England hopeful admits Test ambitions ‘massively’ in his mind after disappointment of New Zealand tour
Joe Carpenter has spoken of his burning desire to go on tour with England again this summer.
Sale Sharks full-back Joe Carpenter has spoken of his burning desire to go on tour with England again this summer – and this time actually pull on the Red Rose jersey.
Uncapped Carpenter was part of Steve Borthwick’s squad for last year’s tour to Japan and New Zealand but did not feature during the first Test against Japan and the second two against the All Blacks.
“It’s massively at the back of my mind.”
Nevertheless, the Yorkshireman is enjoying another outstanding season for Alex Sanderson’s title-chasing side and his performances could earn him a spot on the plane to Argentina and USA.
Leeds-born Carpenter represented England at Under-16 and Under-18 level and is a key figure in a Sale outfit who lie on the brink of a top-four finish for the third successive season.
“It’s massively at the back of my mind,” said 23-year-old Carpenter when asked about the prospect of going on tour with England this summer.
“It’s definitely something I want to push for, but I’m someone who tries to take it week by week and ultimately you’re going to get picked on tours like that for how you play for Sale.
“For me England is definitely a goal, but it’s at the back of my mind because we want to perform here and get the most out of Sale.
“Hopefully winning it [the Gallagher Premiership title] will go a long way and personal performance, so those are things that I’m definitely aiming to do before that tour.”
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Carpenter was left frustrated by his non-activity during last year’s tour but said being part of an elite group aided his development.
“It’s a fantastic environment,” added Carpenter, who has made more metres (1,185) than any other player in the Gallagher Premiership this season.
“It probably was frustrating as a player who didn’t quite get the opportunity to play.
“But post-tour – reviewing it and reflecting on it – it was a fantastic experience for me and something that I definitely want to push to get back into.
“My main takeaways were just the level you have to be to compete because international rugby is a big step up.
“I think the fine margins are highlighted a lot more in international rugby and it’s those small moments that were definitely highlighted to me plus the intensity that you have to train at to be able to compete in those environments.”
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Regular contact
Encouragingly for Carpenter as he bids to make his international breakthrough, the dynamic full-back is in regular contact with the England coaches over his performances.
“It’s more of a proactive thing from myself – texting them and then every three or four games asking for that feedback,” he explained.
“I think that goes a long way if you go out of your way to ask for that.
“It’s been really helpful in terms of decisiveness on kick returns, which is something they look for in a full-back, and your accuracy in kicking.
“And then it’s just that decisiveness in the backfield when you’re shutting down the gate and those tackle completions in one-on-one scenarios.
“Those are probably the four things they have given me as the main focus which I can massively get after in the Premiership.
“If you can get those things right, you give yourself the best chance of getting on that plane to Argentina.”
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