Lesley Vainikolo refuses to get carried away with his rise through the rugby union ranks - choosing instead to take it "day by day".
Gloucester ace looking forward to England debut
Lesley Vainikolo is refusing to get carried away with his rapid rise through the rugby union ranks - choosing instead to take it "day by day".
The former Bradford Bulls rugby league winger is expected to make his England debut off the bench against Wales on Saturday despite having played only a handful of games since moving to Gloucester.
His impact has been compared to that of Jonah Lomu and Va'aiga Tuigamala - however the Tongan-born 28-year-old is insisting he is his own man and just taking the next stage in his development in his stride.
He said: "This is all a dream come true for me, but I never plan ahead, I go day by day.
"And I never like talking. For me, it is about getting out there and doing the job.
"I don't compare myself to anyone, really.
"I am me, I'm Lesley. I want people to start knowing me.
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"The World Cup (2011) would be nice, but the Six Nations is massive for me. It's my first Test match on Saturday, and I am just concentrating on this week.
"I am still learning, and you learn new things every day. I love it."
The call-up came on the back of a traumatic few weeks for Vainikolo which saw him return to New Zealand following the deaths of his brother and his father.
And Vainikolo's thoughts are with his family, particularly, his mum back home.
He said: "All I think about is my mum at home.
"She lost a lover and a son, and another son is on the other side of the world, which makes it hard for her. All my tears and prayers go out to her."
