Rugby Six Nations
bmi supports the England Rugby team – we meet the players
WORDS | ROB MAUL
PHOTOGRAPHY | TIM WHITE
DANNY HIPKISS / JOE WORSLEY / DYLAN HARTLEY
RESTING ON THEIR LAURELS IS NOT AN OPTION FOR THE ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM. THE FANS DEMAND SUCCESS AND IT WON’T BE ANY DIFFERENT IN THIS YEAR’S SIX NATIONS.
Despite coming a close second for the last two tournaments – and finishing first and second in the last two World Cups – a recent run of poor form means they will have to improve their game for the upcoming Six Nations championship. In recognition of bmi’s ongoing relationship with the England rugby union team, Voyager meets three prominent players: two from Martin Johnson’s current squad and one seasoned vetertan.
Danny Hipkiss
Considering that Danny Hipkiss had to wait to prove himself at international level, it is hardly surprising that the Leicester Tigers centre has not wasted the opportunity. Remarkably, in October 2007, two months after his England debut, the 27-year-old displayed enough promise to play in the World Cup final and, although he has yet to figure in the Six Nations, he has matured sufficiently over the past two years to understand the significance of these championships.
“I used to watch all the Six Nations matches as a kid. It’s a tournament steeped in history,” says Hipkiss. “Expectations have risen since the World Cup and that’s a good thing. If we were disappointed about being runners-up, then it’s a decent standard to set. We want to maintain that this time. It’s a big deal to play for England and I’d be very disappointed to think that a Welshman, Irishman or Scotsman would want victory more than I would.”
Such a bloody-minded attitude was developed at Tigers, one of the toughest breeding grounds in English rugby. There he played with England coach Martin Johnson and Hipkiss is aware of the qualities his former teammate has brought to management.
“Everyone has respect for him. It’s difficult to say anything bad. Was he intimidating when I first met him? Absolutely. I was a cocky 19-year-old at the time and while I might have piped up to begin with, players like him would pull you back down.”
And he’s not going to let that determination slip now. With the 2011 World Cup firmly in his sights, he has little time for holidays, but this summer intends to spend his short break doing something memorable.
“Last year, I went on a road trip of America, in a white Chrysler soft top,” he says, “starting from LA, driving to San Francisco, through Death Valley and on to Las Vegas. I would love to do the east coast of America or South America in the future.”
Joe Worsley
It is fair to say that Joe Worsley is one of the great survivors of English rugby. It is more than a decade since his international debut and his work-rate and determination has seen him secure his position in the top 10 England appearances list with more than 70 caps. And, fitness and form permitting, the 32-year-old is aiming to join a small but distinguished group of players who have participated at four World Cup finals.
“I would love to go [to New Zealand in 2011],” he says. “But I don’t just want to get there – I want to feature heavily and do well in the competition, too. I think England are used to dealing with the pressure of a World Cup. There is an awful amount of pressure in the Guinness Premiership, week-in, week-out, and it’s something you learn to live with. It’s water off a duck’s back after a certain point.”
Having been involved in nine previous Six Nations campaigns, including the celebrated 2003 Grand Slam, the Wasps back-row forward is also in an advantageous position to explain why, despite two successive second-placed finishes, England have failed consistently to emulate past glories.
“It was so bad after 2003 that there was only one way to go – and that was up. It was badly run, badly managed, everything was falling apart. The agreement we have now with the clubs means that England have more access to us. They get us in better condition than they had before. Now we have got a much better idea and everything is moving forward.”
Dylan Hartley
Given that he grew up in New Zealand, the mecca for rugby union, and only arrived in England as a teenager on a gap year, it is no coincidence that Dylan Hartley is soaked in the game. Even at the age of 23, the Northampton Saints hooker appreciates the responsibilities of being in the public eye.
“You’ve just got to be squeaky clean, mate,” Hartley tells me at the Voyager photo shoot, in reference to last summer’s damaging headlines about the faking of injuries at Harlequins and drug-taking at Bath. “As long as you are playing and training, then you’re fine. The rugby will look after itself. Off the field, as long as you’re not being a complete idiot, it’s straightforward. As a sportsman, you know what’s right and what’s wrong. You can’t be doing drugs, you can’t be drinking, you can’t be seen to be doing the wrong things because you have a training schedule to stick to.”
Thanks to the tutelage of Saints coach Dorian West, and the added maturity that has come from being captain, Hartley impressed in two Test matches against Argentina, taking advantage of the fact Lee Mears was away on British & Irish Lions duty in South Africa.
Regular selection in the first team undoubtedly awaits this talented youngster and after five substitute appearances in the 2009 Six Nations, he is keen to win the title from Ireland, last year’s Grand Slam Champions.
“Because I grew up in New Zealand, I wasn’t too clued up on the Six Nations but it is a massive tournament,” he says. “At the start of last season the papers were writing us off. To come so close, to achieve second place, was quite rewarding. One bounce of the ball, here and there, and we could have finished top.”
Hartley adds: “I look around the room now and there are so many young players. A new wave of English talent. They probably outnumber the older boys. This is an exciting time.”
SIX NATION FIXTURES
6 Feb
Ireland v Italy Croke Park (Dublin)
6 Feb
England v Wales Twickenham (London)
7 Feb
Scotland v France Murrayfield (Edinburgh)
13 Feb
Wales v Scotland Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)
13 Feb
France v Ireland Stade de France (Paris)
14 Feb
Italy v England Stadio Flaminio (Rome)
26 Feb
Wales v France Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)
27 Feb
Italy v Scotland Stadio Flaminio (Rome)
27 Feb
England v Ireland Twickenham (London)
13 March
Ireland v Wales Croke Park (Dublin)
13 March
Scotland v England Murrayfield (Edinburgh)
14 March
France v Italy Stade de France (Paris)
20 March
Wales v Italy Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)
20 March
Ireland v Scotland Croke Park (Dublin)
20 March
France v England Stade de France (Paris)
