Bailey hoping to make Six Nations mark 18 months after leaving school

As the son of an artist who retains a strong interest in drawing, printing and photography, it is no surprise to find out that new England fly-half Orlando Bailey has a keen eye for detail.

‘Let’s take the pictures in the home changing room,’ suggests Bailey, who is in Eddie Jones’ Six Nations squad, as he welcomes Sportsmail to Bath’s ground, the Rec. ‘The lighting might be a bit dark for the camera though.’

Softly spoken, erudite and with several interests outside of rugby which include studying for a degree in International Development with Economics, Bailey is far from your typical sportsman. Not that it has stopped him reaching international level aged just 20.

‘My older siblings Natasha, Caspar and Gabriella all did art at A Level and I did too. I did lots of art growing up,’ Bailey says of his Dorset childhood. ‘At home we have a nice creative space which is a good setting for us to do art. The creative side has always been at the heart of our house. I still like to draw and when I go home to Dorset, I also do some printing.

‘My dad Julian is a painter — he does mainly oils, but on a big scale. He used to do landscapes and paintings of the coast. Now he’s slightly more figurative. He’s moving with the times but his work is great. It’s really colourful and exciting.

‘My mum Sophie is a ceramicist and played lacrosse for Britain so there is a sporting element to our family but I enjoy cooking and drawing because it’s important to take your head away from rugby.

‘I’m in my second year at Bath University.

‘International Development is really interesting. It’s about critiquing ways the western world looks to try and develop other areas. It gets you to think. The balance can be hard. If I finish a long day at training,