BACK row Huw Taylor admits featuring against Northampton Saints in the Premiership is all he can think about after making his debut against Harlequins last month.
Warriors host Northampton at Sixways next Saturday (November 18) and the 21-year-old forward, who came off the bench in the recent 41-35 Premiership defeat to Quins, wants to use this Sunday’s Anglo-Welsh Cup clash against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop to get his name on the team sheet.
Taylor, who joined Warriors’ academy in 2014 before being promoted to the senior squad this summer, believes he is close to following in the footsteps of Josh Adams and Jack Singleton, who both broke into the first team last year and have become regular starters.
“I’m pretty happy with where I’m at,” said Taylor.
“I was aiming to push for Premiership starts this year and playing that game against Harlequins has allowed me to start doing that. I’ve got to use these games to keep putting my hand up now.
“Hopefully through my performance against Sale last Friday and Harlequins this weekend, I’ll have done enough to put my name up for selection for the Northampton Saints game. That’s all I’m thinking about. Once you get that opportunity to play (in the Premiership) you have to keep taking it.
“I’ve played in both the European Challenge Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup over the past couple of years, but hopefully this is the year where I start to kick on and get a few more Premiership caps.
“It was a bit frustrating when those lads (Josh Adams and Jack Singleton) kicked on last year, being in a similar age group to myself.
“I still played a few first-team games, but haven’t been as regular as them in terms of Premiership starts. I feel like I’m close to getting into that first team fold, so by taking small steps hopefully I can feature in more matches.”
FOUR Valkyries players have been named in England Women’s under-20 squad ahead of the 2017/18 season.
Akina Gondwe, Brooke Clarke, Vicky Laflin and Charlie Wilcock have been called up to the 28-player squad by head coach Jo Yapp, as they prepare to take on the Army and France in away and home fixtures next spring.