Harlequins centre Oscar Beard hoping to join friend Marcus Smith in England squad

Harlequins centre Oscar Beard is hoping to catch Steve Borthwick’s eye next week so he can join his friend and team-mate Marcus Smith in the England squad.

Beard has been named in the England A squad who are taking on Australia A next week at the Twickenham Stoop - and England head coach Borthwick will be one of those in attendance.

Borthwick is keen to run the rule over the next wave of talent coming through and Beard is one of several players looking to shine when he takes to the field for England A on November 17.

The centre has already trained with the senior side in the past and he has been in impressive form for Harlequins, where he plays with England fly-half Marcus Smith.

And Beard is hoping he can take that final step and break into the England setup so he can play alongside his close friend, Smith.

“I'm desperate to get capped and play for England,” said Beard, one of four Quins players picked for the A squad. “Having a taste of it (senior squad training), and seeing what it takes, what the best do day in, day out, has been massive.

“Obviously a good friend of mine is Marcus Smith and watching how he, doesn't change but what he does here and then with England, is really refreshing and nice to see.

“Obviously he's ripping it up and that’s brilliant. It’s intense but a privilege to be involved. That's what I want to strive for, and hopefully, fingers crossed, it can happen one day.

“I think England A is a good stepping stone to do that. I really enjoyed it, experiencing that international setup, with how an England team prepares.

“Obviously, I know it's the As, but the team England prepared for the game and the level of detail and intensity, I think, was really, really important.”

Tickets are available here for England A v Australia A at the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday 17th November at 2pm