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Sam Underhill compares England's 2021 newcomers to his 2017 debut

By Liam Heagney
Marcus Smith and Sam Underhill may both start for England this Autumn (Photo by Alex Davidson/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Sam Underhill has hailed the communication skills of the new England breed that stepped up to Test level rugby last weekend in the win over the USA at Twickenham. A dozen uncapped players make their first appearances and their composure left the 2019 World Cup final flanker impressed by what he saw. “In terms of nerves, I have been really impressed. It’s quite a young, new group. Really impressed with how everyone has gone about their business. There has not been too much talk about it, it’s mainly been on-field and during training. 

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“The standards and quality of training have been really high and the young lads especially have brought so much energy. Also, how good they are at communicating at 20, 21 is really impressive, way better than I would have been four years ago. It’s been cool to see. In terms of nerves and messaging, I don’t think we have needed an awful lot. It has been a pretty self-directed group so far.”

Eddie Jones last week highlighted how the average length of an England player’s career at Test level is seven caps and he put it up to the new breed to go and beat that average. Underhill was the third most capped England player in last weekend’s matchday 23, his selection at No7 being the 23rd Test appearance of a career that began in Argentina four years ago.

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Warren Gatland on in-house Lions selection jokes

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Warren Gatland on in-house Lions selection jokes

That was the last occasion when Jones backed so many new players, using the tour’s clash with the Lions’ trip to New Zealand as the reason to freshen things up. With the Lions now in South Africa with twelve England players, Jones has again turned to youth and multiple new caps to liven things up for the two-Test series that concludes next Saturday versus Canada. 

Set to turn 25 later this month, Underhill reflected how he got his first look-in four years ago and what advice he has given to the latest new crop on the England scene. “Four years ago was my first involvement. It was a great tour, a few lads started there with England. You can’t look too far ahead. You look at what is immediately in front of you and when you get an opportunity to be involved in a camp like this, it is imperative that you make the most of it because you never know what is around the corner.

“We speak quite a lot as a group about just being as good as we can be every day and trying to get better as rugby players – and that is all ultimately we can do as the selection is out of our hands. It’s a good environment to be in because it gives you something to get after straightaway. You don’t look too far in the future, what you have got to worry about is playing rugby and doing it well. It’s a good place to be. 

“I hope my best years aren’t behind me. It’s a really exciting group to be part of… there are 30-odd lads here. There is twelve away with the Lions and there are more lads out there that will be coming back at some point I am sure. It’s incredibly competitive but also really good-natured and good fun to be a part of.

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“Defensively we said we were a bit disappointed to concede as many points as we did, especially at home in a game like that and the way we did. It was such a new group not having much time together but the relative cohesion we have got, especially relationship-wise, I have been really impressed with the way the lads have cracked on and got to know each other and that showed at least in parts on the pitch.”

Underhill also saluted his Bath clubmate Josh McNally, the soon-to-be 31-year-old England debutant who had a career in RAF before only coming to professional rugby in his mid-20s and subsequently overcoming a hole-in-the-heart issue while at London Irish. “It was awesome to see, thoroughly deserved. He is a really nice guy. He has come into rugby a bit later and it’s unbelievable how well he has done. He has been immense this year and it’s nice for him to get the opportunity and even better to share it with him on the pitch.” 

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J
Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

28 Go to comments
A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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