EXPERIENCED full-back Chris Pennell knows hard work in a Worcester Warriors shirt could propel him into the England reckoning for the Six Nations.

The 27-year-old admitted he was frustrated after failing to make England’s squad for their ill-fated World Cup campaign.

But, with Australian Eddie Jones taking over the head coach’s role from Stuart Lancaster, there are opportunities for players to push their claims for a place in England’s squad.

“I wanted to be involved and I was disappointed not to be in England’s World Cup squad,” said Pennell, who made his Test debut in New Zealand in the summer of 2014.

“But, talking to the coaches about it, I can understand the reasons I was left out.

“It was always going to be tough for me when playing in the Championship and not being in the spotlight too much.

“I also struggled last season in terms of form and, when the coaches would have been watching the games, I was either injured or not quite right.”

Pennell found out he had missed out on selection for England’s World Cup squad during the Championship promotion play-offs.

He was outstanding in the second leg of the final and scored the last-gasp try against Bristol, which Ryan Lamb converted, to secure Worcester’s promotion.

“I needed to do my best for Worcester in the play-offs and luckily my displays got me noticed,”

he said.

“I had a week with the England squad leading up to the World Cup. If there had been any injuries in the squad, I may have been given an opportunity but it didn’t happen.”

England struggled badly, losing to Australia and Wales as they failed to reach the knockout stages, and Lancaster has now been replaced by Jones.

Pennell said: “The World Cup is in the past now and my focus is doing my job for Worcester.

“With the changes that have happened with the England set-up, I know if I am playing at the levels I can play at, hopefully the new staff will like what they see. There will be a lot of players who will see it as a huge opportunity.

“There will be a clean slate but the majority of the best players in England have always been involved in the set-up.

“I am not expecting there to be 45 new faces in the England squad but the competition is going to be very fierce.

“The reason I got a look in with England in the first place was because of my form for Worcester. Playing well for Worcester is the most important thing for me now.”