"Learned in harshest way possible" – Ben Earl: Back row believes England have collected 'battle scars' this Autumn Series
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It was certainly a rough ride for England in the latest Autumn Nations Series, with Steve Borthwick’s side managing just one win in their four Test matches at the Allianz Stadium. Whilst England were delighted to end their run of consecutive defeats with a win over Japan this past Sunday, back row Ben Earl believes that his side have collected their fair share of ‘battle scars’ after an exhaustive Autumn.
England succumbed to two last-ditch defeats against New Zealand and Australia, with the win denied in the final play of the game against both of their Oceanic opponents. The loss to South Africa was a less dramatic nine-point defeat, as England left it all on the line against the best Test rugby team in the world. Earl addressed how England have certainly grown throughout this past month, with the Saracen impressed by how his side got themselves psyched back up to fight another day, after three consecutive defeats against their Southern Hemisphere counterparts.
"Results aside, I think there is no denying this group has grown.” Earl said, after the win against Japan at the Allianz Stadium. “The maturity that we have collected in terms of battle scars… I, for one, felt I have grown massively as an individual in the last four weeks in terms of backing up game-on-game, getting yourself emotionally right and physically right.
“I've always felt coming into the game fully confident in the group that we will get the result. Credit has to go to Steve and the environment that the leadership group and coaches build. As a team, we are feeling really confident in terms of January and February in terms of the big tournament we have to play in."
It was an Autumn of the fine margins for England, and had the final whistles been blown at the 70th minute marks, Steve Borthwick’s side would have achieved three wins from four and a respectful record from the November series. However, round one saw a late All Blacks try scored, which forced England’s hand for a final roll of dice. Fly half George Ford skewed two late attempts at the sticks, with a penalty and a drop goal sent agonizingly off-target.
England lock then Maro Itoje wrestled his way across the try-line for a 79th minute score against the Wallabies, that looked to have sealed a dramatic win at the end of round two. However, the Saracen was unable to gather the following re-start, with the Australians were able to ship the ball wide for Max Jorgensen’s try in the corner. Earl’s face told the whole story after the young Waratah crossed the whitewash, and Joe Schmidt’s side snatched an unforgettable win for the visiting Wallabies.
“On another day, we might have made a scramble tackle, kicked a goal, caught a kick off. All these things. But we haven't, and we've lost. I think we as a group have learnt that the moment that you think is regulation is of the most paramount importance at that moment.
“I thought I knew that, but you think you know it until you suffer it – and then you really know it. I now know that as a fact. I think we all know that as a fact. In terms of where we are as a group, we've probably learned three campaigns worth of lessons in four weeks. That can only be a good thing."
England head coach Steve Borthwick has hammered home the want for his players to ‘play bravely’ on the Test match stage, with Earl amongst the on-field leaders that relay this message in the 80-minute affray. However, the 26-year-old expressed how his side sometimes struggles to don their emotional armour, with the past four weeks of Test matches highlighting the areas of improvement ahead of next year.
"We've always felt that. It's just sometimes we haven't been able to do it (play bravely). We've either felt it or not truly believed it, or tried to do it and got stung. Whatever that is, there are a load of different things that go into it. I can't credit the coaches enough in terms of making us feel like we are fully backed in whatever decision we make as a team. At the end of the day, it is our team, we are the ones on the pitch that have got to do the job. Like I said, we've probably had three campaigns worth of lessons in four weeks and we'll be better for it."
"We talk about World Cup cycles. That is the end of year one. If someone had said we are where we are at the end of year one in terms of maturity and lessons learned, we have probably far exceeded that. Now is the time to deliver results. And obviously performances. The performances have been good but now we are feeling the pain.
“Results matter. If we beat New Zealand and Australia, they are probably two of the great England performances. Instead, the powers that be spin it on its head in a different way. We've probably learned that in the harshest way possible in the last couple of weeks. We know that it is time to start delivering some results and we feel confident enough to do that."
The England squad have since dispersed across the Premiership, with the top flight of English rugby set to return this weekend for the seventh round of the season. The pool stages of the Premiership Rugby Cup kept the non-international players at the very best, ahead of the domestic league season to resume this weekend. There are only eight weeks to go before England band back together for their 2025 Six Nations training camp, with Borthwick’s side set to jet out to Girona ahead of their opening Test on Februrary 1st.
Earl was asked whether it is a difficult challenge to differ between the club and country mindsets, with such a relatively short turnaround before he’ll be back in camp and wearing the red rose.
"I don't think you ever park it in terms of the mentality of you are an international rugby player. You are a player that has to hold himself to a standard higher than that of a standard club player. Whether that sounds punchy or not, that is what Steve requests and we request as a group. We want to ooze class. If someone came and had never seen a game of rugby before, you want to be the ones standing out. That's the standard we have to set ourselves so that when we come into camp in January we are full for beans and full of form."
What Earl must find useful, is how there is more often than not an abundance of his Saracens teammates joining him in the England camp. The likes of Maro Itoje, Nick Isiekwe, Elliot Daly and Theo Dan all made the trip across London to England’s Surrey-based training camp this month. Leading the group was his skipper Jamie George, and Earl is continuously impressed by how his Sarries teammate handles the responsibilities of leading the England team.
"He's a young captain, but think of the captains he has played under. They are some of the great leaders of our game. For him to be mature and measured enough to fruit pick the strengths of all those leaders, you see a lot of that in his leadership style. It has been as testing a time for him as a player and a leader as he's ever had, and I can't speak more highly of the way he's carried himself. I'm pleased for him."
The next fixture on England’s upcoming calendar is another tough one, as they start of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations with an away trip to Ireland. In what is arguably the hardest fixture of the lot to get their campaign underway, Earl believes such a challenge optimizes the calibre of the competition, with no easy wins guaranteed in ‘Rugby Greatest Championship’.
"The Six Nations is the hardest tournament in the world. There will be a few seeds planted over the next couple of weeks in terms of what we need to do and where we need to be. At the end of the day, we are going to enjoy this win, because goodness knows we have wanted to enjoy a win for a few weeks. This is where we are. We know that we will be in great shape and have great confidence going into that game at the Aviva. We can't wait."
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