I was horrendous – Will Stuart draws on early experience of conversion to prop

Will Stuart is expected to make his fifth start in England’s clash with Australia on Saturday (Mike Egerton/PA)

Will Stuart is ready to take on Australia as England’s senior tighthead prop but the early stages of his conversion from fly-half left him questioning if the future mapped out in the front row was doomed to failure.

Stuart’s memories of watching the 2003 and 2007 World Cups were not of scrummaging masterclasses by the likes of Phil Vickery or Andrew Sheridan, but of wanting to emulate Jonny Wilkinson’s brilliance as ringmaster.