Ben Earl became known for his wild celebrations of sometimes the smallest advantages, but on the pitch he was brilliant. Photo: Getty Images/Clement Mahudo
Two games into the Rugby World Cup for England and Ben Earl has just produced an outstanding performance, finishing as England's best player in victories over Argentina and Japan. Those supporters who aren't fans of the way Earl celebrates every little victory may not want to hear it, but I don't care one bit about these Earl moments if they're earned. If you did something well, you deserve recognition.
You wouldn't criticize a tennis player for giving the crowd a fist pump every time he wins a point or high-fives his partner in doubles. If Earl continues to do what he is doing now for England and the team continues to win, then I don't care, he can be sick as long as he wants. This guy is great.
People may or may not like these moments of self-expression, but they benefit your teammates on the field, not the audience. I've been there when a teammate does something amazing and celebrates and the rest of the team gets support. We would be disappointed if our England team had no character or personality. Watch Joe Marler laugh off his header to set up a try against Japan. The fans love it.
If the players didn't have such passion for what they do, or if they didn't show their individuality, we would be annoyed by their lack of commitment to the shirt and desire to win. There's a touch of Saracens in there, with Jamie George and Maro Itoje also being celebrated and criticized in the past. But this lifts the spirits of every player and makes them want to follow his example. It is a motivator and can penetrate the minds of the opposition.
Coming back to Earl, he was somewhat in the wilderness under Eddie Jones, always coming off the bench. Steve Borthwick arrived and Earl took part but did not start before leaving the team again. He then makes his first start in the warm-up matches and never looks back. Many fans have been calling for him to feature regularly since he won Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season in 2022, so I'm delighted he's been given the chance to shine. And he is taking advantage of this chance.
Earl has become an important player under Steve Borthwick. Photo: AP/Daniel Cole
You can move him between number 8 and flanker on the open side with ease. As you saw against Japan, he just has a real engine. He doesn't know how to stop and seems to be constantly on top.
Statistically he always stands out, be it with Saracens or with England. You will find him at the top in terms of meters and tackles, beating defenders and making clean breaks, he is always on top and such a consistent athlete. He made a stunning breakthrough on the wing against Japan that looked as effective, if not more effective, than anything England's strikers have achieved so far during this World Cup.
Moving forward, I would wanted to see Earl start every game — to be honest, I'd have taken 15 Ben Earls — but England need to keep him fresh, so Borthwick may try to give Earl a break against Chile after a couple of successful performances with a focus on Samoa and the knockout. stages.
We've seen a good connection between Earl and Courtney Lawes and concerns, when Billy Vunipola was suspended after his red card against Ireland, about how England would deal with his absence at number eight were allayed by Earl's performances.
Before the tournament, Earl was considered an option at the end of the line, but I'm not sure people fully believed he could do a great job at that position if selected. He stepped up and changed that perception to the point where he could become your starting No. 8. Even if he was selected as a flanker, England have still strategically used him in the No. 8 role in attacking scrums to make the most of his pace. , before replacing him back to the set pieces in defense.
The next two games against Chile and Samoa will see the selection change significantly, but if you were picking England's current strongest defender, I'd start by moving Courtney Lawes . back to the second row to play Itoje. I'm not saying Ollie Chessum didn't perform, but Itoje and Laws together give you a spot in the back row to have Tom Curry and Earl as the two flankers with Lewis Ludlam, who played well off the bench against Argentina and started against Japan at No 8.
As much as I'd love to see Jack Willis in the game, then you'll probably need Vunipola off the bench. This way you get all your best hitters on the field. Earl, who went from underdog to indispensable starter, quickly became one of the first names on the team's roster.
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