WILL Collier has declared himself ready to take centre stage for Harlequins and England in the absence of banned tight-head Kyle Sinckler.
Collier, an England hero in Argentina this summer, failed to feature in the recent Red Rose training camps but now has a chance to force his way up the pecking order after Sinckler admitted a charge of gouging Northampton’s Michael Paterson.
With his Harlequins teammate sidelined for seven weeks, encompassing the first two November internationals, Collier, below, told The Rugby Paper: “It’s unfortunate for Sincks but what I do know is that he isn’t a malicious player in any way.
“Me and Sincks have a great relationship. We’re very different characters but I have massive respect for him, as I hope he has for me, and we both play on the edge.
“He’s a very physical player, very confrontational, but I know for a fact that he wouldn’t have done what he did at Saints on purpose. I’ve been sharing the load with Sincks, but it’s up to me now to step up and show people what I can do.” Collier, 26, is desperate for another stab at Test rugby after winning his first two caps in Argentina.
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