Ben Redshaw: 'The way the boys looked up to Farrell was special'

Ben Redshaw was left speechless when the call came for him to hook up with the England Test squad in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage for match week one at last year’s Rugby World Cup.

The plan four months out from his 19th birthday was to get used to academy life at Newcastle under new boss Alex Codling, not to head across the Channel and muck in with Steve Borthwick and co ahead of their tournament opener versus Argentina.

He loved the experience and its huge impact has since driven him onto great things: debuting in the Falcons’ Gallagher Premiership first-team as an 18-year-old in October and also becoming part of the first-choice fabric on Mark Mapletoft’s England U20s in the current age-grade Six Nations.

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Looking back now on his whirlwind adventure in France, an invitation that Borthwick extended to two youngsters per week during the pool stages at the finals to give them reconnaissance as to what it is to be an England Test player, Redshaw was still in thrall to what unfolded.

“I was pretty speechless going out there,” he said when asked by RugbyPass what he had taken from his time hanging out with Borthwick’s crew in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage while they prepared for their tournament-opening win over the Pumas in Marseille.

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“It was a pretty unbelievable experience. Training with and speaking with players that I have been watching for all my life really, watching them on the TV and stuff. Just getting the opportunity to have one-to-one conversations with (Owen) Farrell and Manu (Tuilagi) and all these big names was pretty special.

“Just the professionalism. Like the way they worked together as a group was really special, and the way they spoke to each other, communicating with each other. Farrell was a big leader at the time. He was out with his red card but still, the way he led that and the way the boys looked up to him in a sense was pretty special.

“It was a big part of his leadership and I took a lot from that. And then obviously what they do off the pitch was really special as well in terms of the recovery, looking after their bodies. A lot of them work really hard around their robustness and things like that so not taking that for granted was something I use.”

Redshaw had originally expected his 2023/24 campaign to be filled with outings for Tynedale, the National 2 North outfit, just so the full-back could find his feet in adult rugby.

What has transpired, however, has been more than that. He has played just twice for his loan club, instead packing in five Newcastle first-team appearances – three Premiership and two European Challenge Cup.

Although his time is currently taken up with England’s U20s title challenge, which encounters its latest challenge when defending champions Ireland visit The Rec on Friday night, he has still had his eyes opened by Steve Diamond, his new Newcastle boss who has recently taken over from the axed Codling.

“We have had a couple of meetings with Steve and he is looking to bring a lot of change which is something I am really excited about personally and I am sure the team is as well. Steve gives us that stern thing that we need, that stern emotion.

“Like a lot of the boys starting to take ownership of their roles and their skill set and I think it’s going to really pay off for us and hopefully these next six games in the Premiership will be a lot different for us and hopefully we will be able to get a result.

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“Tynedale has been my loan club this year. I have only had two weeks, two opportunities to play for them. It’s a good challenge for me, a good way of seeing where I’m at and being able to change between environments.

“Like with the 20s, it’s good to put myself in different environments, put myself in different scenarios and be able to challenge myself. Being involved in the likes of the Challenge Cup games and a bit of the Premiership has been pretty awesome.

“Just being able to balance that and challenge me going from one league to another, just adapting and playing with different people around me has been a big thing that I have taken from that and something I will hopefully take going forward as well.”

Redshaw has shown positional versatility with England U20s in recent weeks, starting the championship at full-back in Italy and then featuring twice at outside centre. Against Ireland at The Rec, though, he will run out reinstated at No15 – with very good reason.

“Full-back suits a lot of my strengths,” he said. “I’m still physically developing and at 13 this week we have gone for a bit of a heavier 13 [Ben Waghorn] and someone who is going to bring us that front foot ball, something that I have not offered just yet.

“I’m a bit more of a dynamic 13 myself. Hopefully, 15 should open up a few options in the wider channels and I can straighten us up. I’m looking forward to that.

“It’s going to be a very direct game. Ireland will bring a very direct, powerful, through-the-middle game. But on the flip side, I’m expecting us to nullify that with our line speed and our aggressive defence which is what we have been focusing on.

“We have got attacking threats just as much as they do. We have got to respect that from them. They have won three from three as well. A big challenge for us at the weekend and one we are all really looking forward to.”

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England’s age-grade campaign in 2024 will culminate in this summer’s Junior World Championship in South Africa. Before that Cape Town adventure, they will look to close out the Six Nations on a winning note, looking to add the scalps of the Irish and the French to their February winning streak versus Italy, Wales and Scotland.

“I have absolutely loved it, really enjoying being in a different environment with the camp and the lads,” said Redshaw, reflecting on the progress of the squad assembled by Mapletoft. “It has been a great experience right from the start.

“We have become really close as a group and it shows on and off the pitch just how much we are willing to work for each other. It has been a great experience and a big part of my development so far.

“A lot of our emphasis around analysis and putting a lot more detail into that in terms of watching the likes of Ireland coming up and we have had three games already. It’s just realising how being so close as a group can really help you.

“We put a really big emphasis on what we call our brotherhood as a group. It has been really special to spend however many weeks we have had together as a group and be able to put in our performances because of that.”