Nilsen made his first Premiership start of the season against Exeter

Phil Nilsen says the pressure of being Leeds Carnegie's only senior hooker has brought out the best in him.

With Steve Thompson on England duty and Andy Titterell injured, the 25-year-old has quickly risen from third choice hooker to number one.

Nilsen told BBC Radio Leeds: "I feel there is added pressure on me to perform to the standards Thommo and Titts set.

"That's bringing out the best in me and actually helping me."

With conditioning coach James Parks on the bench against Exeter as emergency cover at hooker, Nilsen had to play the whole 80 minutes at Sandy Park and was one of Leeds' standout performers.

Leeds remain in talks with potential new signings at hooker, but admit they are not close to agreeing any deals yet.

It means Nilsen will face a similar demand on his body at Harlequins on Sunday.

He added: "I've gone from being the third choice hooker to first or only choice hooker.

"My aim for this period is to prove myself, so when Thommo is back from international duty I will still keep the starting shirt.

"I was happy with my performance at Exeter. My stats were good and the line-outs went well, apart from the last one of the game.

"So I was pleased but it's hard to take positives as an individual or a team after such a tough loss.

"It's great to be involved in the first team again and get some consistent time in there, which really helps."

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