Ready to suit up: Hat-trick hero Seb Atkinson on his England claims

Hat-trick hero Seb Atkinson says he would be well “suited” if an England call-up came his way on the back of a good season for Gloucester.

The 22-year-old crossed three times in the first half in a player of the match display in Saturday’s 53-28 drubbing of Bristol, with England head coach Steve Borthwick in the Kingsholm crowd watching.

Afterwards, Cherry & Whites Director of Rugby George Skivington talked up his international claims, and Atkinson would love to get the opportunity to play for his country after some near misses in the past.

“I never try and get too far ahead of myself with that,” he said.

“I was in the England U18s when I was at Worcester, but that got cut short because of Covid so I never actually played, and then I was in the U20s squad for two years but never got capped. It’s still a motivation. I have just got to keep working hard and, hopefully, it will pay off.”

Gloucester have had plenty of players capped by Wales of late, but Jonny May was the last Englishman from the club to pull on the senior white jersey when he played in the 2023 World Cup semi-final defeat to South Africa.

Talking about the Gloucester squad as a whole, Atkinson believes that England representation is not too far away.

“Gloucester have been playing well, we’re up the table, which is nice to see. Maybe they want to see some consistency from us and staying there year on year, but I think the performances that we have put in as a team and as certain individuals, deserve their call-ups.

“You can see that with the Wales squad, and hopefully that can translate with all nationalities in the Gloucester squad.

“I think we are playing ahead of maybe the selection we are getting, but it is someone’s decision, and we have to keep going at it.”

With his ability to influence play on the gain line, inside-centre Atkinson could be just what England is looking for in a position where they are lacking in depth.

Could it be a marriage made in heaven? “It was interesting to see England going with a game plan over the Six Nations that suits my style: trying to move the point of attack, good, dynamic ball carriers, trying to play in the wider channels, detailed first-phase plays – things like that are similar to what we are doing at Gloucester at the minute,” said Atkinson, an Open University chemistry degree student.

“Maybe Gloucester are pushing it slightly more, but that’s exciting, and we enjoy playing like that, and trying to match that with physicality in defence, which can be tough as an attacking team.

“But I thought England did that pretty well over the course of the Six Nations. It is exciting to see they are able to balance the two sides.”