NOT many Worcester Warriors players can say they have come through a Championship season and won the play-offs at the end.
Dan George is among that small list, which also features Jonny Arr and Chris Pennell, having been part of London Welsh’s promotion-winning squad of 2012.
And he believes those experiences of dealing with the pressure of the semi-final and two-legged final can only help but improve his chances of cementing his spot.
The hooker, who joined Warriors from Gloucester last summer, has been involved in a four-way battle for the number two jersey this season.
Although Argentina skipper Agustin Creevy appears to be leading that race, George said his experience of playing in high-pressure games should stand him in good stead for selection when the campaign reaches its climax.
“It will all come down to how people are playing at the time,” he said. “If I am playing terrible rugby then I don’t deserve to be involved in the play offs even though I have played in them before.
“But it does help when you have played in the Championship semi-final and final, you have played in the Europeans Challenge Cup quarter-final and played in the big West Country derby at Kingsholm which was absolutely rocking. You have got that in your back pocket and know that you can go out there and perform on the big stage.
“There will be a spotlight on each individual about what they need to do and it is only going to get more intense as you build towards the play offs because at the end of the day you have only got that one opportunity. It’s cup rugby.
“For some, nerves may get the better of them, but it is hard to tell until they are thrown into that environment.
“You need to put them in there to see how they react. If we go up into the Premiership next year every week is going to be like a cup final, so you are going to find out sometime how these youngsters will respond.”
Apart from a disappointing spell at Gloucester last season, the 28-year-old has shown his willingness to stick around at clubs as he spent more than five years at both Llanelli Scarlets and London Welsh
And George said he now sees his long-term future at Warriors and helping them secure a return to the Aviva Premiership.
“I was at Llanelli Scarlets between the ages 15 and 21 and then I was at London Welsh for five or six years,” he added.
“I accept that things did not quite work out at Gloucester. But it was for the better really as I can come here now and we have got a chance to build for the future.
“I do see myself here for the foreseeable future and I would like to be part of what we are creating.”