Carpenter's keen to join his England pals

JOE Carpenter has watched on patiently as his mates have excelled for England - now he wants a piece of the action for himself.

- By PAUL MARTIN

The flying full-back's best pal, Tom Roebuck, took his opportunity with both hands against Wales in the Six Nations, scoring an early try in the 68-14 demolition job at Principality Stadium.

Carpenter's fellow Sale Sharks stars Bevan Rodd, Asher Opoku-Fordjour and the Curry twins have also all shone in the white jersey and the 23-year-old hopes to cap another stellar domestic season with his first caps on this summer's tour of Argentina and the USA.

"It would mean everything," said Carpenter, who was among 14 uncapped players at the training camp. "It's what everyone dreams of as a kid, my close mates here have managed that and are really stepping into this environment and thriving, the likes of Tom Roebuck, Bevan Rodd and Asher.

"To see those boys do it makes you want to do it more. Seeing Tom, one of my best friends at Sale, get his first cap and first try was fantastic.

"The step up from Premiership to Test rugby is massive, so we've spoken about what it demands of you mentally and physically. For me, it's all about implementing that in training as best I can for when that opportunity comes so it's not a shock to the system.

"You have to be mentally and physically in the right place for when that opportunity comes and you be ready to grab it with both hands. That's what I'm going after."