I learned so much from that All Blacks nightmare says Kyle Eastmond

Revitalised Bath star Kyle Eastmond believes that there is plenty more to come from his burgeoning midfield partnership with Jonathan Joseph.
Eastmond has recovered superbly from his third Test nightmare against New Zealand in Hamilton, where he was hooked after 40 minutes with England trailing 29-6.
Lesser men might have crumbled, but the diminutive playmaker has fought back to feature strongly in Bath’s excellent start to the season.
Talking candidly about his summer disappointment, Eastmond, 25, told The Rugby Paper: “Even though that third Test didn’t go so well, I still took lots out of it.
“These things happen in rugby and for 30-40 minutes we weren’t at our best and I got taken off, but it’s how you come back and start again that counts.
“There’s no better place to learn than on tours. I came back from Argentina in 2013 as a better player and I came back from New Zealand having learnt a lot over there as well, despite things not going so well for me at the back end.
“If you’re not learning stuff on tours alongside the best players and coaches, then you’ll never learn. But I took a lot of stuff on board and just came back to Bath looking to concentrate on doing well here so I could put my hand up again.
“Jonathan Joseph and I have started the season pretty well together. We’re starting to get a real understanding of each other’s game now – when we want the ball, when we don’t want it – and you can see it’s coming together now.
“I feel I’m really progressing. From when I first came to Bath in 2011 to now there’s a big difference and I’m just trying to get better.
“But I still feel there’s a lot more in me and there’s a long way to go yet. I’m just looking forward to getting better each day and, hopefully, that will be enough for the England coaches and I can get another chance to show what I can do.”
England’s midfield options are plentiful, with Billy Twelvetrees, Luther Burrell, Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt also fighting for places.
But the Eastmond/Joseph combination is potentially the most exciting of all and Joseph would relish a crack at translating it into England.
“Our midfield partnership is developing really well,” Joseph told TRP. “Kyle and I are playing well off each other, understanding each other’s game and he’s a joy to play outside with his ball-handling ability, pace and tackling prowess.
“It’s been a really satisfying start for us. One narrow loss to last season’s champions aside, you can’t really complain and it’s just a case of Kyle and I staying focused now and delivering what we have been doing week-in, week-out.
“I’m not really thinking of England, I just want to play well each week for Bath and I’m really enjoying my rugby right now. But it could be a very special period for the club, although we’ve got to be careful not to think too far ahead.
“We’ve got Europe coming up and it’s a great place to be at the moment. We’ve got a great squad and there’s a real driven factor amongst us. We’re demanding the best from each other and want to put our hands up every week.”
Joseph, arguably the Premiership‘s most naturally gifted midfielder, endured a torrid time with injuries last season. But with those worries firmly behind him, England must be sorely tempted to give him free rein this November.
Joseph added: “I’m feeling good and it’s great to be out there at the moment. My body’s in a good place and I’m training really hard.
“That’s all you can do, work hard with the coaches each week and look at ways you can improve, then the rest will look after itself.”
England could potentially field an all-Bath midfield combo next month and Eastmond allows himself to dream, adding: “It would be nice. But it’s out of our hands, all JJ and I can do is keep doing our best and help Bath stay near the top of the league.
“We want to be up there and there’s a great feeling here at the moment.”
NEALE HARVEY