Law changes will help players take more risks says Exiles star
Tom Parton is part of a London Irish back three who last season provided some of the best moments in both the Gallagher Premiership and the European Challenge Cup, prepared to run from anywhere and having the pace and skill to pull it off.
So the Lions series in South Africa this summer, which saw six tries scored in three Tests with the tourists’ two coming from rolling mauls following a lineout, must have been a turn-off for a player who sees reward in risk and revels in open spaces.
“There were parts of the series which I found really interesting,” said the 23-year old full-back who trained with the England squad in the summer ahead of the matches against the United States and Canada. “It was about how a team can put pressure on the opposition at the highest level under the most intense of scrutiny.
“Players have to instantly react to the pictures they are facing. I am someone who likes to run with the ball and having that sort of threat would have been cool, but the way the games evolved meant that was not quite able to happen. South Africa are a high pressure blitz team and Willie le Roux pushes up from full-back: the danger is throwing a costly interception pass and you could understand why the
Lions resorted to a kicking game, although it was good to see Finn Russell come on in the final Test and start moving the ball. Credit should be given to South Africa because they know how they want to play and what they have to do to win.”
Irish were the opposite of the Lions last season, sometimes overdoing the running game and throwing away big leads and winning positions. It ultimately cost them as a campaign which saw them at one point jostle for a place in the top four fell away and they narrowly failed to qualify for the Heineken European Champions Cup.
“It is all about having a balance in your game,” said Parton, who was the England U20s full-back in the 2017 World Cup final against New Zealand in Tbilisi. “There were times last season when we got it wrong and tried to run too often. We are all about having a crack and seeing what happens, but there are times when you have to kick.
“Declan Kidney (London Irish’s director of rugby) has said that it is all about presenting the best version of ourselves and that means being consistent rather than playing in patches as we did last season. We have to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that we nullify opponents when they have a good period.”
The lack of ambition that characterised the Lions series was in marked contrast to the Premiership last season which concluded with Harlequins, spearheaded by their half-backs Danny Care and Marcus Smith, running their way to a Premiership title that had seemed fanciful when they let go their head of rugby Paul Gustard at the start of the year.
“There are a number of clubs whose brand is running rugby,” said Parton. “I have played with Marcus in the U20s and seen how he goes about preparing himself. He plays with a smile on his face and that is what you want as a rugby player because it is a stressful job. Players should not be scared of trying things and with crowds now back, they will want to see adventurous, running rugby.”
At 23, Parton’s best years are ahead of him. He was called up by
the England head coach Eddie Jones, left, after impressing in London Irish’s back three with Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Loader, three players who came through the club’s system together.
“We know each other inside out,”
he said. “Rugby is about connections and I think a factor last season was that we had a number of new players but the Covid restrictions meant that we were not allowed to socialise together. You trained together and that was it, no going out for a beer. It has changed and there is now such a real sense of belonging that in my six years at the club, I cannot remember a group getting on so well together. We have not had a massive turnover in the close season and we are definitely heading in the right direction.”
Parton’s time with England left him wanting more and he left with advice from Jones about what he needed to do to put himself in contention as the midway point between World Cups beckons, a time when coaches traditionally scrutinise their undercard.
“I learned a huge amount with England,” said Parton. “It was intense but enjoyable. Eddie gave me a clear idea of what he wants to see more of me doing. He really liked my running game but wanted me to float in as first receiver more.
“It is something the likes of Willie le Roux, Beauden Barrett and Alex Goode are very good at, popping up at first receiver and not minding that there are big blokes coming off the line to get you. It will help my game because I played at outside-half through the England age groups and it was good that Eddie called me out on it.
“Marcus plays with a smile on his face and that is what you want”
The law changes which have been designed to make the game safer for players have definitely helped when it comes to taking risks because tacklers have to go lower and that offers more opportunities to offload.
“Most teams want to buy time for their defence to get set and if you get more one-on-one confrontations, it gives you the chance to get your feet working and offload, something that is a strength of mine. I think players welcome the law changes that have come into force this month and as we come out of Covid and there is no limit on crowd numbers, it is all about putting smiles on faces.” England supporters were not smiling after a Six Nations campaign in which their team finished fifth or the Autumn Nations Cup a few months earlier which, while delivering a trophy, was largely an exercise in chasing kicks, but Parton said he expected next season to be different. “Eddie wants to score tries as quickly as possible,” he said, “whether that is through running, kicking or passing. He thinks about the game more than anyone I have come across and I was impressed by the detail he brought to training sessions and matches. I am really excited about what England will do in the autumn and beyond. I am sure it will be a good brand of rugby, but at that level it is all about winning – and Eddie is a winner.”
The start of the new season is less than a month away and Irish, as they did last season, travel to Worcester for their opening match. They were the only team defeated by the Warriors in a campaign that saw the Midlands side finish bottom of the table and the game offered a preview of what was to come for the Exiles.
“We let them off the hook,” said Parton. “There were a number of matches we lost in the final minutes and we have to learn from that: we have already spoken about what happened that day and making sure there is no repeat. Worcester have brought in a number of new players and have built a really good squad.
“We know it will be a big challenge because they will want to make a statement after last season.
It will be nice to have fans back in numbers and we want to get them out of their seats and cheering by playing ambitious rugby. We have already started to practice making repeat calls in training to allow for what will be a significant increase in noise levels.
“It has been good to have a proper pre-season. Last year, there were only a few weeks between the seasons and that gave you little chance to get your body right. Having the time you need makes a big difference and with a month to go we have already been put through our paces.”
Parton has been with Irish since he was 14 and made his first team debut in 2017-18. The club has produced a number of academy players who have gone on to be capped by England, most after they have joined other clubs, but the full-back signed a contract extension earlier this year and has no intention of moving.
“I am one of the longest serving players here and have an emotional attachment to the club,” he said. “I am really excited about what the future holds and I want to be a part of it. Moving back to London (at Brentford Community Stadium) will only make us stronger and I think a factor in us being so up and down in seasons past was that we did not have a real sense of belonging.
“Now we are back in London again and there is a real sense of what we can achieve. Our form dipped at the end of last season, we are good enough to finish in the top six. I am part of a back three that appreciates we have a responsibility to prepare for the future and I know we will not lack opportunities. It is all about picking our moments, performing and showing the consistency that you need to make an impact in this most competitive of leagues.”
“Eddie gave me a clear idea of what he wants to see more of me doing”