Obano's Call-up Shows Eddie Still Has Slots To Fill

Obano's Call-up Shows Eddie Still Has Slots To Fill

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THERE won’t be many surprises with Eddie Jones’ England selection between now and the World Cup but this week’s training squad shows there is still room for players to push in if they are playing well for their club.

It’s encouraging to see Ben Obano and Gary Graham receive their first call ups to the senior squad, it’s a great message to send out to the players. They all know that there are at least 40 players vying for that 32-man World Cup squad and Eddie is showing that it’s far from signed and sealed.

They’ve played well and caught the eye of Eddie and his coaches, and are now part of the elite squad. Last season Graham was playing for Jersey in the Championship and since he’s stepped up with Newcastle he’s shown enough to be drafted in.

Jones and coaches Steve Borthwick and Paul Gustard are at a lot of games all around the country, watching closely then convening to talk about players. They are continually analysing their squad which means if you play well you’ll be given the opportunity to train with the best.

When I was at the Bath v Toulon game, Obano scored a try in the first minute and Jones was there watching. I’d seen Obano in the game the week before and he was phenomenal. He backed it up with another fine performance and looks an impressive addition to that already very strong loosehead lineup. If he continues his current wave of form, he’ll push for honours for sure given his explosive nature. He’s one of those few players that run hard onto the ball, is very athletic and springy, and launches himself into tackles – it’s rare to see someone hit as hard in defence as attack.