WHEN Dave Attwood finished a training session with Gloucester and picked up his phone to see 25 text messages and several missed calls he knew something was up.

The Winterbourne born and bred rugby star had no idea about his first call-up to England’s Elite Player Squad until he trawled through several messages of congratulations.

Speaking to the Gazette from the England team hotel as they prepare to face the Barbarians at Twickenham this Sunday, Attwood said: “My first text was from Redford Pennycook (former Bristol team-mate), and he said he saw my name on Sky Sports, so that was the first instance.

“I was hoping to be involved in some capacity and when I found out I made the senior tour it was a really nice moment.

“I was given a heads up that I might be involved in some capacity but it was a great surprise.”

The 23-year-old 6’7” second row later received a call from England team manager and former World Cup winning captain, Martin Johnson, who offered his congratulations, and he also spoke to forwards coach John Wells.

Attwood attended school at Winterbourne International Academy, where his father teached for over 25 years, and said his parents were “immensely proud” of him.

He added: “Both parents really support me an awful lot, they go to every Gloucester game, they’ve been to every incline of an international from youth rugby upwards and have become passionate rugby supporters.”

A former Frampton Cotterell youth player, Attwood has represented England at under-19 and under-20 level and made his Saxons debut earlier this year in the 17-13 win over Ireland A.

He joined up with the senior England squad for the first time last week and has been named in the starting lineup to face an all-star Barbarians side including New Zealand’s Byron Kelleher, France’s Cedric Haymans and Wales’ Martyn Williams.

Attwood said: “It’s always nice to be involved in the national team, it shows I’m travelling in the right direction.”

“The fans really like the Barbarians and I’m no stranger to that because I use to love watching that part of England.

After the game, England will travel to Australia and play two Test Matches against the Wallabies on June 12 and June 19 before an historic match against the New Zealand Maori on June 23.

Attwood says he has settled in well with the squad and knows many of them from youth internationals, such as scrum half Danny Care , as well as Gloucester team-mates Mike Tindall and Paul Doran-Jones.

He is currently sharing a room with another uncapped player, Newcastle prop Jon Golding.

Attwood said: “He’s new to it as well so we’re in the same boat and help each other out.

“I am really enjoying it, it’s a really composed environment and they take care of every little thing for you.

“A lot of the time spent together has been to build relationships with players around you because it takes a while to play with people the same way for your national side as you do for your club.”