Back in October, when Ted Hill was called up to England's squad for the Autumn Nations Series, Bath coach Andy Robinson lauded the 25-year-old.
"He's just gone up another level," Robinson told TRU after the forward's excellent start to the season, and further praise was heaped on Hill this week by England captain Maro Itoje.
Following a bang to the knee in training for George Martin, Hill has been called into England's matchday squad to face Scotland on Saturday and Itoje has compared the Bath forward to 'Superman'.
Hill is set to cover second-row - a position he has operated in this season at club level - and should he appear from the bench, he is set to earn just his third England cap.
His last international appearance came against the USA in 2021 and while he has stepped up to the plate for Bath on numerous occasions this term, Itoje hopes Hill - who he says looks like Clarke Kent (Superman) off the field - can showcase his superpowers in the Calcutta Cup.
"I am very happy for Ted,” Itoje said. “He is a player I have admired for a number of years, seeing him do his thing at Worcester and then at Bath.
Ted Hill will replace the injured George Martin on the bench for the #CalcuttaCup this weekend ??@O2 | #WearTheRose
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 20, 2025
“In his last stint with England, I also played with him there. He is a supreme athlete. He looks like Clark Kent and Superman with his glasses. He is a man carved out of Greek stone. I am very happy that I hopefully get an opportunity to play with him.”
Hill is a flanker by trade so the absence of Martin - who has started the last 11 games for England - means Steve Borthwick's side haven't got an out-and-out second-row replacement for Saturday.
And while attack coach Richard Wigglesworth explained why Martin has been forced to miss his first England game since the 30-21 loss to Scotland last year, he also touched on the superhero theme when describing what Hill brings to the team.
“He [Martin] had a couple of bangs post the France game that he and we thought were going to be alright, but to go and play a Test match, you have to be close to 100 per cent, and he's not quite right,” Wigglesworth said.
