VAL Rapava Ruskin is on a par with South African front row legend Tendai Mtawarira, according to Worcester Warriors chief Gary Gold.

The 49-year-old former Springboks assistant coach has tipped the Gloucester-bound loosehead to win international honours with England.

Tbilisi-born Ruskin, whose father played international rugby for Georgia, is expected to return from injury for Warriors’ Aviva Premiership home tussle with Bath on Saturday (3pm).

Ruskin missed Warriors' 36-26 defeat at Sale Sharks last Friday due to a rib problem.

“Val is an unbelievably powerful human,” said Gold.

“From my experience of working with the Springboks and in South Africa I have been very really privileged to have come across some very impressive props.

"But Val is up there with as good as I have coached in terms of his pure scrummaging ability.

“He’s a big man who uses his size very well.

"He’s a massively strong scrummager and he’s a handful with ball in hand. He has the ability to play at the highest level.”

Ruskin, 24, played rugby in his junior years at Blackheath before moving to South Africa when he was 17 to play for Western Province.

He represented Western Province's under 19 side in the Currie Cup before returning to Georgia to play for the country's under 19s.

He trained with French giants Toulon between June 2013 and February 2014 before signing a permanent deal with Warriors that summer.

“What makes the difference between a great rugby player and a world-class player?” asked Gold.

“I think Sir Clive Woodward used to talk about the top two per cent and we will have to see whether Val can step up to the plate if he gets an opportunity.

“Ability-wise he won’t be found wanting playing for England because he’s certainly a very good player.”

Ruskin has established himself as Warriors’ first choice loosehead and has made 61 appearances, scoring 12 tries.

And it was hugely disappointing for Sixways supporters earlier this year when Ruskin's summer switch to Gloucester was confirmed.

Gold has compared Ruskin to Mtawarira, also known as The Beast, who made his name for the Springboks in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions in 2009.

Scrummaging against Phil Vickery, Mtawarira dominated his more experienced opponent, leading to Vickery being substituted after 45 minutes. Mtawarira picked up the man of the match honour.

“A few years ago Beast was immense and I was with the Springboks team for the 2009 Lions tour and what happened in that first Test was a master-class in scrummaging,” recalled Gold.

“Unfortunately for the Lions it wasn’t the time they wanted it to happen but from our point of view things worked really well and fell into place.

“Beast was outstanding and for a number of years he’s been the number one loosehead in South Africa.

“I would probably put him on a par to Val but he’s probably slightly more mobile that Val and carries a little better. But they are both very powerful men from a scrummaging point of view.”

Gold added: “Georgia is big farming and meat-eating country.

“I saw Georgia at the last World Cup and they produce very powerful men like (Mamuka) Gorgodze who plays at Toulon. I believe the country also has a strong weightlifting and wrestling culture.”