Christian Wade’s rapid rise up the pecking order of English wings increased with a try hat-tick in South Africa.
The London Wasps flyer spearheaded an eight try, 54-26 win over the Southern SA Barbarians in Kimberley to boost his chances of winning a first cap against the Springboks in this weekend’s second Test.
Wade wasn’t the only one to enhance his chances of aTest call either.
Leicester Tigers No 8 Thomas Waldrom grabbed two tries in a power-packed performance, while Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care had an excellent 80 minutes back in an England jersey.
But while England were happy with their big win, head coach Stuart Lancaster had a warning for his players ahead of the second Test at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.
“We felt we pushed the Springboks close on Saturday and we have got to raise that by another 10 or 15% at least,” said Lancaster.
"This has been the perfect game for us to come here. Not just for the guys that have played, but the guys that have watched, to understand the size of the challenge.
"Ellis Park on Saturday is a truly formidable challenge but it is one we are excited about."
