England
Bath coach backs Nathan Catt for England
ESPN Staff
May 5, 2014
Nathan Catt has enjoyed an impressive season © Getty Images
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Bath's forward coach Neal Hatley has backed Nathan Catt for an England call-up.

Catt has played for the England Saxons in the past but never quite made that leap into the senior squad. But he has impressed this season for Bath and has, on occasion, kept Wales loose-head Paul James out of the starting line-up.

England coach Mike Catt watched his namesake Nathan end up playing at hooker for Bath on Friday due to two injuries to their normal No.2s, but Hatley believes Catt has done enough to force his way on to the plane for the tour to New Zealand.

"Nathan Catt has been absolutely outstanding. I'm pretty sure that come New Zealand his name will come into the reckoning," Hatley told the Bath Chronicle. "He's playing more regularly and he's getting better and better. His earned his starting spot above Paul James and he's produced the goods week after week, whether he's starting or coming off the bench.

"England are quite blessed at loose-head with the likes of Corbisiero, Marler, Mako Vunipola and Matt Mullan, but I think Catty is easily as good as those blokes."

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