Ask Richard Hill about Paul Hodgson and he smiles. “He was very excitable, but I always knew he was destined for the top,” Hill said of the scrum half who was named yesterday in his first England 22 for the game against France in Paris on Saturday. No doubt Hill, who was a firebrand in his heyday, recognised a little of himself in the London Irish 25-year-old who was only at Bristol for the first season of Hill's reign as director of rugby at the Memorial Stadium.

Hodgson was so hyperactive that Hill made him share a room with James Bailey, the wing now with Gloucester, who was the opposite in terms of temperament.

“Dodge was off the wall; James was as calm and laid-back as you could get,” Hill said. “You certainly had to keep Paul away from the chocolate. As a player he was always willing to learn. He was powerful, fast, had a good pass, a fantastic sidestep off both feet and utterly confident.

“You couldn't stop him talking. All a good scrum half needs. Occasionally you had to calm him down, remind him that less is sometimes more and be a little more measured. As a scrum half you need to be in control, the forwards need a calm head directing them and sometimes he went over the top. I am sure that's changed over the past three years.”

Having featured in the England Under-21 side, Hodgson was expected to make a smooth transition to the top but it has not been plain sailing with the Exiles, where latterly he has had to fight for a starting place with Peter Richards, whose bicep injury has ruled him out of the England picture for this season. Hodgson also felt that London Irish were often unfairly overlooked by the selectors.

His performance on Sunday in the 22-13 defeat of Leicester was certainly timely with Brian Smith, the club's director of rugby, urging Brian Ashton to pick his man, who he believes is capable of providing England's missing link and help them to play the high-tempo game Ashton aspires to. Now he has, Hodgson is confident that he can make his mark.

“I feel I'm ready for international rugby,” he said. “I know it's a big step but you've got to make it at some point. It's about making sure your skills are up there and giving as much as possible. I feel I'm doing that. I talk quite a lot. I just want to get the ball as quickly as possible for our backs. I don't want to play with slow ball.”