Isiekwe chasing his dream of England recall
NICK Isiekwe has not played for England since the summer of 2018 when he was substituted 35 minutes into the first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, but at the age of 23 the second row still has his best years ahead of him.
“He seems to have been around for a long time and he has achieved a lot,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall, right. “It is wonderful to see the progress he is making and he had an instructive year on loan at Northampton last season when they gave him responsibility, which we are grateful for. He is a great athlete and hard worker who is keen to get better.”
Isiekwe said that England head coach Eddie Jones had been in contact with him this season three years after his last Test appearance. The boy then has become a man who, in the absence of Maro Itoje, calls the lineout for Saracens.
“It was nice to have contact again and Eddie gave me a few things to work on,” said Isiekwe, who has been an ever present in Sarries’ starting line-up this season, twice in the back row. “It is about improving my game on both sides of the ball and in the contact area.
“I want to play for England again. It is a dream of mine, but all I can focus on is getting better. Playing alongside someone like Maro drives you and makes you want to be as good as you can be.”
Saracens will not be as depleted against Quins as seemed likely at the start of the season with the Vunipola brothers left out of the England squad, along with Ben Earl, but they will still be missing three of their summer Lions.
“The England boys with us are focused only on what we have to do against Harlequins and how we get better as a collective,” said Isiekwe. “We look at ourselves each week and there is a hunger to get better. “Playing at Northampton was a different experience and it challenged me. I had to adapt and it was good to play alongside guys I had been involved with in the age-groups, such as Alex Mitchell and Alex Moon, but I am enjoying being back at Saracens. It it where I grew up and where I want to stay.
“I enjoy calling the lineouts and taking a bit more responsibility. I learned off George Kruis and Maro, sitting back and watching how they operated. A lot of time goes into calling and it is a collaborative effort. It never stays the same because you face different teams each week and people always have different views.”
McCall is expecting another hard-fought match against their London rivals. “We have had some great battles with them,” he said. “It would be good not to play it during the international window, but in the end it’s another game with points to play for.
“They are in phenomenal form and have an incredible record at The Stoop, piling up points and comfortable with the game they are playing. They will be difficult. We have also been scoring points, but we are ready for a tight, tough game.”