Young Gun: Nick Tompkins – Saracens centre

As a converted flanker it’s little surprise that Nick Tompkins’ kicking game remains a work in progress – but in England full-back Alex Goode he couldn’t have a better teacher.
The Saracens centre made the switch to the backs only two years ago, having come through the ranks at Old Elthamians playing in the back row.
Inevitably he has kept his ability at the breakdown – a prerequisite for modern centres – but readily admits it is the kicking side of things which needs work.
However, with Goode as his mentor, he’s been given the opportunity to work closely with arguably the best kicking full-back in the Premiership and he admits the training is beginning to pay off.
He said: “Having Alex as a mentor has really helped me with my game.
“He’ll quite often come down and watch me when I’m playing for my school Oaklands and I even got a good luck text from him when I was out with the England U18s.
“He’s obviously a very good footballer and it’s really helpful for me having switched from the back row. The kicking is something quite new for me, it’s obviously not something I did much of when I played flanker.
“I’m more comfortable when it comes to getting involved at the breakdown but I’m getting used to the new position. I made the move to centre when I was 16 and it is going well and I’m enjoying it.
“I first got started with rugby because of my brother Alex, who plays up at Leeds Met now. It was watching him that got me interested in the game.”
It’s been quite the season for Tompkins, who played for Saracens in the A League final before heading off to the FIRA U18s Championships last month with England.
He helped them to a second successive title, with a 27-22 win in the final in Grenoble over their French counterparts.
There he worked under long-time coach John Fletcher, and he admits having a familiar face alongside him certainly helped.
He added: “Going out to France with the 18s has been great and a fantastic experience for me.
“It was a really high level of competition and went well for us as a team. Having so much talent around you makes the job a lot easier and it was a very good team we had out there.
“It’s easier with John in charge as well because he has coached me right through the age groups so I know him very well.
“I was also lucky enough to be called into the 18s team last summer when they went over to South Africa so it was nice to have that little bit of experience under my belt before heading out there.
“It helps for the nerves when you’ve already been there and had a bit of an idea of what to expect.
“This season has really kicked on for me since the A League final which was a great opportunity.
“That gave me a lot of confidence and since then I’ve been able to push on. Now the ambition is to keep pushing on with Saracens and to try to get a bit more time with the A team next season.
“It will be a big step up next year for England U20s so I’ll see how that goes. But if I can keep progressing with Sarries, that’s the most important thing.
“Obviously the kicking side of things will be a big part of that so I will work hard and hopefully get a few more opportunities next year.”