POCKLINGTON RUFC product Rob Webber was reunited with his junior mentor Alan Greenwood before England's Twickenham triumph over Australia.
Webber, who came through the junior ranks at the Percy Road club, and his Red Rose team-mates were greeted by a guard of honour of coaches from their junior clubs or schools.
Sponsor QBE, the business insurance specialist, invited the coaches to Twickenham for the final match of the 2014 QBE Internationals against the Wallabies, which the hosts won 26-17.
The coaches had been identified by England's stars as people who had played an integral part in helping them reach the pinnacle of the game.
Greenwood coached Bath hooker Webber at Pocklington between the ages of seven and 16.
York-born Webber started out as a scrum-half, but it was Greenwood who recognised his potential to become an international hooker.
Said Greenwood: "Rob was always a natural leader and had a great ability to read the game, which allowed him to play in the year above his age group.
“He was made captain because he was a nice lad and had time for everybody, no matter what level of ability they were.
"I am incredibly impressed and very proud of what he has achieved.”
Webber was a replacement for the Australia clash having started the previous weekend's 28-9 victory over Samoa.
The 28-year-old was also used off the bench in narrow defeats against New Zealand and South Africa at the start of the autumn international series.
QBE and the RFU created the QBE Coaching Club, an initiative designed to recruit and train 2,015 new level 2 coaches by 2015.
The aim is to ensure rugby union clubs have a suitable coaching infrastructure in place to engage and retain the influx of new and returning players that is anticipated following next year’s World Cup.
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