HAVING won Australian Rules honours with Wales, former Jersey RFC Academy player David Carpenter is determined to let nothing stop him gaining a Great Britain cap.

Even the painful matter of dislocating three fingers – breaking one of them – while playing basketball the week before, failed to keep him out of the GB Aussies Rules training camp last week.

‘I took a bit of a risk and even the GB coaches advised me to stay out of the handling drills. But once you’re there you’ve got to give it your best shot. It went OK and they are looking at me for the ruck man role. That’s when the ball is played back onto the pitch after going out, with the rucking or challenging for the ball taking place in the air.’

Despite his handling being hampered he impressed enough to earn selection for the squad to play in Ireland in Dublin on 4 April for the Anzac Cup tournament in London on 2 May.

• Picture: David Carpenter is a former Jersey Rugby Football Club Academy player