FORMER Taunton RFC youngster Joe Snow admitted he “can’t believe how quickly things have progressed” after his selection for the England Under-20 Elite Player squad.

Snow was a promising footballer on the books of Yeovil Town before deciding to switch his attentions to rugby aged 13, and he represented Taunton at youth level before joining the Exeter Chiefs academy as part of their link up with Bicton College.

He made his senior debut for the current Premiership champions in the LV Cup win over Wasps last January, and now joins up with the national youth set-up for tournaments including the upcoming Under-20 Six Nations and World Rugby Under-20 Championship in May.

Reflecting on his journey so far, Snow said: “I played rugby as a youngster but didn’t really enjoy it and preferred football - I liked the passing side of rugby but not the tackling.

“I started playing again at school and with my brother in the garden, as he is more of a rugby fan, so I used to go and watch him play with my Dad as well as seeing games on the TV - I was almost dragged towards rugby!

“My teacher [Andrew Fielding at Heathfield Community School] was pleased with my progress, and from year 10 onwards I had a real change of heart and decided to really focus on rugby.

“Going to Bicton was good for me as it is very isolated, which allowed me to work really hard on my game, and I had a bit of a lucky break as the two other scrum-halves got injured.

“I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason, and I was able to make the most of my opportunity and continued to progress from there - I had two great years at Exeter College and captained the Exeter Chiefs Under-18s.”

Snow is currently on a dual registration with Plymouth Albion, with whom he has become a regular in the Championship.

“It’s been a brilliant experience,” he said.

“As a first real taste of men’s rugby I couldn’t have asked for much more, and I’ve managed to score a few tries along the way.”

The scrum-half describes himself as “bigger and more powerful” than a traditional number nine, and is looking forward to linking up with the 32-man national youth squad.

“I’m really excited,” he said.

“I’ll have to work hard to get as much game time as possible, and they are a quality group of lads so it will be a great experience.”

Looking further ahead, Snow is hoping for more opportunities with Chiefs, who have an embarrassment of riches in his position.

“The competition is intense - there’s Nic White, an Australian international, Jack Maunder, who has played for England, as well as Nick Chudley and Stuart Townsend,” he said.

“They are really good people to learn off, so I will be aiming to follow in their footsteps.”

Taunton RFC Colts coach Julian Graham, meanwhile, said: “We are over the moon for him.

“He has always had incredible talent and work ethic – he trains so hard. It is no surprise he has reached this level, just as it was no surprise when he was picked up by Exeter Chiefs – he was a standout player growing up.

“Joe is a scrum-half who is talented and clever, brilliant off both hands and reads the game very well.”

England begin their Under-20 Six Nations campaign against Italy (February 2) before a home game against Wales in Newcastle (February 9), and Snow is not the only player in the squad with a Taunton link - former King’s College pupil Aaron Chapman, who signed professional terms with Bristol Rugby last September, is also included.