Keighley Cougars under-20s loose-forward Dan Connell was delighted after a debut Great British Lions tour to remember.
The West Bowling junior, who is a pupil at Oakbank School, was picked to play in the under-17s BARLA Emerging Lions two-match tour against Germany in Heidelberg, alongside fellow Bowling starlet Luke Robinson.
And 17-year-old Connell (pictured), who hails from Keighley, did not let his country down, scoring two tries and kicking a goal in an 82-2 thrashing in the second test to help complete a 2-0 series win.
“I was really proud and honoured to play for the Lions and it was a massive occasion for me,” said the teenager.
“I played on the wing, which is different from where I usually play, so it was a challenge for me to adapt.
“But I got used to it and played really well in the second game and bagged myself a couple of tries as well as the man of the match award.
“They were a big physical side who tried to get a roll on us. They had some guys who were a lot older than us so that was a bit of a test.
“But we had more brains in our team and we had the know-how to win both games well in the end.
Connell is now hoping to make the grade at his hometown club Cougars, where he is currently on a pay-as-you-play junior contract.
He added: “The 20s are doing quite well this year and I really want to push on with them.
“Ben Stead making his first-team debut was a real boost for us guys. He’s inspirational, even if he is young, and I’d really like to follow in his footsteps and make my debut.”
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