CENTRE Andy Symons believes his late penalty to ensure Worcester Warriors’ place in the British & Irish Cup final shows he is capable of kicking his side back into the Aviva Premiership.
With just three minutes remaining on Friday, Symons fired home a penalty which ultimately secured his side victory as Leinster A scored a last-gasp converted try to close the gap to 15-13.
The 23-year-old, who was drafted into the squad following an injury to Ignacio Mieres ahead of kick off, admitted it was the most nervous he felt standing over the tee.
But he said the fact it went over demonstrated he was able to handle the pressure and believes it will stand him in good stead heading into the play-offs.
“It was nice to be involved in a semi-final,” he said. “It was unfortunate that Ignacio’s hamstring was not right, but it was nice to get on the field and make an impact.
“I had two really good kicks and I was really happy with them, but the wind pushed them over to the left, so it was nice to get the last one over. My heart was beating a bit quicker on the third, but it was a good feeling when it went through.
“It was nice to be tested in a pressure game and I felt very comfortable. I am quite excited by the challenge ahead and if they decide it is me I will be ready to go.”
With Ryan Mills, Ryan Lamb, Mieres and Chris Pennell all capable of carrying the kicking duties, Symons admitted he would face a battle to remain as the club’s leading marksman.
But he said he was enjoying working on his kicking with former England ace Paul Grayson and expressed his desire to continue with it this season.
“Kicking is something I have always persisted at and always really enjoyed,” he said.
“I was always a long range kicker as I have got a big boot, so I just had to try and rein it in a little bit and be more accurate.
“I was really happy with how I went against Rotherham as I got 100 per cent, but even in a game like Friday I managed to get one over which separated the sides and ultimately gave us the win which was a pretty proud moment for me.
“There are a lot of good kickers here so you can’t really have an off day, so I know I have just got to keep going.”