'Really proud' ex-England star says Samoa Test debut 'amazing'

Once a one-cap England rookie under Eddie Jones, Jacob Umaga is heading into his third full season with Benetton after making his Samoa debut this summer.

The fly-half won his only England cap against Argentina in 2021 before joining the Treviso club in 2022, and returned to La Ghirada this week as the Lions entered the second phase of their pre-season.

All of the club’s Italian internationals have now rejoined after summer Test duty, with Umaga fresh from his first appearance for Samoa in last month’s match against Scotland.

“My first time with Samoa was amazing,” he told BenTV, the club’s video channel. “I played alongside a few teammates I’d met back when I was playing in Auckland. Seeing them again was fantastic, and I’m really happy to have played at that level of international rugby.

“When I was younger, my dream was to play for Samoa. My dad represented Samoa twenty years ago, so I’m really proud and happy to have worn those colours and, in doing so, represented my dad and my family.”

Back in Treviso, Umaga said pre-season training has been a sharp reintroduction to the Italian summer.

“The first day was really tough — physically very intense. The first training block is hard work, and then you’ve got to adapt to the climate and the heat,” said the former Wasp. “We’re all back together as a group and we want to strengthen as a team, knowing we need to be ready for the first league match against Connacht.”

The 25-year-old says Benetton’s ambitions this season (his fourth with Italian side) are clear.

“As a team we want to go as far as we can in the URC with the aim of reaching the playoffs, and we want to go deep in the Challenge Cup. I think we’ve got the ability to do that, but right now the most important thing is to focus on the start of the season.”

Umaga says improving his Italian is key to stepping up his influence.

“I never thought I’d be able to speak Italian, but I want to keep improving so I can express myself better on the pitch and build stronger connections with my teammates off it. And, like any fly-half, I want to be a leader; both on the field and in the dressing room.”