 Nick Easter was shocked when Brian Ashton called him up |
Harlequins' Nick Easter said he was "gob-smacked" by his shock England call-up for the RBS Six Nations Championship clash against Italy. "This time last week, I was at a disciplinary hearing after being sent off in a Guinness Premiership game against Bath," said Easter.
The Quins flanker avoided suspension and was called into the England squad as a replacement for Joe Worsley
Worlsey injured his neck in the 42-20 win over Scotland last weekend.
Easter now finds himself in the England set-up after a largely unspectacular career moving through English rugby's lower league ranks.
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The 28-year-old played for Orrell and Rotherham before helping Harlequins regain their Guinness Premiership place last year.
"I was gob-smacked, when I was told," said Easter. "Brian's first words to me when I arrived in the hotel reception were 'congratulations, you are in the starting XV'."
England coach Brian Ashton said he had no qualms about using Easter.
"We looked at who we are playing against and we looked at who he was replacing. He is a big physical player and he is also an intelligent player in terms of decision-making in the back row, so we felt he was the ideal choice.
"We will make sure he is fully aware of the organisational side of things we are trying to do, and then he has got to play his own game.
"What you want as a coach is for any player coming in to have an outstanding game, so you have a sleepless night thinking who do you pick next time? I hope that will be his intention."
And Ashton played down worries over the fitness of former captain Martin Corry.
"Martin has got an infection in his arm, and he is on a course of antibiotics," said Ashton. "We are not concerned at this stage."
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