David Strettle wants England recall for autumn internationals
- Published
David Strettle claims he is "one of the best wings in England" and his form and experience at Saracens merits a recall.
Strettle, 31, who has not played for head coach Stuart Lancaster's England since June 2013, scored two tries against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.
"Stuart's done the right thing, he's had a look at the wings out there and I hope that leading up to the World Cup he'll pick the best ones," he said.
England's squad for next month's autumn Tests will be revealed on Wednesday.
England's autumn internationals |
---|
v New Zealand: Saturday 8 November (14:30 GMT) |
v South Africa: Saturday 15 November (14:30 GMT) |
v Samoa: Saturday 22 November (19:00 GMT) |
v Australia: Saturday 29 November (14:30 GMT) |
"Experience means you might not score the wonder try because you do not back yourself, but more often than not you've made the right decision," Strettle, who has won 14 caps since making his England debut in 2007, added.
"The more you play the game, the more you recognise what's happening that split second earlier.
"And those older players are the best players. They might have lost a yard or two - like Brian O'Driscoll did - but they know what's happening that split second earlier and they react to it."
Sarries director of rugby Mark McCall said of Strettle's brace at the weekend that "it would be hard to find two better finishes".
Strettle questioned England's selection policy over wingers and said: "The sad thing is you get young lads who come in and score tries for their clubs, get put in at the highest level and get exposed, and then people just get rid of them.
"They've shown some natural talent in being a good finisher, so teach them the game and stick with them. That doesn't seem to happen on the wing."
Meanwhile, Sale fly-half Danny Cipriani believes England's selectors have a "tough" job before the squad announcement.
The 26-year-old kicked 16 points as the Sharks lost out to a last-minute drop goal against Munster on Saturday.
Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond said his performance was "outstanding".
He is one of five players, including Owen Farrell and George Ford, vying for an expected three places in England head coach Lancaster's squad.
"There's a lot of competition at fly-half, there's a lot of competition in every position," Cipriani told BBC Sport.
"I think it's credit to the English system and the rugby that's coming through, it's an exciting time.
"There's three, four, five players in every position that are putting their hand up.
"That is the best thing and the toughest thing for England selectors and I think that's exactly what they want."
Freddie Burns and Stephen Myler are the other players hoping for a call-up with less than a year to go before the World Cup in England.
Cipriani appeared in two of the three Tests against world champions New Zealand in June after an absence of almost six years from the international scene.
- Published18 October 2014
- Published15 October 2014
- Published26 May 2014
- Published14 September 2016
- Published15 February 2019