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'Bit weird': Alex Mitchell on going from England axe to World Cup No9
Alex Mitchell has described the last two and a half months as a rollercoaster. It was June 30 when it was confirmed by head coach Steve Borthwick that he would not be part of the official England training squad for the Rugby World Cup after two weeks of training that month.
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He quickly drowned his sorrows, heading away to Croatia for a week before heading back to Northampton and continuing his pre-season with them.
The club season starts this Sunday for the Saints with a Premiership Cup visit to Ealing. However, rather than a trip to the Trailfinders, Mitchell has now embarked on a very different path.
It was August 12 when Borthwick’s first-choice No9 Jack van Poortvliet pulled up lame against Wales at Twickenham, an injury that ended his campaign and resulted in an emergency call two days later for Mitchell to come back in.
He has taken that invite with aplomb, starting the August 26 Summer Nations Series finale versus Fiji and going on to keep hold of the No9 jersey for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille.
With Danny Care providing bench cover and Ben Youngs overlooked for selection, it’s been quite the turnaround for Mitchell, leaping from the fourth-best scrum-half who was surplus to requirement 10 weeks ago to becoming the starting nine in a half-back partnership with George Ford.
When the training squad cut came, Mitchell had only played five times off the England bench but the 26-year-old is now set for his second successive start in a fortnight and he couldn’t have been happier with life when he spoke after England had finished their eve-of-match visit to Stade Velodrome.
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“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, out of the squad and now back in and getting a shot tomorrow [Saturday]. I’m just massively excited I get an opportunity to play and put my hand up. Looking forward to that. Yeah, it has been a bit weird but very exciting.
“As a kid it’s what you dream of, playing at the top of the game and the World Cup is that. To start the World Cup is a massive honour; my family are massively proud of me. Really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get a result.”
What about that awkward June conversation with Borthwick? Please tell all. “It was a pretty positive conversation, ‘You’re not far off’. Obviously, there is a lot of competition in my position. He just wanted me to go back to my club, still work on my game, still stay fit because anything can happen and be ready.
“That was the conversation that I had so that is what I did. I got one week off to Croatia which was nice, just to reset the batteries, but that was a couple of months ago now. It was nice to get away, relax and then back into focus. I stayed fit, stayed ready and then got the call to come in, trained hard and tried to put my hand up again.”
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What was the lesson looking back on that training squad rejection? “Just appreciate you are still in a really good position, you are still getting paid to play the sport that you love and you are not far off.
“You are in and out and out of camps and you’re still getting opportunities so you can’t get too downhearted on it. You have got to keep your head up, push forward and take your chance when it comes.”
MD-1??: 16 years on from their Rugby World Cup quarter-final win over Australia in Marseille, England are back at Stade Velodrome to give the rebuilt stadium the once over on the eve of their opening 2023 match versus Argentina on Saturday. #ENGvARG #EnglandRugby #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/OdOQZ8cDm8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 8, 2023
That chance arrives at 9pm local time in France on Saturday night when England look to put a dreadful run of five defeats in their last six matches behind them by starting the World Cup in a winning way versus Argentina.
“Just for me I have just got to try and control the game, get the team to tick and when I can put some energy and tempo into the side I will try and do that. But again, it’s stick to the game plan.
“We know we are a good side when we play well and stick to our style of play. The main thing is to do that and bring that X-factor out after that if you can.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Karl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
8 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
8 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to comments