'Unbelievable' Mike Brown verdict on new England full-back Steward
Mike Brown has run his critical eye over the new England full-back Freddie Steward and given the first Test season rookie a glowing review for how he has fared so far in the No15 jersey. The 21-year-old Leicester player made his Test debut last July and has been capped as a starter in the last ten England games, nine times at full-back.
It’s been a rapid emergence for Steward compared to the start Brown had in his England Test career, playing twice on a 2007 tour and then waiting a year until he was capped again. However, the 36-year-old is still very much well-placed to give an opinion on Steward having gone on to win a total of 72 caps – 54 as the starting full-back – across his eventually stellar international career from 2007 to 2018.
Skills in the air were key to Brown enjoying his lengthy career with England and he reckons Steward, a far bigger unit physically, is set for quite a considerable stint at full-back after a debut season where he showed signs that he has world-class talent.
“I managed to make it a super strength of mine and luckily it has paid off because it is so important in international rugby now but I do wish I had that extra five inches in height that Freddie Steward has because he is 6ft 5 and is unbelievable under the high ball. He is class, a big old unit,” said Brown during his Rugby Roots interview with Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass.
“He is well on his way to being talked about as world-class if he isn’t already. As a full-back myself, when I look at other full-backs I firstly look at how good they are in their fundamentals of a full-back… their high ball skills, their decision making from the back because if you can’t make decisions from the back you are going to put your team under pressure, and then all the highlights stuff will come off the back of that.
“People nowadays, especially on social media, look at the highlights stuff first and foremost. ‘Oh, he made one great run, he must have been unbelievable today’, but he has actually dropped two high balls and thrown three crap passes and has put his team under pressure by running it up from his own sticks.
“So when I look at Freddie he has got all these fundamentals locked down in my opinion. He makes great decisions from the back, doesn’t put his team under pressure, he can run, kick or pass on his counter attack, he has got the physique 100 per cent, way better than mine, so he is strong, he is powerful, he adds that strength in the England backline they have been maybe missing when Manu is not there joining the line, he has got a good boot and he is a great one-on-one tackler.
“Maybe they missed for the last couple of years with Elliot (Daly) playing out of position. Sometimes people think you can chuck anyone in at full-back but once you are back there in the wide-open spaces and the ball is getting pumped onto you, especially when a team knows it is something you don’t really like, it can be a dark time.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks 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.
10 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.
24 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.
10 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.
17 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 comments