Men’s Six Nations matches, and England’s three end of season tests, coming off the bench for the new England captain George.

STILL IN THE MIX

Cowan-Dickie’s return from a long term neck injury has pushed Dan down the pecking order and he played in single match each in the Autumn Nations Series, and Six Nations this season.

However, Dan was included in Steve Borthwick’s May training squad, and he will be confident that he can add to his 17 caps at home to France, and away to Argentina and USA.

Let’s not forget that he is still 24 and his mentor George is still going well at 34. However, there are signs that he has reached an early plateau in his career.

In 2023-24 he played 544 minutes and made three turnovers, six linebreaks, beat 35 defenders and made 108 carries.

This year he played 564 minutes and made one turnover, two linebreaks, beat 30 defenders beaten and made 88 carries.

In short, he’s done less with more playing time. Not by much, but it is a drop.

CHANGE OF SCENERY?

In the league he started seven matches, and came on in seven, mostly swapping with George, and the one area he did improve in the Premiership is try-scoring with his tally going from five to six.

It is probably too soon for him to leave Saracens, but how long can he play second choice to George?

Also, where would he go?

Bath have just brought in Dan Frost, Leicester Tigers has taken Jamie Blamire from Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints aren’t really in the market for a hooker, and Bristol Bears have Harry Thacker who is a similar style player.

For now, Dan staying at Saracens makes sense. He knows the club well, is clearly well-liked and respected, and with George the last of the Saracens’ leaders from the 2019 Investec Champions Cup triumph, there is the belief that his time will come soon.

Nonetheless, he really needs to start imposing himself if he wants that phone call to come in four years’ time.