Hodgson insists: This is my big England chance and I won't blow it

13 April 2012

Charlie Hodgson will find himself on familiar territory this weekend - seeking the keys for long-term occupancy of number 10.

Hodgson starts an England game for the first time since November 2006 when he
lines up in Sunday's non-cap fixture against the Barbarians at Twickenham.

That was 23 Tests and two England coaches ago but, while Andy Robinson and
Brian Ashton might have come and gone, Hodgson continues to stick around.

Eye on the prize: Charlie Hodgson has a point to prove

Eye on the prize: Charlie Hodgson has a point to prove

The 'prize' for a commanding display this weekend could be fly-half duties when
England tackle the All Blacks in Auckland on June 14.

With Danny Cipriani and Jonny Wilkinson both recovering from respective ankle and shoulder operations that put them out of tour contention, Hodgson knows the stakes are high this weekend.

England tour manager Rob Andrew and his coaches could still prefer either Olly
Barkley or Toby Flood against New Zealand, but Hodgson at least has first chance
to stake a claim.

He said: "I see the tour as a massive opportunity for me. It is a big responsibility.

"I've always had good self-belief and that I was capable of being in this position, so I must grab it with both hands now and take any opportunity I get.

"This is the first opportunity I've had in a long time in an England shirt.

"You never give up hope. I've always maintained good belief in my ability to play and perform at this level, and I have been given another opportunity to do it.

"Hopefully, I can make things as hard as possible for the guys when they come back.

"The competitive edge in me has never changed. I've always looked to be the best I can, and if that is good enough to play in an England shirt then brilliant. If not, then I will keep on working.

Kick and run: Charlie Hodgson's kicking will catch the eye of the England selectors

Kick and run: Charlie Hodgson's kicking will catch the eye of the England selectors

"Competing against the likes of Cipriani, Wilkinson and (Ryan) Lamb, they are
obviously very good players and it is always going to be tough to knock them out and be picked ahead of them.

"But being in such a competitive position drives you forward to achieve more and be selected in the future."

It seems the proverbial age since Hodgson scored an England Test record 44 points on debut against Romania five days after his 21st birthday.

Hodgson could do little wrong on that November afternoon, but while England have played 79 subsequent Test matches, he has not been involved in 50 of those.

Two major knee injuries and two missed World Cup campaigns did not help, yet the Sale Sharks playmaker has never been one to throw in the towel.

He added: "I am just pleased to be involved, really. I've had some hard times, but it is nice to be back involved again and I am looking forward to the opportunity this weekend.

"I've just kind of accepted what happened, and you crack on with it.

Hand it to me: Charlie Hodgson is hoping his safe hands clinch a tour place

Hand it to me: Charlie Hodgson is hoping his safe hands clinch a tour place

"I am hoping that is the end of my bad luck with injuries, and hopefully, I will have a good few years ahead of me now.

"You look to take each opportunity as they come and do the best you can with each opportunity."

While England embarked on a rollercoaster World Cup campaign last autumn,
Hodgson began finding his feet again with Sale after nine months out recuperating from knee ligament trouble.

He had been part of England's early pre-World Cup training work, but effectively ran out of recovery time to push his claim at the selection business end.

If anything though, it has probably given Hodgson a much wider perspective on sport's sometimes cruel nature - and means he can also sympathise with the stricken Cipriani.

When Wasps run out at Twickenham tomorrow for their latest Guinness Premiership
title tilt, Cipriani will be continuing his rehabilitation from a sickening ankle injury which means he is unlikely to play again this year.

Hodgson said: "Seeing an injury like the one Danny suffered is never very  pleasant.

"I know what 'Cips' is going through, and I know he is going to have a tough time out.  But the player that he is and the person that he is, I know he will come back stronger and get back in an England shirt very soon, I am sure.

"For me, it was just a progression over the season from last September. It is about getting used to the contact side of things again and having the confidence to take those hits again.

"That is something you don't get playing just one or two games, it happens
over a period of games."

For Hodgson, that period of games could now be in England colours rather than
those of Sale's. In many ways on Sunday, he is starting all over again.



Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in