Sunday 31 May 2015 17:38, UK
Saracens forward Maro Itoje is determined to make the most of his World Cup opportunity after what he admits has been a "surreal" 12 months.
Itoje does not turn 21 until October, but he already has Premiership and Junior World Cup winner's medals in his collection, with the latest prize being secured through Saracens' 28-16 victory over Bath at Twickenham that saw them crowned English champions for a second time.
He will now report for England training duty in three weeks’ time and a summer of intense World Cup preparation before head coach Stuart Lancaster announces the final 31-man squad for the tournament on home soil later this year.
"The motivation is to play for England," said Itoje, whose ability as a lock and blindside flanker could prove a priceless commodity when Lancaster considers his selection options.
"That is definitely a goal, and that will be a driving force behind the way I train and the way I conduct myself.
"I am really chuffed to be in the squad, and I just want to make the most of my opportunity.
"You don't get these kind of opportunities every day, so I want to go in and just try to make the most of it."
Itoje helped Saracens erase memories of last season when they reached the European Cup and Premiership finals, but lost both, as Bath were sunk by a superb first-half display when Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Chris Wyles scored tries to secure an unassailable 25-3 interval lead.
Saracens also made Premiership history as they became the first club since play-offs were introduced 12 years ago to finish outside the top two after English rugby's 22-game regular league season and still lift the title.
"It was amazing, definitely one of the highlights of my career so far," Itoje added.
"We were in a strong position in the first-half. Our game-plan was executed very well by the boys. We put some pressure on them and we made try-scoring opportunities through our defence.
"We tried to do the same thing in the second-half, but Bath are a good team. They have talented individuals in the likes of George Ford, Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph.
"And when you have those kind of players in your team you are going to make breaks, you are going to do some damage, and they definitely did some damage in the second-half, but I am happy that we were able to see it through.
"We have always had the belief. There were setbacks along the way, but we always believed in our ability.
"The last 12 months have been surreal. Going from the Junior World Cup to this has just been fantastic. It has probably been the best year of my life so far."
