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Tough as (painted) nails! New England rugby winger Ollie Hassell-Collins paints his nails with the St George’s cross for the Six Nations kick-off against Scotland… now for a polished performance at Twickenham!
- England wing Ollie Hassell-Collins has painted his nails ahead of his debut
- Hassell-Collins to finally earn a Test opportunity against Scotland in the Six Nations
- Her painted nails were photographed at the England captain’s career training session.
New England wing Ollie Hassell-Collins has prepared for an international debut in unusual fashion by painting his nails for the Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland at Twickenham.
Hassell-Collins has been one of English rugby’s in-form players for the past two seasons and will finally get a trial opportunity when the Six Nations kicks off on Saturday.
London Irish’s Hassell-Collins was pictured at the England captain’s career training session on the eve of the Scotland match with some of his fingernails painted red and others with the St George flag on them.
It was certainly an unusual sight for a Test rugby player, but those who know Hassell-Collins won’t be surprised by his latest maverick stunt.
The eccentric 24-year-old is a huge Harry Potter fan and even has a golden snitch tattooed on his arm as part of several pieces of body art.
England wing Ollie Hassell-Collins has prepared for his Test debut by painting his nails.
Hassell-Collins was photographed at the England captain’s career training session with some of his fingernails painted red and others with the St George flag on them.
Hassell-Collins is also known for taking his three cats, Betsy, Albus and Marmalade, for walks with his partner Eloise and for his love of fashion and jewelry.
“My nails… I don’t know, it’s kind of like this season,” Hassell-Collins told England Rugby’s Instagram page.
“I wear quite a bit of jewelry, and obviously I can’t wear it in games, so I guess it’s like my permanent jewelry.
‘Also, I used to bite my nails, so I painted them transparent. I decided to cheer them up a bit.
“Usually it’s white and green for the Irish, but obviously red and white for the English.”
Hassell-Collins had previously told Sportsmail about his England dream before graduating to international rugby union.
“I’m definitely confident that I can take the plunge, 100 percent,” he said.
He will finally earn a test opportunity when the Six Nations kicks off on Saturday against Scotland.
‘An England debut would be huge. I don’t know how to put it into words. You dream of that moment for a long time.
‘One of the things I wanted to do this season was to consistently perform at that high level.
That comes with confidence, but also with age. I took a little longer to mature than others.
Now I understand how important that is. Hassell-Collins starts on the left flank for England against Scotland.
Sportsmail columnist Sir Clive Woodward is a huge fan of his after constantly watching him perform for the Irish.
“The guys have been really welcoming and very easy to talk to,” Hassell-Collins told England Rugby.
‘It’s one of the highest levels you can get to in rugby and it’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.
“It’s very stressful to arrive and you have players who have been here for a long time and have achieved great things in rugby.
‘It’s very inspiring to train with those guys. It’s about going out with confidence.