With the LV=Cup kicking off this weekend, Jack Clifford is on a mission to earn some game time and establish himself in the Harlequins‘ first team.
The young No.8 skippered England U20s to a historic Junior World Championship in June and he is now looking for the opportunity to challenge Nick Easter and Tom Guest for a starting shirt.
After making two impressive appearances off the bench against Sale and Leicester the past two weeks he is now hoping Quins’ trip to Exeter on Saturday will help him put another marker down in his quest.
“The past two weeks have been great. Beating Sale and scoring in my first game of the season was brilliant. It also spurred the whole team on to finally win at home.
“I want to grab my opportunities with both hands and hopefully the LV=Cup can help me prove myself to the coaches.
“Last summer was very special. To lead England to a World Championship was a great experience. I really want to kick on now though and establish myself in the first team.
“Being alongside Nick Easter and Tom Guest day-in day-out helps me improve a lot. Tom has got the speed and the footwork while Nick has the ball carrying and dexterity ball in hand.
“Training full time with the first team is great. I think it helps bridge the gap between the Academy and the Premiership. That way the coaches see us all the time and they know what to expect when they call us in.”
Jack Clifford was speaking on behalf of PhD Nutrition, official performance supplier of Harlequins, who helped launch a new pre-workout formula VMX2.. For more information about this new product and the rest of the range, click here.