Coventry head coach Mike Umaga has supported calls for the club's former scrum-half, Shaun Perry, to be drafted into the England side for this weekend's clash with Samoa at Twickenham.
After a standout season in National One, Perry left the Butts Park Arena in the summer and is now attracting positive reviews playing for Premiership new boys Bristol.
His performances have prompted several commentators, including former Red Rose stand-off Stuart Barnes, to argue for the 28-year-old's inclusion in an experimental side to face the Pacific Islanders on Saturday.
Umaga, a former Samoa three-quarter, could not agree more. "He had England written all over him when I first came to the club last year," he said.
"There are just a few things that he needs to tidy up on but you can just see an England shirt on his back."
"At this moment in time he gives more to the team than any other scrum-half. He could do Matt Dawson's job at the drop of a hat - and more. If I was Dawson now I would be worried."
Meanwhile, Nuneaton's failure to secure a bonus point from their 6-0 victory over the bottom team Cleckheaton has cost them their outright league leadership in National Three North, even though they preserved the only unbeaten record in the table.
It was a dour, almost featureless, battle, described by Nuns' team manager Paul Vowles as "nondescript and a terrible game, the worst for years".
Gareth Cull kicked a fifthminute penalty goal for Nuns and, in an error-strewn first half, Chris Quinn was astray with two efforts for Cleckheaton.
The visitors had had the upper hand territorially in the first half but it was the other way about in the second period with Nuns' forwards well on top.
Nuns produced the best move of the match when flyhalf Cull broke from his own 22, centres Jody Peacock and Phil Reed took it on and winger Lee Parry was pulled down just short.
However, Cull then landed a 70th-minute penalty and Nuns escaped unscathed when No 8 John Munro was sin-binned late on.
Dudley Kingswinford
continued to revel in the role of underdogs as they pulled off a shock win at Luton in Midlands One.
The unlikely 19-3 away victory lifts the Heathbrook side to within two points of leaders Rugby Lions, who shut out Kettering 41-0 at home, with a game in hand.
Although officials at DK have rejected talk of an immediate return to National League rugby after last season's relegation, success over one of the best teams in the division will surely mark them out as promotion challengers.
Their win was built on yet another punishing performance from their back-row trio of Ian Langford, Scott Pugh and Pete Knight and 14 points from the boot of outside- centre Simon Fletcher.
Fletcher put his side up early on and although Luton replied soon after Ben Connet crashed through their defence to give DK a lead they would never lose.
Walsall are not enjoying such good fortune, though. They led joint leaders Bedford Athletic 10-7 with 12 minutes to play but Jamie Kirwan's try cancelled out Andy Turner's score and gave the visitors a 14-10 win.
Bromsgrove are still looking for their first league win of the season after losing 25-10 at Market Bosworth.
In Midlands Two West, Kenilworth handed Newport their first defeat of the season with a resounding 41-24 win.
That allowed unbeaten Broadstreet to go top after they won 20-15 at Camp Hill. Kenilworth are second having played a game more.
* North Midlands Under-16s match against East Midlands at Droitwich is tonight (7pm), not next Monday as incorrectly stated in last Saturday's Post. We apologise for any confusion.
