It was a world-class try, one of the best I’ve seen
Jones can’t afford to lose Henry to Scotland, says Robinson
FORMER World Cup winner Jason Robinson has urged England to beat competition from Scotland and Wales to secure the services of rugby’s new wonderkid Henry Arundell.
A revelation this season for London Irish, the 19-year-old full-back qualifies for England, Scotland, Wales and Cyprus at international level.
He played for England in the Under-20s Six Nations earlier this season and scored a try for his team in a 41-24 victory at Edinburgh’s DAM Health Stadium.
Arundell also scored an outrageous solo try for his club side in the Challenge Cup against Toulon on Sunday, racing past a series of defenders as he sprinted the full length of the pitch to touch down.
It will almost certainly go down as the try of the season — and, as a man who was no stranger to a show of speed himself, Robinson has urged England to get Arundell on board.
The earliest chance they can do so will be on their summer tour of Australia, with Scotland set to tour Argentina at the same time.
In terms of style and speed, Arundell has already been tipped as the long-term natural successor to current Scotland captain Stuart Hogg.
Insisting the youngster must not be lost, former England star Robinson said: ‘If he (Arundell) is going to be producing moments like that, then you have to give him a chance to see what he’s capable of doing at the next level.
‘I know there is a bit of a fight on now in terms of who he commits to. You wouldn’t want someone like that slipping through the net.
‘I hope he gets an opportunity and, if England don’t tie him down, then there will be a big queue of people waiting.
‘It’s not very often I watch a game and get really excited, but I have to admit that’s the most excited I’ve been for a long time.
‘Seeing a try like that is special and I’m sure we’ll be seeing replays for a long time to come.’
Virtually unheard of outside of Irish at the start of the season, Arundell’s performances with the London club and England’s Under-20 side had already caught Eddie Jones’ eye even before his moment of brilliance at the Stade Felix Mayol.
Sportsmail understands Jones has made personal contact with Arundell — who, like Robinson, can play both full-back and wing — and is confident he wants to wear the Red Rose at senior level. That could come as soon as July’s three-Test series with Australia.
‘If there is one thing every team needs, it’s people who can run the full length of the field and create something from nothing,’ said Robinson. ‘He (Arundell) did that at the weekend.
‘The key thing for him — without bursting any bubble — is doing it consistently. There is a difference between club and European rugby and then international rugby, but the try was just outstanding.
‘It made my day and I’m not an Irish fan! He’s set the bar very high now and he’s got a lot to live up to, but he deserves all the praise he’s getting.’
His try on the Cote d’Azur almost had to be seen to be believed. It was no surprise the video quickly went viral on social media.
With his team 19-13 down in the 74th minute, Arundell picked up possession just a metre off his own line and proceeded to show an outrageous turn of foot to leave attempted tacklers in his wake.
Arundell — who has been managed carefully by Irish and made just two Premiership starts — then stood up the final two French defenders to finish in the corner.
Robinson, who scored 28 tries for England and two for the Lions in a glittering career, believes Arundell’s try showed he has the rugby intelligence to match his undoubted pace.
‘It was a world-class finish — it’s as simple as that,’ he said. ‘There were lots of different parts to the try that made it even better. First of all, he was going backwards when he took the ball because Irish were chasing back to cover a kick.
‘As somebody who loved to take players on, I know the best ball to attack from is ball on the front foot. There was the initial break, then the arc, and he maintained his pace throughout.
‘There were players covering from all different angles — his spatial awareness was fantastic. You thought he was going to get caught a couple of times and then he put key pieces of footwork in at just the right time, which helped him go all the way.
‘The check he made about 25 metres out was world class. He’d probably covered about 100 metres by that point, so to then have the composure to do that was very impressive.
‘The key when you’re attacking is to be decisive, make decisions quickly, and then go with that decision. You can see at every point he makes a decision and then kicks on.’
Arundell, who hails from the south west and played club rugby at Bradford-on-Avon, has only just finished his education at the prestigious Harrow School. England lock Maro Itoje is also a Harrow old boy and you wouldn’t bet against the pair soon being international team-mates.
He has come through the agegrade systems with both Irish and England and has quickly gathered a reputation for superb individual tries.
His Toulon effort wasn’t his first 100-metre score of the season. He produced a similar try against Scotland in the Under-20 Six Nations and has been no stranger to crossing the whitewash for Irish both in the Gallagher Premiership and in the club’s run to the Premiership Rugby Cup final.
‘To me, it showed a maturity in his attack,’ added Robinson. ‘It was one of the best tries I’ve seen in a long, long time.
‘Most players would have got caught. There is no doubt about that.’