Irish lifeline rescues Tom from the rugby wilderness

SARACENS hooker Tom Woolstencroft is ready to fight Lions star Jamie George for his place after being handed a golden chance to cement his topflight status.

Woolstencroft’s career looked over in 2016 when, having won a Junior World Cup with England in 2014, his fledgling career at Bath was wrecked by injury.

Attempts to rebuild with Wasps and Ealing both failed, before then-London Irish boss Nick Kennedy threw Woolstencroft a lifeline 12 months ago. A decent season for the Exiles ensued, prompting Saracens to move for the highly-rated 23-year-old.

Woolstencroft told TRP: “A year after winning the U20s World Cup with England, I did my knee at Bath Rugby and had two years of cartilage problems.

“I went to Wasps but never played a game there and had to leave after three months, and it was the same at Ealing, which was really frustrating. I ended up going back to Somerset and rehabbing on my own whilst training a bit with the Taunton Titans.

“One more episode and I’d probably have packed it in, but after four operations it finally came right and Nick Kennedy offered me a trial at London Irish. I was determined to get back and ended up playing 13 first team games last season.

“I was looking to stay, but with the way things worked out they couldn’t actually make me an offer and I was so pleased that Saracens came in for me.”

Woolstencroft added: “I knew Sarries’ forwards coach, Ian Peel, from my U20s days and that may have helped because we had quite a dominant pack and I got on pretty well with him.

“Linking up with him again has been great, while Maro Itoje was my U20s captain and we had Nick Tompkins and Joel Conlon in that side as well, so it’s superb being reunited with those boys.”

Woolstencroft faces the task of ousting George, Chris Tolofua and Scott Spurling.

He said: “Maybe I’ll get opportunities during the Test periods, but I want to push them from the off and try to earn a spot.”