England selectors must consider Pennell - Ryan - The Worcester Observer

England selectors must consider Pennell - Ryan

Worcester Editorial 9th May, 2014 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan says England head coach Stuart Lancaster would be ‘foolish’ not to consider Chris Pennell for a place on the plane to New Zealand this summer.

Worcester Warriors were relegated to the Championship on Saturday following a 44-20 defeat to Saracens.

But Ryan believes Pennell, who produced a man of the match performance at the Allianz Park, scoring two tries, was still worthy of a call-up to the national set-up.

His latest plea to England selectors also comes just a week after the 27-year-old was named among the six players in contention for the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year award.




“His nomination is certainly well deserved and I hope he goes on to be the something more than that,” Ryan said.

“Chris is getting real attention now and not just sympathetic attention.


“I think his form helps with his England chances but we will have to wait and see. There are a lot of things still to be decided at the end of the year, but I would be gobsmacked if he is not a conversation around the selectors table. I think it will be pretty foolish to ignore him.”

Ryan said there was a ‘perception that Worcester did not have international quality players’, but he felt Pennell, who has made more metres than another player in the top flight, deserved recognition.

“It’s doubly difficult to illustrate that you are a test player here, but I don’t think anyone in the game would question that he has been one of the form Premiership players,” he said.

“I am not pretending that he doesn’t sit in a position that is pretty well stocked but I also think he deserves the recognition of being competitive and he deserves exposure to other environments which may kick him on again.

“I have not had conversations about Chris Pennell with anybody, but there are lots of things up for grabs and a lot of permutations which England selectors have got to have a look at, so I would be disappointed if he is not considered.”

Speaking after his side’s defeat to Saracens, Ryan said he was also confident Pennell, who recently agreed a three-year at the club, would remain at Warriors.

“Chris is one of the most driven people to see Worcester do well,” he added. “His club is in the Championship next season, so he’s going to play in the Championship.”

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