I TURN INTO A BEAST WHEN I TAKE MY GLASSES OFF!
England rookie Ted Hill on his Clark Kent act
WHEN England’s newest cap enters a dressing room, a transformation occurs. The unassuming, polite and baby- faced Edward Hill turns into a back- row beast called SuperTed!
‘It’s usually when the glasses go off!’ laughs the 19- year- old Worcester flanker before turning bright red as team-mates wolfwhistle him while he poses for photographs.
‘Like a Clark Kent sort of thing. I’ve always had them. I don’t wear contact lenses in the game though, they’re more for reading. I get headaches if I don’t wear glasses off the field, but when I’m on the pitch it’s all one big headache anyway!
‘I’m not really an aggressive person, but you’ve got to be. In those dark times when everyone is knackered and pushing for that last effort you have to bring out the aggressive side. Off the field I try to be chilled, but on it you’re there to do a job.’
As the 6ft 5in, 17st 4lb Warrior was born in 1999, he is slightly perplexed by his new nickname. ‘I had no idea what SuperTed was,’ says Hill — understandable as the television cartoon series finished 13 years before he was born. ‘My parents got me up to date, brought the VHS out!
‘I was a bit like, “Have they made this up?” ’
Hill’s new nickname — first given to him on local radio, and used by Sportsmail to salute his two-try Premiership debut in September against Leicester — suits his heroic start to the season.
After only eight professional games, in which he has scored five tries, Hill played for England against Japan earlier this month.
And when the flanker reflects on the ridiculous speed of that call-up, his youthful ebullience comes to the fore.
‘I was completely shocked,’ Hill says. ‘I was expecting to play five minutes in the Premiership, then 20, a half, a start, but I was in. It was amazing to even be considered.’
Hill’s academy manager at Worcester, Chim Gale, may have been surprised too, but knew he had found a star five years ago watching the then 13-year- old Worcestershire county player.
‘The first thing that always stood out about Ted was his physical size,’ says Gale, who brought Hill to the Warriors. ‘He was imposing as an Under 14 among his peers. Everyone comes in with some sort of gift, but his work ethic has seen him progress. I don’t see that slowing down. ‘Donncha O’Callaghan, of the British Lions and Ireland, took him under his wing, which gave Ted a huge amount of confidence, and taught him the dark arts.’ Now, when he’s walking his chocolate brown Labrador with his girlfriend, it helps take Hill’s mind off his whirlwind progress. But the fact there is a senior England cap sitting on the mantelpiece next to his Under 18 and Under 20 ones is a reminder of his deeds. ‘Maybe the Test one needs to be a bit higher,’ Hill smiles.
‘Going into England camp was weird. Ben Youngs was one of the first who welcomed me. Danny Care’s a nice guy too. There’s obviously a little bit of mickeytaking but they couldn’t have been more helpful.’
Five minutes off the bench, replacing Charlie Ewels against Japan, brought Hill the first of many England caps. He still cannot quite believe it happened.
‘When I was told I was coming on I was relaxed. When you look at the crowd it almost looks animated — you don’t look at it as 82,000 individual people. But standing for the national anthem, you can hear them. It is crazy, an amazing experience.
‘It is strange, looking at the programmes now, seeing the England flag next to your name. It doesn’t seem real.’
Hill symbolises little- old Worcester in the Premiership. Tipped to be relegated, the Warriors face Gloucester today knowing a win could push them up to fifth place.
‘Gloucester have physicality and Danny Cipriani can chuck the ball around nicely but we want to go there to shock the system again,’ he says.