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Incredible Danny Care claim about what this England week means to him
Danny Care has been on the go with England since making a 2008 Test debut away to New Zealand. He was only 21 at the time but now, as a 36-year-old with a caps tally of 90, he has made a jolting claim about the significance of his country’s looming Rugby World Cup opener this Saturday versus Argentina in Marseille.
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“We can’t wait to get stuck in. We’re excited. For me personally, it’s probably the biggest week of my career, this World Cup game hopefully. What an opportunity we have got. We know we haven’t hit the straps as we would have liked to in the games but the belief in the group is as strong as ever. We can’t wait to go out and show what we can do at the weekend.”
It’s quite the claim, the biggest week of Care’s long and extinguished career. What gives? Seemingly the more time England have spent at base camp in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the more they have been yapping confidently about themselves even though they come into the tournament on the back of five defeats in their last six outings and six losses in total in their nine matches under rookie Test boss Steve Borthwick.
“For the last 12 weeks, we have been working on the way we want to play,” Care explained. “We have seen it in little bits and bobs but we have never had it for a prolonged amount of time yet which has been the frustrating thing. Some of that is due to the opposition, some of that is due to ourselves, our own mistakes.
“Is it all going to click on Saturday? We hope it will. The last few days of training there has been a noticeable step up. No disrespect to the games gone by, but this is what we are here for. We have had this Argentina game etched in our brains ready to go so everything has lifted. We are out here now (in France), it’s more real, the boys are ready to rip in.”
Previous World Cups haven’t been kind to Care. He lost out in 2011 due to a warm-up game injury, he made just a single appearance in a 2015 dead rubber, while he was cast to the Test wilderness by Eddie Jones when the 2019 finals came around. Did he ever imagine getting back in the mix and being a genuine contender to play at France 2023?
“If you asked a couple of years ago if I thought I would play in another World Cup game the answer is probably no, even though the belief is still there, you see the dream is still there,” he admitted. “I am loving every minute, I genuinely am.
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“This is a special group with some brilliant coaches, some great players. We haven’t shown that yet but for me, I can’t wait to help this team out to try and do as well as we can in this tournament.
“It all starts Saturday so whatever my role is starting, bench, not playing, I will do anything I can. It’s probably my last opportunity at a World Cup and I know everyone shares this – we are going to give it everything and try and make people proud.”
What does he make of the danger Argentina pose? “They have loads of threats. The big thing about them is their fight for each other. They work the full 80 minutes, whether they have gone down early in the scoreboard or they have started well and are in the game, they stay in the fight the whole time.
“Some special backs out there but a pack that goes about their business. We respect them massively, we are excited to come up against them this week.”
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MATCH DAY -4??: England continue their prep in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage ahead of their Rugby World Cup showdown with Argentina. #EnglandRugby #ENGvARG #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/iPNP77xc7O
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 5, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Brilliant 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.
4 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.
4 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 commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to comments