'Smoked by Burger and de Villiers': The England debut from hell
Mike Brown has painfully recalled his hellish England Test debut 15 years ago as a wide-eyed 21-year-old on the receiving end of a 58-10 trouncing by the Springboks in Bloemfontein. With Leicester and Wasps contesting the Heineken Cup final just six days earlier, coach Brian Ashton sent a youthful XV into battle in South Africa that contained five debutants.
The outcome, understandably, was rather bruising. The Springboks enjoyed a seven tries to one victory that they stretched out to an eight tries to one success the following weekend in their 55-22 second Test win in Pretoria – another match where Brown was the starting England No15.
It was a damaging introduction to the requirements of Test match rugby for the rookie as Brown had to wait a full twelve months before he was capped again. However, looking back now as a 36-year-old on what unfolded, he reckons that the South African tour was the making of the international career where he went on to win a total of 72 caps.
Brown pulled no punches in his Rugby Roots appearance with Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass when recounting his baptism of fire with England which left him waiting until Martin Johnson’s first summer tour in charge in 2008 before he was recalled to the set-up.
“It was an absolute tour of hell,” said Brown, recounting his England introduction. “Back then it a lot of Leicester and Wasps players who were in the England set-up, and especially in the forwards. We were missing a load so we were already at a disadvantage (before we left for South Africa) and we were playing the team that went on to win the World Cup.
“They were quality at the time and a load of new guys like myself were in getting debuts. To add more hell to it, we all had food poisoning – David Strettle was in the hospital with food poisoning. It was bad. He got found on his bathroom floor gasping for air, kind of being sick as well by the doctor and ended up in hospital. That was just before the first Test.
“It was quite bad and I ended up getting it a day before the first Test as well, it was my first game and I felt awful. I was dry retching on the field on occasions. Phil Pask, the physio, reminds me of coming on at one point after I had been smoked by (Schalk) Burger and (Jean) de Villiers trying to run a short line which worked during the Premiership season but didn’t work at that level.
“Absolutely smoked. He [Pask] always reminds me of the moment he comes on, peeling me off the turf and I’m dry retching and he is trying to get me back in the game. This is Test match proper rugby now, welcome. It was tough and we got absolutely battered because they were on a way different level to us. It was a tough introduction to international rugby. I just about managed to be fit for the second Test but that pretty much went the same sort of way. They battered us again and that was my first couple of introductions to Test rugby on the tour of hell.”
Despite the pain at the time, the bruising introduction stood to Brown and his determination to bounce back and make it with England. “It was a good eye-opener on what I had to do to get to the level if I wanted to get back there, just reading of the game, high ball skills, being able to cope with the pressure, skills under pressure, just how quickly everything moves, how strong everyone is, how gaps that would be there normally in the Premiership like the one between de Villiers and Burger close very quickly when you try and run them.
“Everything just moves quicker and it’s a lot harder, the speed of the game is a lot higher so it was just an eye-opener to that. It was perfect for my development, thinking I was good enough for that level and I definitely wasn’t. It was a good learning experience anyway.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
58 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments