Ben Earl could play a major role in the Premier League final this weekend. Photo: Getty Images/Olivier Chassignole
Ben Earle enjoys his Twickenham clash with Tom Curry and hopes helping the Saracens in the Premier League will help him climb the England pecking order ahead of the World Cup.
25 The year-old has a tendency to fight elephants in the room and knows that Steve Borthwick will be keeping a close eye on his performance against the Sale Sharks this weekend. He also worries that “whoever misses first” could fall out of a tough competitive shake-up in the back rows.
Earl, who has yet to start a Test match despite making his debut under Eddie Jones over three years ago, was disappointed that he didn't get more than two short episodes off the bench during the recent Six Nations. Although happy with his Saracen uniform to date, he is determined to establish himself at the next level. He has never played in a triumphant Premier League final before, but Saturday was a big milestone for him.
“Selfishly, the elephant in the room is that I would like to play a little more for England in that campaign six nations,” Earl said this week.
“For some reason I didn't and I learned a lot from it. But I feel that I have done as much as I could do here [in the Saracens]. I'm looking forward to going again to show my best in these big games that I pay a lot of attention to.”
'Last year's loss made us hungrier'
“How many times I carried bags for games like this, when I was a little younger, I always wanted to celebrate a victory,” he added. “Due to the fact that last year I was a little behind, this group became even hungrier, and I became even hungrier. Winning the league after such a long fight with a childhood club is really everything.”
fantastic late win over the Saracens in last year's premier final -league. Photo: PA/Mike Egerton “Tom Curry is a good friend and quality player”
Early in the campaign, Earl was equally outspoken in what he felt was a muted display in Saracens' defeats at Toulon, in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, and in the Premier League final against Leicester Tigers.
The main hard lesson of these matches was to “not be too desperate” or “too hard chasing it” when the stakes are high. Earl, an avid golfer with a three-point handicap, played at Sunningdale on Wednesday to help relax ahead of a do-or-die home game against Sale. His face-to-face encounter with Curry, who is the same age as England, could make all the difference given Ben Curry's injury.
“This is one of those little battles that seems to be taking place all over the field,” Earl said. “It will probably have a big impact on the game, whoever comes out on top in terms of the backline as a whole. Tom is my good friend. We've been playing rugby together since we were 16 and know each other's games pretty well.
Earl will play Tom Curry in the Premier's final -league. Photo: Getty Images/Jan Kruger
“He didn't have much time. this year, there was a bit of a stop start, but what a quality player that I have been aiming to emulate for some time. It's an honor to go up against him – and I'm crazy about Ben -“
'Steve has been incredibly positive about my work at the Six Nations'
Jack Willis, Tom Pearson and Lewis Ludlam are three more in-form flankers looking for a world championship, with Courtney Lowes also sure to enter the fight as an alternative to blindfold. Although internal superiority is not yet enough to give Earl enhanced opportunities in England, he will continue to knock on the door.
“The moment you stop performing, you give someone a simple reason not to choose you,” – he said. “On the other hand, if I have the opportunity to play a test match this summer, it should be good. I have to play well. Look how competitive my position is, it always seems like the person who slips first will be the one who misses.”
Zach Crawley, England and Kent opener batsman, and Callum Clarke. , a former long-range rower who now heads the Saracen's psychological department, is among Earl's close confidantes. However, as far as alleviating his disappointments in England, perseverance is the only solution. And going up against Sale would be the perfect start to the summer.
“I rely on a few people, but in the end it's my problem and I have to solve it,” Earl said of his missed trials. “The moment you start making excuses, when you start saying 'I'm just unlucky' or 'my face doesn't fit', that's probably the moment you give someone a reason to dump you. I have to stay with it.
“Steve has been incredibly positive about my work with the Six Nations. Unfortunately, the selection hasn't always worked out for me, but I try to stay positive and do my best in these big games, which are probably the games he looks at the most.”
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