“Look at the job I get to do. How can you not enjoy it? I love playing rugby. I’ve loved it since I was five years old. I’m representing my country so I definitely enjoy it.”
These are the words of England full-back Mike Brown, an individual that some perceive to be a little ill-tempered and grumpy. He is not. Yes the 31-year-old may stand in front of a camera after a significant loss and not say too much or he may be the first person to square up in front of an opponent's in the heat of a battle but these are not signs of an ill-mannered temperament. Instead, they are illustrations of his fierce competitive nature and his desire to succeed.
At Pennyhill Park on Monday afternoon England's full-back addressed his media commitments in a relaxed manner, openly discussing training, the team's preparations and giving us an insight into his character and motivation. In his words their week in Portugal has ‘put them in a good place’ and this week it's about taking things up a gear. Mike may be the only specialist 15 in the squad however he openly articulated that, that fact matters little:
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“For me the competition’s in my head. I’m not the kind of player that gets complacent or anything. I’m massively competitive so it doesn’t matter if there are 10 full-backs in camp or just myself. I’m always looking to get better. I think that’s why coaches like me as a player. I’m a driven person and the competition’s in my head. I’ll push myself until the day I no longer play.”
Those with such inherent competitive natures drive the players around them and without question are an instrumental part of the most successful sports teams around. As Mike said these characteristics are ones that coaches tend to like - he wasn't trying to be big headed here - just speaking matter of factly. Who can forget England’s standoff in the tunnel at the Principality Stadium? Chris Robshaw made his point but the man right by his side, refusing to budge and saying a word or two about it, was Mike Brown. Which coach wouldn't want someone that is so driven ,and combines that with first-class rugby attributes, in their side? The intensity with which the Harlequin approaches his preparation never ceases as he shared:
“For me it’s harder to switch off. Even in the off-season I think I’m being lazy if I’m not doing something. I’m always thinking about my rugby and what I need to do, what I should be doing, what I ought to be doing; what Eddie is thinking, what the coaches are thinking, what’s happening at the club. It’s always going on in my head. I think that’s good, it keeps me on my toes, it keeps me striving to achieve what I want to achieve.”
One of the areas that the squad are working on as a whole is their visual awareness thanks to the principles and exercises set for them by Dr Sherylle Calder. England’s full-back gave an insight (no pun intended) to the mix of that side of their training:
“We're all working on the same (thing) but obviously we're all at different levels for different things. There are a variety of programmes... for example you have to count how many times a shape changes into another shape, with other shapes also on the screen so it's not easy.
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“You have to click your space bar as quickly as possible every time a certain shape comes on to the screen to test your reactions. You have to remember numbers that flash on to the screen and then write them down. Little things like that.
"It gets progressively harder so we're looking forward to seeing if it transfers on to the field. There's a leaderboard every week. Lozza was top last week I think…. Ben Te'o is very much bottom.”
"It gets progressively harder so we're looking forward to seeing if it transfers on to the field. There's a leaderboard every week. Lozza was top last week I think…. Ben Te'o is very much bottom.”
I read recently that the other players in the squad have nicknamed the room that England's full-back shares with Tom Wood as ‘the intense room’ and speaking to both players you can understand why. Personally I expect both to be on the field at the weekend and if you watch them closely neither will switch off for a single second.
The 31-year-old celebrated his 50th cap in Brisbane this summer and prior to that he had appeared in 43 of the past 45 Test matches. Despite so many calling for Alex Goode's inclusion Eddie Jones has made it clear that right now that the Harlequin fits his full-back billing completely.
Saturday afternoon will be a test for England's full-back, given the presence of France's elusive backs, but I expect to see him thrive. By only having one specialist full-back in the squad Eddie Jones is putting plenty of trust in Mike Brown and I believe that as a result this Six Nations we could see the Harlequin's game showcased at its very best and as we all know that's a delight to watch.
Eddie Jones will announce his XV and bench to take on France on Thursday morning at 10am and England v France is live on ITV. Coverage starts at 4.10pm with kick-off at 4.50pm.
Eddie Jones will announce his XV and bench to take on France on Thursday morning at 10am and England v France is live on ITV. Coverage starts at 4.10pm with kick-off at 4.50pm.
25-man squad completing preprations for Saturday: Dan Cole, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Teimana Harrison, Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Nathan Hughes, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Joe Marler, Matt Mullan, Kyle Sinckler, Tom Wood, Mike Brown, Danny Care, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Jonathan Joseph, Jonny May, Jack Nowell , Ben Te’o & Ben Youngs
