Steve Ravenscroft, Saracens centre in today's Tetley's Bitter Cup final, could be in for the month of his life.
On May 1 he qualified as a solicitor and now on the pitch there are more glittering prizes in prospect for the Bradford-born player. Not only could Saracens win the Cup and then go on and complete the double next weekend with the league title. But in between Ravenscroft has a solid chance of being chosen for England's summer tour to the Southern Hemisphere.
England coach Clive Woodward could be without his Five Nations centres, Phil de Glanville, Jeremy Guscott and Will Greenwood, forcing him to look into the A team and under-21s. Ravenscroft, 27, came into the A team at the right time, after they had been whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand and lost to France, Wales and Scotland.
Said Ravenscroft. ''I go back eight years with Saracens and I have toiled with them on grounds even smaller than our old Southgate patch when we were in League Two. But this last couple of years I have had Philippe Sella alongside me in the centre and Michael Lynagh at stand-off. Close by there has been Francois Pienaar.
''What they haven't done is not worth bothering about, and Michael and Philippe are runaway record holders of points and Test caps.
''I found my feet with them after being overawed at first. I have gained a huge amount from them. Their input to the long-servers like me and the younger players has been immense.''
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