Ollie Hassell-Collins took just two touches to drag London Irish off the foot of the Gallagher Premiership table and advance his own England claims.
The 23-year-old wing continues to press for a Test breakthrough and showcased his skill-set again as Irish defeated Newcastle 39-17 in Brentford.
First, Hassell-Collins flicked up a scoring pass out of a tackle to send Paddy Jackson over the whitewash – then the Reading-born flyer delivered a howitzer 50-22 touch finder that teed up Adam Coleman’s try.
Exiles rugby director Declan Kidney knows all about copping critique and even brickbats for ignoring emerging talent at Test level, from his days as Ireland boss.
And so the experienced Irish coach knew exactly what he was doing in the build-up to this pivotal league clash by backing his man Hassell-Collins – but crucially not trying to tell England’s coaching team how to do their jobs.
When asked in midweek whether Haskell-Collins should be in line for a Test debut in the wake of a disappointing run where England lacked imagination, Kidney offered a typically measured response.
“Now you know me better than that, I am not about to put pressure on anyone saying he should be a shoo-in, but he is putting his hand up,” said an even-handed Kidney.
That cool pre-match assessment matched the blonde-haired winger’s impact at the Gtech Community Stadium, as Irish enjoyed their first home match in 43 days.
Kidney’s men claimed just their second win of a challenging campaign, swiping a try bonus to boot, to climb off the foot of the table, at least temporarily.
Only a Bristol win over Leicester on Saturday night would send Irish back to the bottom of the table.
Lucio Cinti crossed twice, with James Stokes also claiming a score to add to those Jackson and Coleman tries. Newcastle pressed hard and claimed scores through Mateo Carreras and Guy Pepper, but Irish were full value for their win.
Hassell-Collins' class helped proved the difference in an intense affair. The in-form wing will keep on pressing his Test claims, with boss Kidney no doubt continuing to offer low-key hints and nudges to England’s coaches.
