Now that he has dispatched the elephant in the room, Ben Earl will chase a Rugby World Cup starting berth.
The Saracens back-rower cut a candid figure ahead of this year's Premiership Final, opening up on 18 months of England struggles before driving his club's 35-25 Twickenham triumph over Sale.
England head coach Steve Borthwick had just been to visit Saracens' Old Albanians training ground, detailing what he wanted from his World Cup hopefuls. Earl leaned forward intently and conceded all the selection pointers in the world could not quite help him shake the scarring from an extended stint on England's outside, looking longingly in.
"Selfishly, the elephant in the room is that I wish I could have played a bit more for England in the Six Nations," Earl admitted in May.
The 26-year-old was a fringe operator in Borthwick's Six Nations plans, but refused to relent and has forced his way into the final 33-man World Cup squad.
No metaphors for awkward conversations needed yesterday then, when Earl was at once delighted and relieved.
"I have to pinch myself that I'm going to the World Cup," he said. "At times in the last 18 months it seemed like a long way off. Now it's about trying to get into that team."
Earl was named Premiership player of the year in 2022, but could never convince then-boss Eddie Jones of his suitability for the Test arena.
Borthwick's arrival for the Six Nations had Earl hopeful of a new dawn, but again the powerful, pacy flanker was unable to crack the England code.
After edging past players such as Alex Dombrandt, Tom Pearson and Tom Willis to head to France, though, Earl feels far more accomplished because of all of that graft.
"Over the last two years I've had a bit of an up-and-down journey in terms of being in and out of the squad," he said. "But I've enjoyed some club successes and I'm probably a bit more of a rounded individual now than I was."
