Had it not been for an injury in the second match of the Premiership season Josh Hodge may well have been lining up at Murrayfield this weekend rather than for England A.
The Exeter Chiefs star scored a hat-trick in the opening round demolition of Saracens at Sandy Park but a nasty fall at Harlequins eight days later put his season and his hopes firmly on hold. Hodge will now run out with England A at Welford Road in a match against Portugal with a host of names looking to put their hands up.
Had Hodge continued on his early trajectory he'd have been hard to ignore for Steve Borthwick, but the fullback refused to let that setback halt his ambitions. He returned in round 12 against Saracens, by which point England had selected their Six Nations squad, but Hodge refused to be drawn on what ifs with his focus now on proving his worth in an England A team bursting with talent.
He told Mirror Sport: "You can't think like that. The injury came at a bad time yes, but I tried to get back as quickly to put my hand up for selection but unfortunately I was a little bit late on selection.
"I think one of the main things with the injury was trying to stay positive - I didn't really have any tough patches other than when it first happened. I just surrounded myself with the right people and thrived off that. I just tried to better myself in other ways off the pitch, whether that be in the gym or in the recovery periods. It was all a lot of pressure but I knew where I wanted to be and I had my own goals."
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Hodge returned for Exeter shortly before teaming up with England A and wasted no time in showing his range of skills. The fullback ended up taking on the kicking duties before he produced a moment of magic at Saracens, running 60 metres from his own try line to set up a try as he showcased his threat in broken field.
The 23-year-old has played across the backline in recent years but now wants to settle at 15. He's in a squad, led by George Skivington and Sam Vesty, that includes threats like Harry Randall, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Cadan Murley.
Josh Hodge began the season on fire before injury cut short his effortsEngland's strength in depth is such that they can produce a stellar backline despite the regular internationals being tied up in Edinburgh. Hodge now insists the team are ready to shine as a collective, not individuals, having praised the mood inside the Loughborough camp, where they've been preparing for the threat of Portugal.
"I think in this England A structure everyone wants to make an impression so we're all putting our front foot forward and making every effort we can," he said. "One of the main things we're focused on is putting our front foot forward, but at the same time we have to play as a team - if you're putting your friend away that's the right thing for the team.
"It is a great opportunity for the boys involved, it is going to be an expansive game, obviously Portugal bring a good brand. I think it'll be a great game to be a part of. We've all got our strengths which we're trying to play to. At the same time it is a new bunch in this environment, there's a lot of talent and we're just trying to get the basics right."
Hodge confessed that playing for England has "always been in the back of the mind" and Sunday's outing at Welford Road is part of the process that could eventually see him challenge the likes of Freddie Steward for a starting role. On the limited form we've seen this year, he'll be a hard man to ignore.
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