Symons gunning for Test debut against the Pumas
WASPS lock Matt Symons admits he has “no idea” of where he stands in the England pecking order, but is adamant he does not need to speak to Eddie Jones to know the standards he has to hit to be in contention.
Symons was talked about as a potential England captain when he returned from New Zealand to join London Irish at the start of last season, but his case was not helped in a struggling team.
Since his summer switch to Wasps, the 27-year-old has become Dai Young’s goto man with 19 appearances in the second row.
His name has still not been mentioned by Jones but with England packed with Lions hopefuls, Symons is targeting a Test debut in Argentina this summer.
“I’ve no idea where I stand with England,” he told The Rugby Paper. “I’m just worrying on Wasps and trying to get into the matchday squad every week.
“We’re hoping to do well in the Premiership and the Champions Cup so if I can start those big games and put in good performances it should put my name out there.”
Symons adds: “The locking group here at Wasps is very good and we’re pushing each other hard. I know I can’t afford to slip up because there’s a huge amount of competition.
“It’s great to play alongside Joe Launchbury and pick his brain to see what’s required to make the step up. I’ve had no feedback from Eddie Jones or the England coaches so I’m just keeping my head down and try to do my best for Wasps.”
Symons’ first steps in professional rugby were with the successful Chiefs in Super Rugby in 2014 and 2015.
However the seasons are a lot shorter in New Zealand and he reveals getting used to the grind of English rugby took some time.
He said: “The seasons over here are pretty full on and relentless compared to Super Rugby where you play a few games before getting a bye week and then there’s the break for the June Tests.
“You’re also travelling between countries so the environment in which you train or play is constantly changing. It’s less of a grind as such. I definitely needed to adjust to that but I don’t think it impacted on my performances.
“The travelling is actually quite gruelling in Super Rugby and the recovery after a game is sometimes cut short because you have to travel back.
“You don’t have that here so I get to recover a lot better after a game and it helps to keep going. The coaches are doing a great job at Wasps and I’m feeling great going into the business end of the season.”