Noah Caluori reveals Maro Itoje advice as teenage wing sets sights on England debut

Noah Caluori has set his sights on an England debut this summer after being named the Gallagher Prem breakthrough player of the year.

Caluori topped the try-scoring charts in the Prem in a stunning first campaign with Saracens, with the wing twice registering five tries in a single game on his way to an overall haul of 18.

The teenager’s assured performances have earned him a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s squad ahead of the Nations Championship this summer, with Caluori pushing to feature in an uncapped fixture against a France XV on Friday night in Vannes.

Noah Caluori was named Prem Rugby breakthrough player of the year (James Robinson/Prem Rugby)

Beyond that lie games against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, and the 19-year-old hopes to take the next step in his development by making his senior bow in July.

“I had goals. Some of them were similar to [this] award.” Caluori said of his breakthrough season. “It is just kind of having the confidence to go after them and carrying on getting better each week. Not specifically this award, but being able to perform so I am in consideration for stuff. I’m very big on goal setting. I’ve been setting goals since I was in school until now.

“I always have the mentality that I constantly want to get better and get to the next level, and once I am that level, consistently perform there. I’m very excited and happy to get these awards, but you have to have a calm head.

“Whether I get my England debut this summer, or the first time coming on for Saracens, you have to be calm to be able to perform. A lot of the things may be daunting, but you have to have that mental process to be chill. I’m hoping to get the opportunity to get my first cap. I just want to be able to perform and make the most of that opportunity.”

Caluori has been carefully managed by club and country this season, with the 19-year-old spending time in the Champ with Ampthill and featuring for both England A and the England Under-20s alongside his impressive showings for Saracens.

Noah Caluori has been grateful for the support of Maro Itoje this season (Getty)

He has been grateful, too, for the support of a group of clubmates at Saracens that includes England captain Maro Itoje – whose wise words of advice were a help to Caluori when he first came into international camp.

“There are a couple of players that really look after me: Maro Itoje, Andy Onyeama-Christie, Roti Segun, Nick Isiekwe,” Caluori said. “They’ve all been helping me out 24/7. Olamide [Sodeke] is a younger lad but he’s basically an older brother to me.

“In my first England camp, in the first high intensity training session, Maro said, ‘a lot of players come into this camp and don’t make the most out of it’. They just let it go by, just cruise through so they don’t make any mistakes. He said, ‘don’t be one of those players. I know you are not one of them’. I just went out and did me, really.

“He’s amazing. A man full of knowledge, a man full of experience, and it is incredible to be captained by him.”

Itoje’s participation in the summer fixtures remains in doubt as England consider resting their skipper. He will not be involved in Vannes on Friday, though Borthwick is able to call into camp a contingent from beaten Prem semi-finalists Bath and Leicester.

Left out, though, from Bath are flanker Sam Underhill and scrum half Ben Spencer, who are both thought to have been carrying injuries. Club colleague Max Ojomoh returns to the midfield mix but there remains no place for his regular centre partner Ollie Lawrence.

Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Guy Pepper are in camp to rehabilitate with a view to featuring in the Nations Championship. Not included in that group is Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, raising hope that the wing may feature in the Prem final for Exeter on Saturday.

Borthwick will name his matchday 23 for the game against a France XV on Wednesday.