England need to put an arm around Jonny May to unleash his attacking talent according to Gloucester legend Phil Vickery.
May has been below par so far in the Six Nations, with little opportunity to display his dazzling footwork and pace.
He has come in for criticism from some quarters but Vickery, who won 73 caps for England, believes he is not being given the ball in the right areas and deserves time to shine.
Vickery said: "It's been a bit frustrating with Jonny. He has his frailties defensively and psychologically - you sometimes see him drift through games - but I feel sorry for him.
"He is the sort of player that needs space. He is a different type of player to Jason Robinson but in just the same way if you give him the ball with space and opportunity then he will do something.
"England need to use him more and give him the ball with that space and on the counter attack. They need to find him, make him come in and give him mismatches to expose.
"He also just needs to back himself because he has something that 99 per cent of other players don't have, pure gas. He has x-factor and can win you games.
"If he was in my team and he was making little mistakes like at Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium then I would have an arm around him and be telling him that he's the bees' knees.
"There is no reason for him not to be selected against Ireland. Us front rowers can go years without a try, it's about packing down and pushing but for these boys on the outside, their confidence comes from scoring and making big breaks. If you are not having a sniff it's amazing how quickly that confidence goes.
"They should stick with him, Stuart Lancaster has to back a team some time before the World Cup and hopefully Jonny is a part of that."
All eyes are now on a potential Championship decider against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on March 1.
Both sides are so far unbeaten in the tournament with victories over Wales and Italy and Italy and France respectively.
But Vickery, who was part of three triumphs over the men from the Emerald Isle, believes England have the edge and can keep their unbeaten record intact in Dublin.
He added: "England need to work on the way they start matches but there is nothing seriously wrong and everything is very positive after the opening two rounds of the Six Nations.
"Ireland were the favourites going into the tournament but this is now a bit of a watershed moment for both teams and I fancy England.
"I still think France can throw a spanner into the works somewhere but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see it is a clash of two unbeaten teams and it will have a huge impact on who wins the Championship.
"England can go there and come away with the spoils. If they can play consistently with that physicality that we have seen glimpses of then they can do it.
"The English pack has sometimes held the team back but this team can offer so much more. You look outside and it's so exciting – give the ball to them in the right areas and with momentum and they can cause damage.
"It's just a case of tightening up little things and the top two inches. They need to back themselves more. They are certainly not the complete article but when they back themselves they are very good."
One area to have frustrated Vickery in the opening weeks of the Championship has been England's lack of killer instinct.
In both victories to date the Gloucester legend, who toured twice with the British Lions, reckons England missed an opportunity to turn the screw by raising the tempo.
Instead of increasing the pace of the game they have offered the opposition respite but he has urged them to be ruthless against the Irish.
He added: "It's about that mental toughness, that ruthlessness. They can go for the jugular more during period when the ball is dead by raising the tempo. Don't let the opposition regain their composure."
