Bath back row Ted Hill is ready for his England opportunity this summer in Argentina

The game will serve as a warm-up for the upcoming England tour to the Americas, with one Test against the USA and two against Argentina on the horizon this summer. Given that this tour comes at the same time as the British and Irish Lions trip to Australia, it will provide new faces the chance to prove themselves at international level.

Hill only has four England caps to his name since making his debut in 2018 and is a player hopeful of adding to his tally. He spoke about the messaging given by Steve Borthwick regarding the opportunity that he and others have.

“Steve mentioned it at the start of the week. He said these things always happen where it's a Lions year and people step up and it's an opportunity for guys to stake a claim for a shirt. Everyone who gets given an opportunity wants to do that and I'll hopefully put my best foot forward and give that an opportunity to do that.”

Another symptom of it being a Lions year is players coming and going to join up with Andy Farrell’s squad. Tigers scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet is the most recent to be needed by the Lions, having joined the training squad this week ahead of the Argentina game on Friday, following Jamison Gibson-Park's injury. Hill talked about whether this disruption affects him and the team in any way.

“It's different with obviously faces here, everyone who’s not here but we're just trying to adapt and the staff do a great job of adapting, letting people know what's happening, and it's not something we really think about as players. Obviously we're happy for guys who get called up and get their opportunity which is amazing, but for us who are here it's just about focusing on what we have here and challenges ahead.”

Having joined up with the England squad just a couple of days after winning the Prem, it has been a busy few days for Hill. He summed up the past couple of days that he has had,“It has been a hectic couple of days but it's obviously special to do what we did as a group.

"I feel very lucky to have been involved in that, "he said. “There have been some really great celebrations; the ability to come together as a city in Bath and do the parade was really special. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It was not exactly how we wanted the game to go - we talked about building and having our best performance in the last game of the season - it probably wasn't quite the best, but that's finals and they are difficult games to play. I'm very lucky to have been involved in them and hopefully that will continue [so that] I learn the trade of playing in those big games.”

After winning their first Prem title since 1996 and their first-ever since the play-off format was introduced, the scenes for the trophy parade in Bath were a sight to behold. Hill spoke on his experience of being on the bus.

“It was unbelievable. You look at those French teams, when they win the big tournaments, and it had shades of that, similar to that. It was unbelievable. We were on the bus and going round. Each corner we turned around we thought there would be fewer people and there was just more and more and more. It's a rugby city. Those guys turn up week in, week out rain or sunshine. They're always there. It's a real special occasion; once-in-a-lifetime, I think.”

One Bath player that has taken the celebrations to another level is Hill’s fellow back row Alfie Barbeary, who has been spotted on numerous occasions on social media celebrating the title.

On Barbeary’s celebrations, Hill said, ““It is all out there to see, he is a special character to say the least. He is enjoying himself, I am not sure where in the world he is at the moment, he has probably still got his budgies on and the cape on him. We worked a lot, 48 weeks of work, of turning up and trying to improve as a team and it is nice for those guys to be able to enjoy it and revel in it.”