Kyle Eastmond was a key player for Bath last season © Getty Images

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Bath coach Gary Gold has tipped Kyle Eastmond to make an impact for England this season and has said his unpredictability may give the team an additional spark.

Eastmond had an impressive campaign for Bath last season and scored some memorable tries, including his stunning solo effort against Wasps. England boss Stuart Lancaster was clearly impressed by the former rugby league star's ability in the 15-man code and threw him into the Test mix against Argentina in June.

The centre played in both Tests against the Pumas and was promoted to the new Elite Player Squad for the forthcoming season. With England tackling Australia, Argentina and New Zealand in November, Gold has tipped Eastmond to shine on the Test stage.

"Kyle did unbelievably well for us and the amount of rugby he played last year was incredible," Gold told the Bath Chronicle. "We really believe in his ability - I think he is a freak of nature. I understand why people make the comparisons they do but I believe Kyle is good enough to be his own man and people won't be putting him up next to Jason Robinson in the future.

"It's brilliant that England have recognised he has got such a fantastic skill set. He's got lightning feet and a really good understanding of where space is on the field. I know Stuart worked hard with him while he was away and I think when they all get together, Kyle is the one who offers something different.

"That's really exciting with the way England may want to play. Brad [Barritt], Manu [Tuilagi] and Billy [Twelvetrees] are all outstanding players but you know what you are going to get from them. If you are up against the All Blacks and you want to try something different that they wouldn't expect of an England team, you'd have to go to Kyle."