FLYING wing Charlie Sharples can't believe the pace of his elevation to the England Six Nations squad.

The Gloucester paceman, who narrowly missed out on World Cup selection last summer, is in interim Stuart Lancaster's elite player squad for this season's RBS Six Nations Championship alongside Dursley's own Ben Morgan.

"It's surprising how quickly it all moves on," said Charlie, a former St Peter's High School and Wycliffe College student. "When I first started playing for Gloucester at 18 I wasn't thinking 'in four years I'll be playing for England', I was just thinking 'right, let's get into this first team'.

"So naturally you always take it one step at a time. Once I'd broken into the first team I wanted to push to be a regular.

"Then once you're a regular you challenge yourself to push on to the Saxons, and it's just a case of taking steps forward. But it's surprising how quickly it can happen."

Sharples is the only Gloucester player to have made the elite squad, although five others – Jonny May, Henry Trinder, Freddie Burns, Nick Wood and Luke Narraway are in the 32-man England Saxons group. Centre Trinder, who started with Cirencester RFC under sixes and played for Kingshill School and Hartpury College, is in the EPS as temporary injury cover.

It meant double celebration at Dursley RFC, where Sharples played in his teenage years with Llanelli Scarlets' Ben Morgan.

The former Cinderford number eight has been courted by Wales in the past.

"Ben is over the moon," said his dad Steve, who lives in Coaley. "He really enjoyed being at Dursley RFC and so many people there put in a lot of time voluntarily and we have to thank them. It's been quite a ride."

Dursley RFC chairman Simon Bilous was delighted for Ben and Charlie. "It will be a really special moment if they take the field together for England," he said.