Adam Powell has warned his Saracens team-mates not to single out dazzling Wasps fly-half Danny Cipriani for special attention when London Wasps visit Vicarage Road on Sunday.

Powell and Cipriani, England Rugby's new pin-up boy after toppling Jonny Wilkinson from his perch, have been mates since joining forces for England Under 16s and have progressed through the ranks over the past four years.

However, Cipriani has enjoyed the far greater rise to the top having enjoyed Churchill Cup success with England Saxons and helping Wasps become European Champions.

His success, though, has come at a price as newspapers relentlessly exposed lurid tales of his private life and the paparazzi snapped him coming out of a nightclub two days before a Six Nations match, prompting then England head coach Brian Ashton to wield the axe and deny him his first senior start.

Powell, meanwhile, has kept his head down in a bid to establish himself as the Men in Black's first choice inside centre at the expense of injury-prone Andy Farrell.

There is no youthful naivety where the 21-year-old former Romford starlet is concerned. Instead, he shows a maturity that could easily be misplaced for that of Farrell's and plans to cross the line for an eighth time this season in Sunday's league clash (3pm kick off), the Premiership's 1,500th match.

"It's going to be a tough, exciting encounter and one I always look forward to," said Powell. "I've played with a couple of the Wasps boys before like Cips and Dom Waldouck. It will be nice to say hello to them but hopefully I'll be the one celebrating a win."

Powell, who captained the England Under 19s side in their 2006 Six Nations and World Championship campaigns, is relishing keeping Cipriani at bay but says the Men in Black must not lose sight of Wasps' other key threats.

"Cips loves being in the public eye, he has been waiting for this moment for years," added Powell. "He's a good player and a good guy but you can't just focus on one player and say that is why a team is doing well. Paul Sackey is on fire at the moment while they have also got the likes of James Haskell. Wasps have got lots of players that can turn it on on the day.

"I played against Mike Tindall last week while on Sunday I am up against Riki Flutey, who I think is the number one 12 in the Premiership. These are the players I need to measure myself against."

Powell is determined to follow in Cipriani's footsteps to the England fold, now under the stewardship of Martin Johnson, but knows he has plenty of work ahead of him.

"Obviously Cips has come in and played really while I spoke to (promising Harlequins scrum half) Danny Care recently and he's enjoying being in the England Saxons set up. It would be nice to get up there and plays with these boys for England.

"Like any young English player you want to play for your country but to do that I need to play for Saracens week in, week out and try and keep on impressing. It's great to be getting a starting place again and I just want to push on and keep playing well.

"Leicester and Wasps provide most of England's players because they are two of the most successful sides. I've no problem with that but we need Saracens to be successful for the players to benefit from that. It's great that we're doing so well in the Heineken Cup as that is where you would expect the England coaches to be watching."

Powell has made 21 appearances this season including 16 starts and his wish to get even more game time could be granted by Eddie Jones, who takes over from Alan Gaffney as director of rugby in the summer.

During his unveiling at the start of the year Jones said it was important that Saracens have a core of English players out on the pitch and Powell hopes to be one of them.

"It's a big thing Eddie saying that," commented the centre. "You still have to put in the performances and justify the faith he is showing in young English players at Saracens.It's an exciting challenge playing for a new coach and I really feel we're going to have a good season next year."