South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg has wasted little time in winning over his new England teammates.
The 29-year-old has been named on the bench for an England XV non-cap clash against a France XV in Vannes on Friday night.
“He’s been brilliant, he’s like an excitable kid,” veteran flyhalf George Ford told the BBC.
“He’s got so much energy and you can tell he’s obsessed with playing rugby. He not only loves the game, but loves training as well.
“He gives us loads of energy and we’re looking forward to seeing him play.”
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England coach Steve Borthwick added: “The rest of the squad think the world of him.
“He’s a wonderful character as well as being a really top-quality rugby player, so I’m looking forward to seeing him play when he comes on to the pitch on Friday night.”
Janse van Rensburg becomes eligible to play Test rugby for his adopted nation on 8 July after completing five years of residency.
The midfielder, who represented the Junior Springboks in 2016, has earned his opportunity after impressing for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership.
However, not everyone has welcomed his inclusion in the England set-up, with former England scrumhalf Danny Care arguing that players developed through England’s age-group system should be prioritised.
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Janse van Rensburg has spent the week training alongside fellow midfielder Max Ojomoh at England’s Pennyhill Park base.
ENGLAND XV – 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Noah Caluori, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 George Ford (c), 9 Harry Randall, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ted Hill, 5 George Martin, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 George Kloska, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
Bench: 16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Jack Kenningham, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Adam Radwan.
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
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South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg has wasted little time in winning over his new England teammates.
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