A 28-year-old back-up hooker, who had to wait seven years between his first Premiership start and his second, has shot from nowhere this season to be on the brink of a call-up for England’s tour to New Zealand.
Alerted by Ward’s five man-of-the-match awards, England coach Stuart Lancaster visited Harlequins’ training ground this week to discuss the prospect with director of rugby Conor O’Shea having lost Tom Youngs to compassionate leave and, most likely, Rob Webber to injury.
The man O’Shea calls Scrappy-Doo after the energetic cartoon character, cannot quite believe he may be next in line after a career spent on the margins.
“If I did go it would be dream. It’s the aim of a lifetime to go on tour with England and to be involved with England,” said Ward.
“Stuart Lancaster is not going to be short of choice but if my name is in the frame that is an unbelievable achievement for me.
“Even for me to get a Saxons cap this season – I’d have loved to know the odds on that at the start of the season for Dave Ward.”
At that point he was No3 in the pecking order at Quins behind Joe Gray and Rob Buchanan, a position he was used to after anonymous spells at Northampton and Sale where he never started a league game. He was the fallback, the after-thought, the bloke who makes up the squad numbers.
Only when he dropped down to the Championship with Cornish Pirates did he manage to command a starting place. He never stopped believing though and when a door opened at Quins with injuries to both Gray and Buchanan, Ward shot through it. He has been a bundle of energy in the Quins’ pack ever since.
Scrappy-Doo David Ward skips to front of England queue
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