Double life is working wonders for Morgan
BEN MORGAN is building for a successful future off the field, but he insists he still has plenty of business to attend to with Gloucester, and possibly England.
Like his form, Morgan’s phone has been red-hot since he set up his Dursleybased scaffolding company, and the 30-year-old says it’s no coincidence that the two facets of his working life are complementing each other so well.
Morgan, who helped Gloucester bring Quins’ five-match Premiership winning run to end last Sunday, told The Rugby
Paper: “The business is nearly two years old now and it’s going well. There’s some decent construction companies we’re starting to get a relationship with.
“It’s good to start thinking about life after rugby because you never know when it is going to end
“When I broke my leg in 2015, I was like ‘this could all just go’. My son was born in 2015 and I have to look after my family.
“I am enjoying it and by having an interest outside of rugby it’s been a big benefit allowing me to switch off and mentally focus on something different.”
Only Leicester’s Sione Kalamafoni has carried more ball than Morgan in the Premiership this season, but the former Scarlets No.8 has far more to his game than just trucking it up; his distribution skills and ability in the wide channels have been key in Gloucester’s ability to keep the ball alive in their bid for top-four.
“The environment we’ve got at Gloucester is a really positive one and everyone is working towards the same goals,” Morgan adds. “Couple that with the fact we’re winning more than we’re losing as opposed to some of the environments I’ve been in over the years at this time of year, it certainly puts a positive light on everything.”
Playing in Premiership play-offs or professional rugby, full stop, would have been a pipedream when Morgan was a young plumber/builder playing rugby at the likes of Dursley, Cinderford, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff Blues U20s.
But after losing his job during the recession, he was picked up by the Scarlets and, all of a sudden, he was being talked about as a future Wales international.
He chose the English path instead and has so far been rewarded with 31 caps. While the last of those came at the World Cup in 2015, Morgan was invited to train with England in the autumn and tipped for a recall in the midst of a No.8 injury crisis.
While not discounting his chances of pulling on the white jersey again, Morgan seems resigned to the fact that Billy Vunipola, Nathan Hughes, Sam Simmonds, when fit, and even blindside specialist Mark Wilson are ahead of him in the pecking order.
“I’m happy with what I am doing with Gloucester. If that leads to anything further, fantastic, but it won’t be the be-all and endall for me,” he reasoned.
“If I never play international rugby again, I’m certainly proud of what I’ve achieved. I’m not giving up on the hope that I can get back involved at some stage but I think Eddie (Jones) will have his squad pretty much nailed down.
“In fairness, the back rowers have been playing really well so he should take them (to Japan).”
As a late-starter to top level rugby – he joined Scarlets in his early 20s – Morgan is an example of never giving up on your dreams.
“I’ve seen a lot of people in and around academies who fell by the wayside,” he said. “I’m grateful for the way things happened for me, it’s certainly helped to mould me into the player I am today.
“At the time you think it’s the end of the world when you don’t make it into an academy, but I think the biggest lesson that I try and pass on is that you don’t know who is watching you and to never give up and, if you get an opportunity, you should take it.”
Ben Morgan was speaking at a ‘Train with your Heroes’ session at Hucclecote & Painswick U12s, regional winners of a nationwide competition organised by Gallagher