Washing and walkies – what Underhill did next
Bath flanker has come back to earth with a bump after the World Cup but is not dwelling on the past, he tells Ben Coles
Any concern that Sam Underhill has not done enough to unwind since the World Cup final should be eased, after hearing that the one week he took off, before returning to action for Bath today in the Champions Cup against Ulster, was refreshingly mundane. “Laundry, food shops, cooking, all the stuff we didn’t get to do when we were away. Adjusting back to reality. Being reunited with the dog, a Ridgeback, Frankie – she is a bit of a pain because she gets me up at six every morning,” Underhill says.
England landed at Heathrow last Wednesday. Before the week was over, Underhill was back in at Bath’s Farleigh House training ground for meetings, of his own volition. “When you are back in, you do not have time to sit around and reflect and you cannot afford to. You are here for a reason, to play,” he says.
Underhill, 23, should get at least two more cracks at winning a World Cup. Yet he will do well to match the outstanding form he produced for England in Japan, putting a cursed run of injuries behind him as he cemented his reputation as one of the world’s premier openside flankers.
He already speaks with enough maturity to suggest that he could become an England captain. But for now, the prospect of making amends in the future has not done anything to suppress the pain of losing so badly to South Africa.
“Not at all. Four years prior to this, I would have had no idea that I would be involved. I sincerely doubt that I will be involved in four years’ time either. If I am, it will come as a surprise as well,” Underhill says, magnanimously.
“You see the amount of changes over four years, stylistically, in terms of personnel, fitness, form
– it is such a changeable game. It is not like planning for something long term. You can have a rough idea of where you want to go, but what will get you there is what you do now. That is what is most important. And being in an environment that you enjoy. It makes it sustainable. You have to be enjoying your rugby to be playing well. It is good to get back here [to Bath] and to see the positive changes.”
That final weekend in Yokohama might not have gone as planned but interest in the sport in England has been stoked nonetheless, which Underhill hopes will lead to a spike in participation. “I hope [reaching the final] encourages more people to play. It’s a social game. There is a performance element, but even if you are not a professional you can still enjoy it,” he says. “That is what most players do. Otherwise there would be no reason to be down the local thirds, or to be at the clubhouse on a wet Saturday. I hope that it has had a positive impact.”
As for the saga regarding England’s runners-up medals, those supporters who were triggered by the sight of them being removed will be relieved to know that Underhill has kept his, giving it to his parents. “They’ve got a display cabinet, I haven’t. The man-of-the-match award [won against Argentina in the pool stages] was pretty heavy, they’re made of, like, lead. I was over the suitcase weight allowance coming back,” he reveals.
“I have kept the medal, kept all the caps, it’s a physical reminder of something, I’m sure it’ll be nice to look back on when I’m not good any more.”
He returns to the Rec with Bath in an interesting place ahead of facing Ulster. They have enjoyed home wins over Exeter and Northampton, yet those results have been countered by dire away displays against Bristol and Wasps.
These are early days for Stuart Hooper’s coaching group – Neal Hatley was straight into action this week after leaving the England set-up to take over as Bath forwards coach – but Underhill has seen enough to feel optimistic about the future.
Hooper is similarly delighted to be able to add a flanker playing the best rugby of his career to his back row. “He played exceptionally well at the Rugby World Cup,” Hooper says. “Sam has come back really wanting to put on a Bath jersey, which is great news. From talking to him, he was energised by the World Cup, by the games, the culture of Japan, the detail of everything put in place around him in training. He has come back enthused rather than burnt out.”
There is surely a time limit on how long that enthusiasm can last. Underhill knows that. Playing for Bath now may act as a temporary release but the questions and doubts regarding what went wrong in Yokohama are coming. Yet there is also something to savour: that bond forged between England players, coaches and support staff over two months in Japan.
“It would be daft to ignore the possibility of [a comedown]. Emotionally it is a big experience and physically it is a big experience, so you have to be mindful of it,” Underhill says. “I had a week off and now I am doing what I need physically to prepare myself and mentally just making sure I am applying myself as much as I would at any other time.
“For us, the last few days in Japan were just spent with each other, enjoying the last time we would be together as a group. When you look back on games you don’t tend to remember the technical details or the rugby side of things too well. You remember the blokes you were playing with and the environment you were in.”