Wednesday 21 January 2015 15:31, UK
Maro Itoje admits he did not expect to get called up by the England Saxons but feels “honoured” after being named in the squad for next week’s game against the Irish Wolfhounds.
The Saracens lock was included in the 24-man squad for the game on January 30 alongside team-mate Chris Ashton.
Itoje captained the England's U20s Junior World Championship winning side last June and recently led Saracens Storm to the club's first A-League title.
He said: "I'm massively honoured and it's something that I wasn't really expecting. I'm really privileged to have been called up and I'm very happy with the news.
"I got the call from Graham (Rowntree) last night, and I was ecstatic when I heard that I'd be involved. I told my brother and my parents and they were over the moon.
“Obviously this is a great a step for me, and it will give me the opportunity to play on a bigger scale. I'll be in a different environment, so I need to continue to keep working hard.”
He added: "Just being part of the squad is what I'm really looking forward to.
“This is my first senior England involvement, so I'm looking forward to training and hopefully I'll be able to thrive in this environment.”
