By the time Lewis Ludlam jetted off on holiday to Bali last month, he had been given a strong indication that he would feature in England’s first Rugby World Cup training camp.

That did not stop the 23 year-old back-rower from enjoying himself over a fortnight in Indonesia with Northampton Saints colleagues George Furbank and Alex Moon. But it must have sharpened his mind.

“We were in Gili Trawangan, which is a party island,” explains Furbank. “We spent three nights there – and had a good three nights. Then, after our hangovers had worn out, Lewis found a small gym.

“I remember me and Moony just sitting down watching him sweat away. That sums him up. He’s a hard worker and he’ll give everything to achieve whatever he can.”

Quiet, fierce dedication has been a recurring theme of Ludlam’s story so far. His breakthrough season with Saints in 2018-19 was complemented by an especially impressive week with England ahead of their match against the Barbarians. Remarkably, though, Ludlam did not even feature at Twickenham.