New guys keep me on my toes — Brown

MIKE BROWN says the introduction of young talent to the England squad has motivated him to prove he is still the best full-back in the country.

The Harlequins veteran arrived in a foggy Buenos Aires yesterday morning as one of only six England men on tour with caps in double figures.

Dylan Hartley, Chris Robshaw, Joe Launchbury, Danny Care and George Ford are the other senior tourists, alongside 18 uncapped players.

And while Brown, 31, has been showing the new boys the ropes, he is driven by their arrival in camp.

‘Those of us who have been around a while have been giving the new players little tips,’ said Brown. ‘ Things like saying, “I think you should have your notepad here”.

‘It is not just the experienced guys dragging them along, it is those who have not had a chance yet pushing us as well.

‘Everyone has put their best foot forward and to me that’s great — it motivates me. I think, “These youngsters are hungry, so I want to be even more hungry”.’

And Brown (above) revealed that the inexperienced squad had been submitted to a tough training regime before the tour.

‘The training has been massively intense,’ he added. ‘The first week in camp we had 5.15am starts. We also let the young guys know a few little home rules we have around the camp.

‘If we’re sitting talking to each other and getting to know each other, we don’t want people buried in their phones.’

England worked as a team at the airport to lug their mountains of kit away from the carousels, each player taking his own bags as well as medical supplies, analysis apparatus and training items on trollies.

England have five days to prepare for their first Test in San Juan on Saturday, so training will start in earnest today.