Round six of the Gallagher Premiership promises to deliver another thrilling weekend of action, with teams looking to solidify their positions ahead of a break before the Test rugby returns in November.
He is a man on a mission, claiming he has never felt as good and hoping that a consistent show of speed at Kingsholm and around the other English club grounds might turn a conversation with Steve Borthwick earlier this year into a much-desired international squad recall.
England flew out of South Africa last Saturday evening to Heathrow as the rightful champions, the consistency of their potent scrum and manipulative defence helping them to a deserved first title since 2016.
Mark Mapletoft's young bucks have tasted glory but is there now a clear pathway to Steve Borthwick's senior team?
Ahead by a single point at the break after riding their luck at times during an edgy opening half, Mark Mapletoft’s dynamos took ample advantage of the yellow carding of Mathis Castro-Ferreira.
Mark Mapletoft’s side demonstrated their ability to squeeze teams in that last four success, holding the Irish scoreless in the second half to win 31-20 after leading 22-20 at the interval.
Defeat when a team hasn’t performed fully is the worst kind of loss. That was the ordeal Ireland were put through in Cape Town on Sunday, oscillating from a highly competitive first-half effort in a World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final that finished with them only trailing England 22-20 to not firing a single shot in a second period where they were held scoreless and drably lost 31-20.
Two points up at the break, Mark Mapletoft’s side took a firm grip on the previously frenetic exchanges and the second period became a slow death for the Irish.
The reigning age-grade Six Nations champions completed their Pool C campaign with a gruelling 17-12 win over South Africa last Tuesday at Athlone.