Being handed his England debut at Twickenham has added fuel to the fire as far as Mike Haley’s international ambitions are concerned.
The 23-year-old Sale Sharks full-back made his senior England debut in May as Eddie Jones’ men – minus their British & Irish Lions contingent – beat an experienced Barbarians side, with Haley entering the field as an early replacement.
That moment capped a long wait for full international honours, with the Preston-born Sharks man who has featured for England Saxons, having previously been called up by Jones for an England training squad in 2016. Now, Haley, who played at centre against the Barbarians, says his appetite has been whetted by the prospect of more senior action.
“It’s the pinnacle of any young English lad to play at HQ. I got a taste of it. It just makes that fire in your belly burn brighter and I just want to get back there,” he said.
“I’ve looked back on my season and realised I was making too many errors and it was my own fault. This year, I need to get more disciplined in what I’m doing.
“It was interesting going in the centres. If they ask me to play there, I will – it’s not a massive issue for me. I used to play there at Hoppers (Preston Grasshoppers).
“It was funny, the year before, I got injured for the Saxons and was teaching Sam (fellow Shark Sam James, who also played against the Barbarians) how to play full-back on the sidelines, and then this year, it was vice-versa – he was helping me.
“He helped me out massively on that day. He did himself justice trying to help me. We are even now.”
