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'He just bumbles about doing his job': Ex-captain singles out England's current unsung hero
Former England skipper Dylan Hartley has saluted the unseen contribution that Joe Launchbury has been making to Eddie Jones’ side in recent weeks. The 29-year-old, 67-cap lock has come back in favour this month, starting the wins over Georgia and Ireland and gaining selection again to face Wales this Saturday.
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It’s a return to prominence that Hartley, his teammate during the 2016 and 2017 Six Nations title wins, feels can’t pass without recognition. Appearing as co-host the RugbyPass Offlod show, he said: “I was watching Joe Launchbury the last few weeks, he is a real quite man.
“He just bumbles about the field doing his job and this is where in rugby you have got to credit the team – he is doing his job so effectively, he has zero missed tackles, he is disrupting mauls, he’s almost like the unsung hero.
“He frees Maro (Itoje) up to do his thing as well but because we love talking about Maro, we love talking about James Ryan and Maro, we love talking about the Lions, Joe Launchbury missed out on the Lions last time round. It’s almost self-fulfilling. We see things we want to see whereas it is easy to not see the unsung hero doing his job.
“They are the water carriers in the team, you always need someone. Every team has got its ball carriers, big explosive ball carriers that grab the limelight, but who’s resourcing rucks, who’s doing that nitty- gritty, the boring stuff?
Tributes paid to the late French and Argentinian greats, with a happier note reflection on referee Owens and his big day https://t.co/2i2UA9tvYw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 26, 2020
“It takes a rugby purist to see that and appreciate it. But I’ll tell you what the only people who do see it and appreciate it are coaches. If you look at the balance in any team half the forward pack are the water carriers and the other half are your glory boys.”
Co-host Ryan Wilson suggested that Scotland lock Jonny Gray was similarly undervalued, a hugely important player. “Another brilliant example of that is Jonny Gray, he is exactly the same,” he said. “The guy doesn’t have a bad game but you won’t hear him get mentioned for the Lions. But I tell you he can do the job that any of those boys do. Constantly just goes under cover making tackle after tackle.
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“He went some stupid amount of tackles without missing one and they are constantly dominant and his workrate, just everything about him… he is one of these humble guys, just gets on with his job, doesn’t have social media, stays out of he limelight and it’s people like that in teams that you need the most.
“At club level especially you get to see these guys, like Rob Harley at our club (Glasgow) getting 200 odd caps. These blokes stick around for a long time, they are there for a reason, coaches love them. You know what you get from them week in week out.”
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England crank up their build-up to Wales away on Saturday#AutumnNationsCup #WALvENG ???????
https://t.co/65WG65trlT— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 26, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments