ARUNDELL’S GOT A SLICE OF GITEAU TO OFFER ENGLAND

EDDIE JONES likened Henry Arundell to Australia great Matt Giteau – then told the uncapped rookie the key to success is not to let praise go to his head.

Arundell (above), 20, the talk of rugby after a series of stunning performances for England Under-20s and London Irish, was yesterday called into Jones’ senior squad, albeit only for a training camp.

It is a declaration of intent by England, knowing the Exiles full-back is also eligible for Scotland and Wales, and free to choose until he is capped.

“He’s got exceptional pace,” said Jones. “He reminds me a lot of Giteau – not the way he plays, but his desire to attack.”

Jones says he was won over not so much by the youngster’s solo try in Toulon, but by what he did against Wasps in the Premiership a week earlier.

“There’s all this hoo-ha about him being a fantastic player, the ball was kicked to him and he knocked it on cold,” explained Jones. “Next ball, he gets a long pass, sees back space, chips and scores. That’s the sort of mindset you want to see. Players who want to take on the game.

“A young bloke drops a ball like that and he can go into his shell. Henry made that mistake and his attitude was, right, I’ve got to get back into this game.”

Giteau won a century of caps as a playmaker for the Wallabies. With Jonny Wilkinson, he also helped Toulon win and retain the European Cup.

“Giteau was the same (as Arundell). I saw him play half-back for his club and, within five minutes, you could tell he had something about him,” added Jones.

“Then the hard part comes – they’ve got to work really hard, got to not believe what’s being said about them, that they’re not ‘kid wonder’, that they’ve got to apply themselves to the task.

“That’s when the real player comes through.”

England meet up in London on Sunday for a three-day camp ahead of their Twickenham clash with the Barbarians on June 19.