McParland eyes England debut after displacing Mitchell at Northampton

Archie McParland has positioned himself as the frontrunner for an England debut this autumn after an impressive start to the season at Northampton, where the 21-year-old scrum-half has kept established international Alex Mitchell out of the Saints starting lineup.

Head coach Steve Borthwick is conducting his early-season scouting ahead of the Nations Championship squad announcement on 2 November, and McParland is widely considered the most likely uncapped player to earn a first call-up. Several other names are in the frame — Newcastle number eight Hoskins Sotutu and Sale hooker Nathan Jibulu among them — but it is the Saints nine who has generated the most momentum.

“It would be massive,” McParland said of the prospect of representing England. “I set my goal on being a rugby player when I was six years old and to have the opportunity to play for England. The main goal right now for me is getting in that squad and hopefully playing this autumn. To be able to do that, I’ve got to perform here at Saints and show that I’m the standard to get selected.”

McParland’s breakthrough moment came in a game against Bath at The Rec last season, when a Northampton second string — largely written off before kick-off — defeated the then-champions 41-21, with the young scrum-half scoring a try to set them on their way.

“It was the game that boosted my confidence,” he said. “I felt like on the back of that I believed that I could do it at that level. Before that game, in my own mind I didn’t feel free. But I had chats with the coaches, I had chats with the psychologist at the club and also my parents and I felt like going into that game, it was one where I could feel really free. We’d already been written off, we’d already lost it in the fans’ eyes and so it felt like a game where I didn’t really have much to lose.”

With Mitchell subsequently injured, McParland took full advantage, finishing last season with 14 tries in 25 appearances and claiming Northampton’s young player of the year award. He came close to a summer England call-up but was ruled out through injury in the latter stages of the campaign.

Despite the speculation linking him with a move away, McParland was measured about his future at Franklin’s Gardens. “I’m happy at Saints, it’s a great club,” he said, “but we’ll see what happens.”

Borthwick’s selection dilemma is a welcome one: both McParland and Mitchell are in form, raising the possibility that Northampton could supply two scrum-halves to the England squad this autumn.