Gloucester's Shining Light Catches England's Eye

In a scintillating display of attacking rugby, 22-year-old Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson delivered a statement performance that won't have gone unnoticed by England head coach Steve Borthwick. The young back scored a first-half hat-trick in Saturday's emphatic 53-28 victory over Bristol at Kingsholm, where Borthwick was in attendance.

The Making of a Premiership Standout

Since joining Gloucester from Worcester in 2022, Atkinson has:

• Made 54 club appearances
• Scored 8 tries
• Played every minute at inside centre in 11 of 13 Premiership matches this season
• Signed a new contract with Gloucester in February 2024

"He would be up there [on Borthwick's radar]," Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. "There's a couple of our young lads coming through now - Jack Clement would be in that bracket as well. Certainly me and Steve have talked over Seb Atkinson so I think it was a great night for him to do what he did."

The Complete Centre Emerging

Skivington highlighted Atkinson's growing influence:

• Physical Attributes: "He's got brilliant power and it's deceptive I think, he's got a great skillset."
• Leadership Qualities: "He's in the leadership group at his age already which says a lot."
• Professional Mindset: "He takes this very seriously. He's not here to mess around and get paid and go home, he's here to win."

Gloucester's Premiership Charge

The victory against Bristol moved Gloucester back into the top four, level on points with third-placed Leicester Tigers. Atkinson has been fundamental to this push, with Skivington revealing: "Internally he'd be one of the top three names mentioned as to why things are going well at the club, if you asked the boys."

England Dreams Balanced with Club Focus

While acknowledging the possibility of international recognition, Atkinson remains focused on Gloucester's campaign:

"It would be nice to be on the England radar but I'm just focusing on what we're doing at Gloucester and pushing on to the end of the season," the young centre said.

"I've been working hard to develop a more balanced game - while my passing remains a strength, I've focused on improving my carrying game, breaking tackles, and fighting for those extra metres to get us on the front foot. It was satisfying to showcase that improvement."

The Road Ahead

As Gloucester chase Premiership glory and England prepare for their summer fixtures, all eyes will be on whether Atkinson's club form can translate to international recognition under Borthwick's new England regime.