AS MANY players vying for the number 13 jersey at Worcester Warriors have found out in recent years, it takes a lot to take the place of Alex Grove.
The 27-year-old’s position in the side has looked almost untouchable as he has made more than a 130 appearances in Worcester colours over the past seven seasons.
But as the 2014/15 campaign reaches its halfway point, it is clear that the outside centre, who has won three caps for Scotland, has a worthy challenger in Max Stelling.
The 20-year-old, who graduated from the club’s academy last year, has featured nine times this season – scoring five tries and setting up a handful of other scores – and the rising star told The Observer he was in no mood to let Grove back in.
“You can’t rest on your laurels,” Stelling said. “Obviously I have been pushing for his (Grove’s) place for a while now, so it is great to be playing so much this season and I look forward to carrying it on.”
Stelling said he was also well aware of the areas he needs to work on having been exposed to top flight rugby for the past two years.
“Ideally I would have gone out on loan last season, but we did not have the depth to allow that to happen, so I had to stay here,” he said.
“But Dean (Ryan) still gave me opportunities and I looked to take them when I could.
“I had some good games and some bad games, but I have learnt from it.
“Defence was a big area which I have had to improve at 13 as there are times when you are massively exposed and it is really important to have that practice, the technique and attitude to want to go and get the ball back.
“In the Premiership that is really hard to do, so I improved massively last year and I am still improving.”
As competition for places heats up, director of rugby Dean Ryan will no doubt be looking for the best partnerships to take the club forward and Stelling insisted he had already struck up a good relationship with talented inside centre Ryan Mills, who arrived in the summer.
“He was at Gloucester last year, so I had not played with him much before and it can be difficult when you come into a new system,” he added.
“But he has done really well as he has put me on the outside break nicely as he has got a great pass, so it is all really positive for me at the moment.”
Grove, meanwhile, may well be thinking otherwise.