Exeter Chiefs fly-half Harvey Skinner is determined to push his way into England contention this season.
The 26-year-old replaced Joe Simmonds as the club’s first-choice 10 last season, a player who despite his impressive performances, remains without an England appearance. Skinner aims to achieve what his predecessor couldn’t and break into the international setup.
“I’ve still got aspirations that I want to play internationally and be pushing [for that] 10 shirt,” he said, reported by BBC Sport.
“I’ve just got to play well for my club, if the team’s doing well you’re likely to get looked at for an England shirt.”
The Chiefs face Leicester Tigers in their Premiership opener on Saturday, two teams that missed out on the playoffs last season, but both can be expected to challenge this year. It’s the perfect opportunity for Skinner to gain momentum ahead of direct meetings with those competing for the England spot he covets, namely the likes of George Ford and Marcus Smith.
“When you play your opposite man who’s in that England shirt already I think it’s putting a marker down on them to say ‘I’m here, keep a lookout’,” said Skinner.
“I’ll have chats with the coaches to see if they’ve heard anything, how they think you can improve and what next steps you need to take.
“If you play well for your club you’re going to get talked about and you’re going to make it hard for them not to pick you.”
Exeter’s clash with Leicester will be Skinner’s 100th appearance for the team. In that time, he has scored six tries and 119 points in total. Skinner has worked hard since joining the club in 2015, slowly progressing through the ranks to regular game time.
Simmonds’ move to Pau provided the opening for further chances to impress. Skinner came close to an England ‘A’ call up last season, but didn’t make the developmental squad, ultimately missing out on a useful meet-up to impress coaching staff who could decide to bring him into the main squad.
“Once you’re in that sort of environment they’re always going to be looking to see how you then adapt in that environment – are you going to flourish? So I’d like to be in that sort of environment playing well and showcasing what I’m about,” he said.
England have a busy November to look forward to with four matches at the newly named Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The Autumn Internationals series will feature clashes with New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan; a huge stage for Skinner to strive for as the Premiership gets underway.
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