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'This time last year I was playing for Yorkshire at Richmond on a Saturday night... it's been a whirlwind year'

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

New England call-up Jacob Umaga has revealed the surprising way he found out he was chosen by Eddie Jones for the 2020 Six Nations campaign. 

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“I got added to a WhatsApp group chat by an England member of staff with all the logistics for the upcoming weeks. I thought I was being pranked for a second,” said the 21-year-old Wasps academy graduate about his inclusion in the 34-man Test squad. 

“When I found out, I was actually at the house of a girl I’ve been dating, making a stir fry for dinner. I’d just met her mum for the first time and it all just happened in one big moment.

“I was on the phone and she was like: ‘Why aren’t you talking?’ and I just said: ‘I’ve just been added to a group chat!’ I had a look through of who was in it, and I saw Joe Launchbury, Elliot Daly and Jonathan Joseph, and I was like okay this could be something!”

The son of ex-Samoa star Mike and nephew of former All Black Tana, Jacob will now fly out to Portugal on Wednesday for a week’s warm-weather training ahead of England’s tournament opener away to France on February 2. 

(Continue reading below…)

Eddie Jones names England’s 2020 Six Nations squad 

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Turn the clock back the 15 months and Umaga was lifting the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup trophy with Auckland in New Zealand. He soon returned to England and was loaned out to Yorkshire Carnegie in the Championship to gain even more game-time along with Premiership Rugby Shield duties for the Wasps academy.

Eight of that group – Umaga, Tim Cardall, Owain James, Gabriel Oghre, Will Porter, Callum Sirker, Sam Spink and Tom Willis – all graduated to the first-team set-up last June, and Umaga has thrived, making his Premiership debut against London Irish in October before delivering a man-of-the-match European debut in November versus Agen.

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“It [England] is a recognition of how well Jacob has played this season. He’s worked his socks off to improve,” explained Wasps boss Dai Young. “He had a stint in New Zealand which gave him some great experience.

“Playing in the Mitre 10 Cup competition and rubbing shoulders with some quality players gave him a lot of confidence and belief and he’s come back and gone from strength to strength. He’s certainly been a different player this season – he’s got our attacking line moving really well, takes it to the line really well, and makes good decisions. His kicking game is excellent too.”

Umaga, who represented England under-18s and under-20s, admitted the call-up came out of the blue. “It’s a bit surreal. It’s been a crazy 24 hours. I woke up Tuesday morning thinking: ‘Did that actually just happen?’ Everyone’s been congratulating me and it’s been a really nice feeling.

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“I called my dad and all I could hear was screaming down the phone from my dad, mum, brother and sister. My mum didn’t believe me at first, she thought I was talking nonsense so I had to call her back and say it was real. It was out the blue. I’d just been getting over the concussion from a fortnight ago and focusing on trying to get back fit for Saturday’s game.

“This time last year I was playing for Yorkshire at Richmond on a Saturday night so to make my Premiership debut, my European debut and now this – it’s been a whirlwind of a year.

“I just want to take in as much as possible. For me, it’s about learning and the opportunity to learn off the likes of Owen Farrell and George Ford – watching them and trying to build and be the best player I can be. Any chance I get, I’ll try and take it.”

WATCH: Mark McCall confirms his salary cap-bursting Saracens squad will be broken up

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J
JWH 30 minutes ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

Interesting take, crazy to see the amount of delulu NZ fans here. I am an NZ fan, but this is atrocious.


I am fine with 75%+, in fact I think that is excellent, but the main point of anguish is not IF we win or lose, it is how. I think that Razor has finally got us playing to our identity again; flowing, simple, and brutally decisive & efficient.


There are certainly some issues that the stats reflect, like the scrum and lineout. However, at scrum time, there isn't really much variation, in terms of attack, you can put on that. So at the end of the day, not much to do differently apart from 'scrum better'.


However, the lineout is quite interesting. As Ryan said earlier this week, the ABs have added a lot of depth and combinations to their lineout, with FOUR lineout options (Barrett, Vaai, Savea, Sititi). While they did only retain 80% possession from lineouts (not great), the stat line is actually 12/15, which is pretty good, considering Aumua did all those lineout with limited experience and tiredness after playing 75 minutes at Twickenham.


There are also some really good stats to back up the ABs. They managed to stay out of their own 22 for a lot of the game, however they also didn't set up camp in the opp 22 often either. They are also passing the ball a lot, clocking in at 211 passes, double that of England. These stats show a return to attacking, flowing rugby, and not playing your own 22, which is the ABs style.


What I think Razor wants to do is make effective use of draw and pass, simple rugby. This can be pre or post contact, but you have to draw more than 1 player. For example, that Sititi offload to Telea, or BB to Jordan. Those were excellent, yet overall simple passages of rugby This can be risky at times (just watch DMac play), but it is a medium risk high reward gameplan.


What we Kiwis want is exciting rugby. We want hard defense, big hits, cool plays, and quick linebreaks. I cannot imagine being an SA fan between 2018-2021, which was one of the most boring rugby teams of all time (respectfully). I also cannot imagine being an England fan right now, so dull. But the ABs are making rugby exciting again, playing like Scotland and Fiji, but better.

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LONG READ
LONG READ Freddie Thomas: 'OMFG, I've been selected for Wales - my mum was bawling her eyes out' Freddie Thomas: 'OMFG, I've been selected for Wales - my mum was bawling her eyes out'
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