sport news Henry Arundell discusses his rapid rise to the top after stellar season with ... trends now
There is a pensive look on Henry Arundell's face. A hint of nerves as he takes a seat in the empty bar at London Irish's training ground. 'I've never really done a proper interview before,' he says, ruffling his floppy hair as his fast-track rise into the spotlight continues.
He takes a curious look at the cameraman setting up for a photoshoot, before quickly settling into conversation about rugby's breakthrough story of the year. We start at the beginning, in 2002, when he was born at the Eastern Sovereign military base in Cyprus.
'My mum was a nurse in the military and my dad was a colonel in the Rifles,' says the 19-year-old. 'I was born in Dhekelia, the old RAF base which is now shut down, and I lived there for two years. My dad did tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. I lived in Cyprus for two years and then we moved around a bit more because of my dad's postings: Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, America. It was cool, moving around a lot, experiencing different places.'
The in-form Henry Arundell recently signed a long-term contract extension with London Irish
Naturally, the military life rubbed off. Arundell was a disciplined academic, achieving straight As in his A-levels last year, and he cultivated an interest in modern war. Twelve months ago, he almost moved back to America to study history on a prestigious scholarship at Yale University.
Arundell says: 'At school, we studied Northern Ireland and the Anglo-Irish war. My dad was in the thick of that. It has always been interesting to talk to him about why things happen around the world.
'I don't want to be a historian or work in a museum but I've always had an interest. You don't want to get too focused on just rugby and looking at BBC Sport all the time. You can't spend all your time on the internet watching highlight reels. Sometimes you need to branch out to BBC News!
The young full back was part of Eddie Jones's pre-Australia warm up squad this late spring
'I'm mostly interested in modern history and the political side of it; 20th-century war, Cold War. Why conflicts are beginning and the geo-political aspect of it. If I hadn't had this opportunity with London Irish, I'd had some discussions about opportunities at Yale. There was a rugby scholarship there. Rugby's growing in America so they wanted players to go over and I'd have done a major in history.'
America's loss has been England's gain. Arundell's name has not even made it onto Wikipedia yet, yet he is in line to be the country's headline debutant against the Barbarians at Twickenham next week. He has stunned the sport with his spectacular individual tries, earning comparisons with All Blacks legend Christian Cullen for his effortless running style.
'That fun, running rugby is the exciting part for me,' says Arundell. 'Everyone likes X-factor. People mention Christian Cullen and Jason Robinson. They are the best running full-backs of all time. Players who made people hold their breath and think, 'What are they doing to do next?' You see it in the NFL. I like watching the running backs and wide receivers. You watch their highlights on YouTube and they were absolute freaks.
Arundell has blown himself into national recognition this season with superb club showings
'I always wanted to get the ball, see what I can do, who I could step. I'd watch the best sidesteps in rugby — like Quade Cooper — and try to replicate them. I've always enjoyed footwork and speed.
'When my family settled in Bath, we had season tickets at the Rec. I was at Beechen Cliff School and I was all set on playing for Bath. I watched guys like George Ford, Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson. Outside of Bath, it was Mike Brown, Israel Dagg and William Ryder. I'd always be watching their highlight reels.'
Dreams of playing for Bath were quickly shelved. When Arundell's father retired from the army, he took a job as director of operations at Harrow School. The school granted Arundell a scholarship, meaning he fell into the catchment area of London Irish.
Arundell's (front right) incredible length-of-the-field try helped thrust him into the spotlight
He became a keen track and field athlete — running 100metres in just off 11 seconds aged just 16 — and is now competing with Adam Radwan to be the fastest player in English rugby.
'I did track and field in the summer at school. Cricket was too slow for me. I tried it but I couldn't fake it. I did
