Seize the day, Sanderson tells teammates

England rugby skipper Pat Sanderson today reminded his Churchill Cup squad that Test recognition will reward those who perform in Canada over the next three weeks.

Joe Lydon’s shadow England party leaves for Toronto this evening before travelling on to Edmonton – the host city for the competition – next Wednesday.

It has been widely viewed as a development tour to uncover England stars of the future, but Sanderson believes his players should be targeting a Test place this year.

“This tour is about winning. We want to go out there and get some recognition for ourselves. You do that by winning your matches,” he said.

“The Autumn internationals are not far away so we want to put our hands up for that. There’s a lot at stake on this tour and we have a lot to prove. We must take the opportunity that has come our way.”

Sanderson, who has landed the captaincy after impressing with Worcester Warriors this season, is excited by the strength of England’s 25-strong squad.

“We have a lot of potential and a huge amount of attacking talent. There are some guys in the squad who I’ve played against and I wished I could play alongside. Everyone is in their prime,” he said.

“It’s going to be an exciting tour. We want to challenge ourselves in every way. We want to play a full and complete game, and that’s possible because of the strength in the squad.”

England’s first match is against Canada a week on Sunday – if they win they will face either Argentina or the USA in the final – and Sanderson expects it to be a physical opener.

“I’m looking forward to the nest few weeks. It’s going to be a challenge but Canada is a good place to tour. I’ve been there twice before and both times I’ve enjoyed it,” he said.

“Canada are a tough, physical side. They pride themselves on their physicality and that’s something we must be aware of right from the start. Our first challenge will be to make sure we match their physicality.”