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The 'such a rush' addiction that Theo Dan just can't get enough of
Theo Dan has claimed he is addicted to Test match rugby after rounding off his maiden Rugby World Cup with a try-scoring appearance for England in their bronze medal match.
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The 22-year-old was an uncapped inclusion in Steve Borthwick’s training squad for the tournament but he will now head back to Saracens with seven Test caps and the ambition to do it all again when the international scene resumes in the new year with the 2024 Guinness Six Nations.
Dan featured in three Summer Nations Series matches and then went on to play four times at France 2023.
He also had the dubious statistic of being an unused sub for three England matches in succession – versus Samoa, Fiji and South Africa – but he was handed the No2 shirt against Argentina and thrived.
Even when he made a major mistake, slipping off a tackle and allowing Santiago Carreras to break into the 22 to score and give Argentina the lead shortly after half-time, he immediately bounced back by charging down a clearance kick from Carreras, regathering and scoring to catapult England back into a 44th-minute lead they were never to lose.
“There’s no feeling like it – it’s such a rush. The last few weeks for me have been a bit tough, watching from the bench for 80 minutes so to get on, there was 78,000, it’s such a rush playing in front of those crowds, especially against the Argentina fans, they are so passionate, so loud.
“I’ll go home with a bit more hunger to be involved in the Six Nations, to play in these big games because it’s brilliant to be part of them,” said Dan about Test rugby, going on to reflect on his try, charging down an out-half and score in that type of way for the first time since minis rugby.
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“I can’t even remember, it must have been during minis rugby. There’s a first for everything. It was such a rush, scoring for your country.
“For me, the main thing was I felt such an emotion of happiness because ultimately my missed tackle led to a try and it could have cost the team dearly so to be able to repay them with that, I was really happy with that.
“Every week I have been ready to come on. The way I see it I am at the start of my career, there are going to be plenty of opportunities in the future. Jamie (George) was playing so well.
“To be honest I don’t think it would have made much sense to take him off. He is such a big part of our pack, such a leader. I completely understand the reasons why I didn’t play those past few games.
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“You have got someone like Jamie, who I’d say is the best set-piece hooker in the world and he has been for years. So I know that I’ve got big boots to fill, moving forwards.”
Despite the 26-23 win over Argentina, emotions were kept in check as the bronze final wasn’t the fixture England wanted to be in.
“I was speaking to Ellis Genge in the changing rooms and probably looking back, our warm-up games we weren’t there at all. We were disjointed as a team, our performances weren’t good enough.
“So if you rewind the clocks two or three months ago and say you got a bronze medal, you’re third in the world, you go toe-to-toe in a game you probably should have seen out (versus South Africa), we would probably have bitten your arm off for that.
“But it is such a polarising emotion. We are obviously delighted to get the bronze, it means a lot to us, it means a lot to get the medal for everyone back home who supported us, to not come away from this World Cup with nothing. But ultimately, it isn’t the medal that we wanted.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments