DAVE ATTWOOD has described his England Saxons call-up as a “special moment.”

The Gloucester Rugby star from Winterbourne joined up with the Saxons’ Elite Player Squad this week and will make his debut for England’s second string against Ireland A at Bath’s Recreation Ground this Sunday (2pm) after the team was announced this morning.

Attwood, 22, was named in the Saxons squad to face Italy two years ago but never featured.

The 6’7” lock has made giant strides since then though, starting his first Guinness Premiership match for Bristol last year before making his big move up the M5 to Gloucester in the summer, where he has been a regular in the squad.

“It’s been quite a good first half of the season and I think the Saxons call has been a reflection of that,” said Attwood. “I’m delighted for that recognition.

“There was a thought in the back of my mind that it might be on the cards but it’s not something I pay much attention to at my age.

“I’ve put more thought to focus on doing well for the club, and to perform consistently.

“First and foremost, especially as I’ve just moved clubs, I wanted to establish myself before thinking about it.

“I was given a heads up that I might be receiving a call on the day of selection.

“Eventually I got the phone call from (England coach) John Wells and it was nice to pick up the answer message.

“For every young player, to get a phone call from a national coach is a special moment.

“I was in the car at the time so I couldn’t show much emotion but I went for dinner to celebrate with the family.

“It means a lot to my parents. I couldn’t have asked for better support from them, they’ve always been there to fight my corner so I owe a lot to them.”

Attwood, who attended the Winterbourne International Academy formerly known as The Ridings School, reached another milestone earlier this month when he scored his first Premiership try.

He went over in the last minute to earn Gloucester a draw against Worcester Warriors but said he did not think about it much at the time.

“If you’re somewhere where you score tries as part of the game then it would mean a lot more but as a number five forward you take more out of your success at the set piece,” he said.

“As a forward it’s nice to get your name on the scoresheet, it only really happens once or twice a season, so I took delight in it.”

Attwood has been one of Gloucester’s most impressive performers this season but not many people expected the youngster to feature so prominently in his first season when head coach, Bryan Redpath, signed him last summer.

The former Frampton Cotterell youth player has made 21 appearances in all competitions, including 19 starts, and is aiming to continue his rich vein of form.

“I couldn’t have asked for a lot more,” admitted Attwood.

“I’ve said I’ll take it a week at a time, carry on building for the rest of the season with strong performances and push the club forward next year.

“I want to hold on to where I am - being in the squad - hopefully push on in areas I need to work on and keep that consistency going.”

Gloucester’s Paul Doran-Jones and Nick Wood have also been named in the England Saxons side to face Ireland with Luke Narraway on the bench.

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