Nick was too small for England… now he’s a big threat WALES ACE READY AFTER BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS
makes him a massive threat.” Turn the clock back four years to when Saracens won the Premiership and European Cup double for the first time, and not many people were saying that.
At the end-of-season drink-up the players were in high spirits apart from Tompkins, who was a picture of frustration as he sat in the corner with
Sanderson. “He wasn’t getting a look-in and was almost crying,” said the Sarries forwards and defence coach.
“The rest were having a good laugh and he was a bit lost. He said, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do’. I told him to stay positive and to come back for pre-season and give it a proper crack.”
The fact that Tompkins had racked up a century of appearances by the time he finally wrote his name up in lights with a try hat-trick in last season’s Premiership semi-final shows how much effort it has taken.
England centre Alex Lozowski said: “For sure, he has had to be patient but he’s now reaping the reward. People are seeing what we have known for years.”
Tompkins, 25, will line up in the back line opposite Sarries club-mates Farrell and Elliot Daly. And with Itoje, Jamie George, George Kruis and Mako Vunipola also on the pitch, England can’t say they don’t know what’s coming.
“Nick is someone you’d want in your trench every time,” said Sanderson.
“I’m English and I want England to win, but I want Nick to rip it up and, I hope at the end, England are scratching their heads, thinking, ‘How did we let this one go’? I really do’.”