Francis out to prove his versatility in Argentina

Gobsmacked Auckland Blues fly-half Piers Francis has revealed how he thought a 5am phone call from Eddie Jones advising him of his shock England call-up was a joke.
Northampton-bound Francis, 26, is one of 16 uncapped players summoned for the tour of Argentina, where he will battle George Ford and Alex Lozowski for the No.10 jersey.
However, it took time for the news to sink in, with Francis telling The Rugby Paper: “I was shocked. I’d had no contact with the England set-up at all so it was a call out of the blue when Eddie Jones rang at 5am on a Tuesday morning.
“Fortunately I was up because I was driving my girlfriend to the airport, but it was a pretty surreal conversation and I wasn’t sure what to think when I put the phone down.
“He said he was Eddie Jones and it sounded like him, but I thought some of my mates might have had a big night out and was half expecting to hear giggles in the background.
“I wasn’t sure if it was for real or not but once confirmation came through it was super exciting, not just for me but for my mum, dad and family in England.
“The call has come a little earlier than planned but it’s awesome and I’ll look to take the opportunity and showcase what Eddie sees in me as a playmaker.”
Gravesend-born Francis was on the books at Saracens as a youngster before heading to New Zealand on a gap year and then flourishing in Super Rugby.
Equally comfortable at fly-half or inside-centre, he said: “I haven’t spoken to Eddie around his expectations of me positionally, but he likes having two playmakers at 10 and 12 and the extra feather in my bow might help my case in Argentina.
“Competition brings out the best in me and to be competing against the likes of Beauden Barrett (left) and Aaron Cruden in Super Rugby has been massive for my development. Hopefully, I can take that forward with England over the next month now.”
A downside of Francis’s call-up is that he will not now be able to face the Lions in Auckland on 7 June.
He added: “That’s disappointing but if ever there was an excuse to miss that game it’s an England call-up. My parents are coming to New Zealand but, hopefully, I’ll be back from Argentina in time to see the three Tests before joining Northampton.”
NEALE HARVEY