MARK WILSON may not be the most vocal player in the England dressing room, but when he does speak, the team are glued to every word, according to international team-mate Tom Curry.

The 29-year-old Newcastle Falcons flanker cemented himself in the Red Rose side with his combative performances alongside Curry and Billy Vunipola during the Six Nations.

Wilson helped Eddie Jones’ men finish the Championship in second place behind Wales, boosting his chances of booking his ticket to Japan for September’s Rugby World Cup in the process.

And while his ability to fulfil the role of England’s unsung hero by doing the nitty-gritty work on the pitch is unquestioned, Curry was quick to extoll Wilson’s off-pitch virtues too.

“He is extremely experienced now and whatever he says is impactful,” said Sale Sharks flanker Curry. “He only speaks when he has to, and everyone just listens to him.

“His work rate is just phenomenal and his desire to improve is incredible, so it’s just brilliant to work alongside him and also push each other on.

“All the senior players provide great experience, even the backs we are learning off, I find anyone with a large number of caps is extremely valuable to learn off.”

Along with Wilson, who could spend next season away from Kingston Partk on loan after Falcons were relegated to the Championship, and Curry, Jones has an embarrassment of riches to choose from in the back row with Billy Vunipola, Brad Shields and Chris Robshaw also vying for the team in Japan.

But Curry refused to be drawn on who he would like to play alongside in a Red Rose shirt, insisting that any of the players in contention for a starting berth are more than capable.

“I think anyone who steps up will do a good job,” he said. “Billy is another great player and with his experience, he’s another one who always performs well on the big occasion.

“Anyone with Chris Robshaw’s number of caps or experience, as an ex-captain of England, would also be brilliant to learn off and I have done when we’ve been in camp together previously.”

Curry’s displays in an England shirt saw him named on the six-man shortlist for Six Nations Player of the Championship, with the 21-year-old flanker making more tackles than any other player.

While he ultimately missed out on the award, he received more recognition at the conclusion of the Premiership season when he was named Land Rover Discovery of the Season.

And asked whether he is feeling the pressure to live up to the hype surrounding him, especially with the competition snapping at his heels, Curry delivered an emphatic answer.

“No, I’m not feeling the pressure,” said the openside. “As long as you’re working hard and putting the work in, everything else takes care of itself.

“The pressure only starts to come in once you start to think about things that are happening in the future, things that you can’t affect and are out of your control.

“If I get called into camp I’m just going to make sure that I give everything and put my hand up as much as possible. I just want to work hard as whatever happens, happens.”

* Tom Curry is a Land Rover ambassador. Land Rover has a heritage in rugby at all levels of the game. Follow @LandRoverRugby