Birmingham youngster Myles Edwards admits he is excited by the prospect of being called into action once again for Worcester Cavaliers later this year.
The 17-year-old helped the Cavaliers to a 22-16 victory over Northampton Wanderers last month before again being called into action for the side’s fourth victory of the season at Sale Sharks.
The Northampton clash was his first taste of senior action and he found himself up against Phil Dowson – a player who has won seven England caps and appeared in over 200 Premiership games.
Edwards didn’t look out of place against his experienced counterpart and the Handsworth-born forward admits he would love more appearances for Worcester’s second-string.
He said: “I really enjoyed my debut against Northampton and it was a great learning curve to be up against Phil Dowson, who is an established senior player.
“I was nervous before the match but was so excited to get onto the pitch and it was such a fantastic experience.
“I’m looking forward to being involved again for the Cavaliers and will be working as hard as I can to get another chance.”
Edwards, who used to attend Fairfax School in Sutton Coldfield, only took up rugby five years ago but is now part of Warriors’ AASE programme.
The AASE programme, which is partly based at Worcester Sixth Form College, allows young players to combine their further education with their rugby development.
Players undergo technical training, position-specific training and strength and conditioning sessions, which are overseen by Warriors AASE Manager Ryan Watkins.
Watkins said: “Myles is a raw talent, who has massive athletic potential. We are working closely with him to develop the technical side of his game and he is a very exciting prospect.
“He did very well in his first two games for the Cavaliers and he will take great confidence from his performances.”
Edwards added: “Growing up in Birmingham, there was never a rugby club who could provide youngsters with the support they needed to flourish.
“That has all changed thanks to Warriors’ developments across the West Midlands and there is now an obvious route to professional rugby.
“I’ve immensely enjoyed being part of the AASE programme and I’m looking forward to the future.”