Maro Itoje: England Saxons call delights Saracens forward

Itoje made his Premiership debut against Leicester Tigers last May.

Saracens forward Maro Itoje feels "privileged" to have been named in the England Saxons squad to face Ireland Wolfhounds later this month.

Itoje, who captained England Under-20s to the Junior World Championship title last year, has made five Premiership appearances so far for Sarries.

"I'm massively honoured and it's something that I wasn't really expecting," the 20-year-old said.

"I was ecstatic when I heard that I'd be involved."

Camden-born Itoje made his debut for Saracens against Cardiff Blues in January 2013 and has been a regular for the north London side in the A-League.

The former England Under-18 and Under-19 international, who has featured four times as a replacement for Sarries this season, is looking forward to linking up with the 24-man Saxons squad.

"Obviously this is a great a step for me, and it will give me the opportunity to play on a bigger scale," he said.

"I'll be in a different environment, so I need to continue to keep working hard.

"This is my first senior England involvement, so hopefully I'll be able to thrive in this environment."

Itoje captained England's Under-20s to a 21-20 win over South Africa in the final of the Junior World Championship in Auckland last summer