Final Sunday night, Charlie Atkinson was nestled into his couch at residence in Cheltenham. Head nonetheless a contact fuzzy from the celebrations of Gloucester’s West Nation derby win over bitter rivals Bathtub the Friday earlier than, restoration was the order of the day. Then the telephone rang.
‘I had a little bit of YouTube on,’ Atkinson tells Every day Mail Sport. ‘It was about 6.30pm. I used to be simply beginning to consider having a shower and entering into mattress by 8pm!
‘We’d loved ourselves after the Bathtub win. I had just a few beers. Not too many, however the physique was a bit battered so I used to be simply resting up. Then I noticed Steve Borthwick was calling. He advised me he wanted me in England camp that evening!
‘My boots and gumshield had been at Kingsholm. I didn’t have something I wanted on me at residence, so I needed to rush to the bottom after which on to Pennyhill Park. Fortunately, there was somebody to let me in on a Sunday evening!’
A calf damage suffered by England No10 Fin Smith, which has put him in peril of lacking the autumn collection opener with Australia on November 8, led to an emergency Take a look at summons for Atkinson. He is perhaps a late call-up however it was additionally absolutely deserved – a mirrored image of his spectacular private growth and Gloucester’s collective resurgence as the present leaders of PREM Rugby.
‘I did just a few England camps once I was youthful and possibly felt just a little bit like I wasn’t meant to be there,’ Atkinson admits. ‘Now we’re doing nicely at Gloucester, it felt extra deserved.’
Charlie Atkinson’s electrical early-season type for table-toppers Gloucester has been rewarded with a late call-up to Steve Borthwick’s England squad for the Nations Championship
With Atkinson pulling the strings, Gloucester have gone from eighth place final season to the early pace-setters this time period
Smith, his namesake Marcus and George Ford are England’s three established playmakers. However Atkinson, 25, is hoping to disrupt the star trio and has been coaching with the group this week. Borthwick is hopeful Fin Smith shall be match for Australia, however his ongoing therapy might imply Atkinson once more joins up with England in the beginning of subsequent week.
Worldwide honours have all the time been the purpose for Atkinson, who got here by way of the Wasps academy, joined Leicester when the previous folded in 2022 after which a yr later signed for Gloucester. He has one cap to his identify as a substitute for Ford within the USA final yr. It was a full circle second.
In February 2020, Ford and England educated at Abingdon College the place Atkinson was a sixth-form pupil. The 2 posed for an image, as they’d finished 5 years earlier when Atkinson was simply 12.
‘I didn’t get to look at a lot of the coaching session as I had classes,’ Atkinson laughs. ‘I’d had one other image with George earlier than that. I confirmed him it after the USA sport. I’ve bought a Justin Bieber haircut and solely come as much as his chest!
‘As a 17-year-old child, watching England and assembly the gamers positively spurred me on. I’d simply signed with Wasps at that time. Even then, I can bear in mind there was a unique depth to an England setting. I bear in mind George and Owen Farrell controlling the session. George is 33 however he’s in higher form than me now!
‘He’s a hell of a participant. All anybody can do is hope to have a resume like his – a number of PREM titles, 100-plus caps, three World Cups. To go from having footage with him as a child to kicking with him after each coaching session has been fairly cool.
‘To come back on for him for my Take a look at debut is one thing that felt scripted. Should you’d advised me that might occur once I was 13, I’d by no means have believed you.’
Atkinson is now a team-mate of Ford’s on advantage. Like his Gloucester aspect, he’s a coming drive.
A 12-year-old Atkinson with George Ford (left) and the pair once more 5 years later (proper) when England educated at Abingdon College in Oxfordshire
Atkinson got here on for Ford in his sole England look to date, a 40-5 win over the US in July final yr
He has discovered a house at Kingsholm, establishing himself because the Cherry and Whites’ main playmaker. Sitting atop the PREM pile, Gloucester journey to reigning champions Northampton on Saturday seeking to make one other assertion after the excellent swatting apart of Bathtub final week and a extremely creditable draw with back-to-back European champions Bordeaux.
‘I do know I used to be known as up late this week due to an damage,’ Atkinson says. ‘However previously two seasons, when England squads have been introduced, I didn’t really feel exhausting finished by. This time, once I missed out initially, I used to be extra gutted than earlier than. Steve retains pushing me to enhance. I spent just a few months with him at Leicester.
‘England will all the time be behind my head. Life is fairly constant proper now, fairly good. It’s all the time higher once you’re successful! We’ve had some nice new guys are available in at Gloucester – the Welsh lads, Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake. Jean Kleyn as nicely.
‘Issues are going nicely and contact wooden, hopefully it continues. If we will beat the reigning champions away from residence, then individuals shall be pressured to see Gloucester as an actual menace. That is what we wish.
‘On the minute, each sport is an announcement sport. We had Bordeaux at residence. We drew that, however I believed we performed nicely. Then it was Bathtub, our massive rivals, and now Northampton.’
There are constructive indicators in every single place you have a look at Gloucester. For thus lengthy PREM underachievers, they’ve been revitalised this time period after ending eighth final season.
Atkinson, who beforehand hung out at full-back, has come to the fore at No10. He swept the board on the membership’s end-of-season awards in the summertime and has dedicated his long-term future to George Skivington’s aspect. So too has his namesake, England centre Seb, in one other assertion of intent.
‘The principle factor for me is sustaining that consistency and delivering good performances,’ Atkinson says. ‘It’s nonetheless early within the season, so we’re not getting forward of ourselves. We haven’t received an away sport but.’
Atkinson has discovered a house at Kingsholm, establishing himself because the Cherry and Whites’ main playmaker
He swept the board on the membership’s end-of-season awards in the summertime and has dedicated his long-term future to George Skivington’s aspect
When England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward made a visit to Kingsholm in Might, Atkinson outplayed Ford of their head-to-head, scoring a match-winning strive in what was a lifeless rubber of a sport with Sale.
Woodward was impressed and famous Atkinson’s velocity and working menace. They’re his factors of distinction. As nods of approval go, they don’t come significantly better in English rugby.
Fin Smith’s damage will deny Atkinson one other titanic battle on Saturday, however it’s one other probability for him and Gloucester to proceed their upward curve. And to make one other assertion to Borthwick.
‘This can be a probability for us to actually get up and be counted,’ Atkinson says. ‘I’ve been right here three seasons now and it’s not all the time been essentially the most constructive. The followers have caught with us. We owe it to them to strive to achieve success.’
