Ben Earl impressed both last season at Premierhsip and at the World Cup training camp in England. Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan When Ben Earle was dropped from England midway through the Six Nations after being used as a substitute against Scotland and Italy in the first two games, it wasn't the first time he found that the door to the national team was opened and then quickly closed.
Named as Gallagher's Premier League player for the 2021–22 season following his return to the Saracens from Bristol, the performances that led to the award weren't enough to convince Eddie Jones to recall Earl to international duty last fall. Then Steve Borthwick, Jones' successor, brought him back to the Six Nations, Earl was out again two games later. The way he reacted to this setback clearly impressed Borthwick, because Earl is now part of the World Cup team and plays a key role, perhaps the No. 8 top cover for his teammate Billy Vunipola. Earl is worth two interesting elements; how he earned his way back into the herd, and what he offers compared to Vunipola, and why it was enough to keep another No. 8 specialist in Alex Dombrandt on the sidelines.
Starting with the latter, Borthwick during Monday's roster announcement noted Earl's athleticism, which «distinguished his attacking game». The head coach added: «His ability to work on attacking sharpness adds a new dimension.»
Perhaps an example that may have been fresh in Borthwick's memory was Earl's participation in Gallagher's first Premier League final run. for the Saracens against corrupt sharks.
As the Saracens prepare to attack more space on the left — note Ivan van Zyl's dummy run at halfway through the scrum — Earl instead picks up the ball from No. 8 and attacks blindly at speed, creating a three-on-two. Alex Good takes the lead and the ensuing chaos in the back from Sale trying to take cover results in a penalty. It is also worth noting here that although Earl wore seven, the Saracens used him as No. 8 in the attacking fight instead of Jackson Ray.
Vunipola, who missed the final with a knee injury, has been England's number one breaker for ten years, generating offensive momentum from the hard yards he gathers from multiple carries. Earl may not be as much of a used battering ram as Wunipola, but this turn of pace can be just as effective in conquering the ground. In the Premier League last season, while averaging over 80 minutes, Earl completed less than Wunipol — 9.5 carries to 15.8 — yet earned more ground with an average of 46.8 meters to 44.1. He also went out of line more often and beat more defenders.
According to Opta, Earl's amplification lane dominance (67% to 43%), carry dominance (40% to 25%) and capture evasion (28% to 17%) were all higher than Vunipola. His tackle percentage was in the 90s and he averaged almost two jackal losses per game.
Ben Earl vs. Billy Vunipola stats (Premier League 2022/23)
There is one obvious caveat: Earl played just 29 minutes last season at No. 8 in the Premier League. He had 25 minutes off the bench at number 8 for England against Scotland back in the Six Nations, replacing Dombrandt when Earl made some carries but also lost his legs trying to win a pass to convert a penalty. Under Jones, Earl replaced Vunipola twice in eighth place and once Tom Curry (used at number 8). A hefty chunk of minutes in the #8 shirt against Wales this weekend and possibly also in Dublin next week, so makes sense as Vunipola is still working on his comeback.
Earl's long-term future doesn't have to be number eight — his ability to flit between the back of the scrum and the flanker is part of his appeal — but there are definitely athletic streaks in his game that can be compared to Ardie Savea's high work capacity. rate of fire and explosiveness. Saveya, originally sacked from the No. 8 position after moving after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, now holds the All Blacks position.
On Monday, Earl was candid about the lessons he's learned from being fired. from the 23rd round after the Six Nations game with Italy and the subsequent attention to his mental development. Last year, Earl often talked about his work with Calum Clark, head of the Saracen psych department.
“I was disappointed that I wouldn't be playing, but I still had a really good opportunity to help the team. Perhaps Ben Earl would not have had that prospect four years ago,” he said.
“I was with the team throughout the campaign, arriving on Thursday for training two days before the test, and learned quite a lot about myself — what is a good teammate and who I wanted to be.
“Just because you don't play, you're not necessarily a bad player. Maybe the player you are is not right for this weekend. Steve thinks a lot about the game, combinations and team setup. I realized that just because you don't play doesn't mean you're not in the top 3 in your position.»
Ben Earle's speed is central to his selection for the World Championship. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
Borthwick and England manager Richard Hill were impressed with how Earl took the feedback from the England coaches after he was kicked out and how he applied it to his game.
«I asked him to leave and work on a couple of things, and Richard Hill and I check every week as part of the debriefing process,” Borthwick said. «Ben tried so hard to apply these things to his game and to see these things in his game.»
Earl was by all accounts one of the standout players during England's recent training camp leading up to the final. selection for the world championship. That effort, combined with his positional flexibility, is why he was hired when Sam Underhill, Tom Pearson, Tom Willis and Dombrandt missed out.
When asked about his attitude when he showed up at England's first summer camp. Earl explained, “I wanted to show myself. Over the past two years I have had a journey up and down with England, in and out of the lineup. I'm probably a little more mature, versatile than a player.» Now he has a chance to prove it on the biggest stage.
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