England Scrumhalf Spencer raring to go after six stuttering years

LONDON : Running onto the Twickenham pitch to play for England against New Zealand is a thrill for any player but for Ben Spencer Saturday's match will be extra special as he makes his first start after winning six caps off the bench over six years.

As a serial winner with Saracens, and now captaining a resurgent Bath to the top of the Premiership table and within a whisper of the title last season, there has never been any questions about the scrumhalf's pedigree.

He had the misfortune, however, to be sitting behind regulars Ben Youngs and Danny Care for a decade and, when they moved on, suddenly found Jack van Poortvliet and then Alex Mitchell bumped up to first choice.

However, with the two veterans now off the scene and Mitchell out of the November series with a neck injury, Spencer will finally pull on that coveted number nine jersey on Saturday as a just reward for a flying start to the Premiership season.

"I'm really excited. It’s been a long time coming," the 32-year-old told journalists. "I’m really looking forward to getting out there at the weekend.

"I guess you never really know until it does come but I’d like to think I’ve put myself in a position over the last few years to make it happen and I’m just delighted that it is going to and hopefully I can make the most of it.

  "I've been fortunate enough over the last 12 months where I've had a good run in this team, maybe not the amount of caps I potentially would have liked, but being in the squad and around the team on a game day, you feel like you're a part of the team.

"Whereas, before it was tough. I was in and then I was out or I was called in for the last game of a Six Nations or the World Cup final. It's like it is over before it has begun."

ENGLAND DEBUT

Spenc