Noah Caluori: 'I felt comfortable out there... The next goal is for me to start'
Noah Caluori is satisfied with a successful debut against Fiji but starting for England remains his ultimate objective.
Caluori’s Test career was just seven minutes old when he finished in the right corner with a flamboyant dive as the Islanders were overwhelmed 73-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The electric 19-year-old was also presented with a half chance soon after stepping off the bench, but instead passed inside for Henry Slade to touch down.
Argentina in Santiago del Estero concludes England’s July tour and while Caluori is unlikely to dislodge Tommy Freeman or Immanuel Feyi-Waboso from the starting wings for that assignment, he has a clear vision for his future.
“An assist and a try is good,” the Saracens try machine said. “I gave one to Sladey and he gave one to me, so we’re one for one.
“I felt like I could have scored for Sladey’s try but for the first touch you’ve got to be selfless, you have to be safe. You just want to make the right decision on your first cap.
“Once I got on to the pitch it felt like any other game of rugby. I just backed myself and enjoyed it a lot.
“I felt ready. We’ve been pushing hard in training and I thought I have trained well since South Africa. I felt comfortable out there.
“I am not sure how it looked but I felt comfortable and just enjoyed every moment of the game.
“The next goal is for me to start. I’m hungry to push, hungry to get better each day and that’s all part of the plan.”
England captain Jamie George has watched Saracens team-mate Caluori star in his breakthrough season that saw him finish as the Gallagher Prem’s leading try scorer.
“The impressive thing with Noah is his ceiling is incredibly high,” George said. “He is still quite raw in terms of where he’s at, but his appetite to learn, his appetite to get better.
“He wants to make a big impact on any game that he plays in. He looked very much at home in Test match rugby and I’m sure today is the first of many.”
England travel to Buenos Aires on Sunday evening with head coach Steve Borthwick scheduled to name his team to face the Pumas on Thursday.

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