Joseph in fast lane to keep his Test place
JONATHAN Joseph reckons a fast start to the season with Bath will be key if he is to nail down his hard-earned England spot ahead of November’s internationals.
With his dancing feet and ever-improving defensive organisation, Joseph has been a major influence behind the Red Rose revival under Eddie Jones.
However, with Wasps’ Elliot Daly and fresh-faced Harlequins tyro Joe Marchant snapping at his heels, the Derby-born outside-centre knows he cannot relax.
Joseph, 25, told TRP: “You’re never quite sure with Eddie and he likes to keep his players on their toes.
“I feel I did what I could in Australia and thought I stepped up defensively very well. I’m looking to push that forward now and hopefully I’ll start the season well and keep getting opportunities to show I’ve improved.
“It’s important for us to start well at Bath. If we don’t, we’ll need to address it straight away because that wasn’t the case last year.We kind of hid behind areas that didn’t go well instead of confronting them straight away and changing the outlook. We’ve learnt from that.”
A summer of upheaval saw Bath head coach Mike Ford fired and two of Joseph’s erstwhile centre partners, Kyle Eastmond and Ollie Devoto, have left.
Experienced Kiwi Dan Bowden, 30, and academy protégé Max Clark, 20, have filled the breach in preseason and Joseph is keen to establish new partnerships.
He said: “Max is looking really good in pre-season and has stepped up really well, while Dan’s a lovely player with ball in hand who creates space for others.
“It’s important to establish something quickly now that Kyle and Ollie have left because that chemistry at 12/13 is massive.”
A holiday in Bali with best mate Anthony Watson followed June’s 3-0 series win in Australia, but then it was back to the business of selfimprovement.
Whilst England No.13 rival Elliot Daly has upped his sprint work in a bid to close the gap, Joseph has been equally diligent.
“I’ve been doing a lot of speed work as well,” Joseph explains. “We have a guy called Jonas Dodoo who works with Olympic athletes and it’s been paying off.
“I’m not sure of the exact time, but I put in my top speed ever against the Scarlets last week and the England conditioners were pretty happy.
“I’ve bulked up a bit and gained a bit more flexibility, too, so there are lots of things which will ultimately push me on with England.”
With Harlequins starlet Marchant also set for a big season, Joseph welcomes the competition. He said: “Quins will suit his style of play and I’m sure he’ll learn a lot this season and push on.
“This is a really young England squad and it’s exciting to be amongst it now. I’m at an age where you can make a difference, push forward personally and make something special happen in future.
“Making history in Australia was definitely a high point in my career, but it’s only a starting point.”