Bath Rugby pack can help push Dave Attwood into England"s Six Nations ...

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Dave Attwood is hoping to keep Bath Rugby’s formidable pack firing to boost his England prospects ahead of the Six Nations.

Despite starting both matches on the summer tour of Argentina, the lock was given little opportunity to impress in last month’s QBE Internationals. Attwood came off the bench for the final five minutes in the opener against Australia before being released for club duty during England’s next two matches.

A three-game absence for a rib injury just before the Twickenham contests did not help the 26-year-old’s cause but he has not given up on reclaiming a Test starting berth come February.

Attwood has been one of the cornerstones of a dominant Bath pack so far this season and he says they must continue that momentum if he is to push himself back to the forefront of England boss Stuart Lancaster’s thinking.

“I’d have loved to have played a bit more but I got to run out in my national colours, which is not something many people get to do,” said Attwood.

“It’s something I’ve done on several occasions now and hopefully will get to do many more times.

“I was a bit unfortunate to get a rib injury just before. If that hadn’t happened I may have got a bit more game time but having not played for a month prior to some of the biggest international games of the year didn’t give me a great grounding to hold my hand up and say pick me.

“I am on the right track. I am in the squad and I am doing the right things.

“If I am honest I can’t focus too much on how I am going to stay in contention for England because the way I’ll do that is by doing things well here at Bath.

“At the minute the pack is going really, really well and I am a part of that, and if that carries on then an opportunity will open up for me in the Six Nations.”

Bath resume Amlin Cup duties over the next fortnight with a double header against Italian outfit Mogliano.

Attwood will miss both fixtures, starting with this weekend’s away trip, having been left out of Bath’s initial European squad due to his involvement in the England EPS camp.

Instead of taking in a scenic trip to Venice, the giant lock will instead be put through his paces back at Farleigh House by Bath high performance manager Allan Ryan.

“A nice little trip to Venice would have been alright wouldn’t it, but I think Al Ryan is going to sink his teeth into me and I’ll be getting flogged for two weeks,” said Attwood.

“There is a gap for the next round of the Amlin and some guys will get to play who haven’t played for a while.

“The squad is so competitive at the minute. It’s a difficult position to be in as a coach. The decisions aren’t easy to make anywhere on the field.

“We are going really well and it’s a great position for us to be in as a club.”

Bath Rugby pack can help push Dave Attwood into England"s Six Nations ...