David’s back on the Paice as hunt starts to replace injured hooker Tom Youngs
Delaney reckons the 30-year-old is at the peak of his powers and ready to cover for the injured Tiger, Tom Youngs, sidelined after shoulder surgery until the New Year.
England’s selectors have numerous replacement options, including summer tourists Joe Gray, Dave Ward and Luke Cowan-Dickie, plus Harlequins‘ Rob Buchanan.
But Delaney believes the early season form of the experienced Paice, who won his eighth cap against Argentina in 2013, warrants serious attention from England boss Stuart Lancaster ahead of next month’s autumn squad announcement.
Delaney told The Rugby Paper: “David’s incredibly consistent at the moment. Our lineout’s ranked top two, his throwing is pin-point accurate, his scrummaging has been excellent and he’s been carrying more than in previous years. He’s dynamic and works hard through contact and he’s aggressive and enjoys that part of the game – he’s just a damned good rugby player.
“David’s become a real senior player for us who we look to and rely on. Our set-piece has been built around him and he’s our key stakeholder in that pack.
“He’s a leader who I’ve seen huge growth in over the last couple of years and he’s a genuine contender. If England are looking for a hooker, they need to be paying David some good care and attention.”
Australia-born Paice, who missed a chunk of last season after breaking an arm in November, would relish donning the red rose jersey again.
He told TRP: “I’ve kept in touch with the England coaches and they’ve just told me to do my stuff and they’ll keep an eye on me.
“I don’t think I’m too far away and the key thing is for London Irish to do well because players tend to be picked from sides near the top.
“I’d love to be involved with England again because some of my best memories have been with them – beating New Zealand, touring Argentina.
“I’ve dropped down the pecking order a bit but I feel I’m playing well and all you can do as a player is keep putting your hand up.”
Delaney, meanwhile, feels Exiles playmaker Shane Geraghty deserves another shot with England.
He added: “The club’s invested heavily in David and Shane over the last couple of years. We’ve been running a leadership programme which they’ve been heavily involved in around how they can take responsibility and help younger players.
“There might be a correlation in that David and Shane are at the peak of their powers and everyone’s talking about them positively.
“If you’re talking about picking form players, Shane’s certainly in that bracket.”
NEALE HARVEY
