Ibitoye must grab chance - Banahan

MATT Banahan is looking forward to watching Gabriel Ibitoye press his England claims during the upcoming European window.

- JON NEWCOMBE

Banahan, the former England, Bath and Gloucester wing who is part of Premier Sports’ 32-strong team covering the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, expects the Bristol winger to light up the top-tier competition and put pressure on Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in Steve Borthwick’s squad.

Ibitoye, 26, was voted the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month for October and recently played for England A against Australia A and, given his current form, a Test call-up seems inevitable at some point

But Banahan, who won the Challenge in his second season at Bath in 2008, believes Ibitoye may have to bide his time if the two players ahead of him keep delivering the goods. One solution, he says, would be to play Freeman at 13.

“Tommy and Feyi-Waboso are showing why they are the two starting wingers (for England). Gabriel Ibitoye wants to be in the reckoning, and in that conversation. So there is an opportunity now for him to put his name forward and perform well in Europe – against different nationalities, against different players, who he doesn’t play against week in week out – after a good start to the Premiership season,” Banahan, the 16-cap international, below, said.

“The way Bristol play just suits him. I like how he can break lines, break tackles and create quick speed of ball. You talk about Cheslin Kolbe in that breath, and when you think who can make line breaks and make something out of nothing, you go back to the old Jason Robinson days and that was the type of player he was.