Ben’s back, ready willing and able!
Injury-hit Ben Curry tells Ben Jaycock he can finally dream of a longterm England future
Having dipped his toe into international waters, Ben Curry is hopeful for a place in England’s summer tour of Australia – but he insists he’s not overthinking Eddie Jones’ decision.
Indeed, if circumstances had played out differently then it might have been Ben, rather than his twin brother Tom, who won no fewer than 35 England caps, three British and Irish Lions Test appearances and deemed as one of the best back rowers in the world.
In 2017, Ben was picked on the bench for an England XV to face the Barbarians before the tour of Argentina, only for a back injury to lead to his withdrawal and for Tom, his younger brother by 90 minutes, to take his place.
Since then, Ben has endured a nightmare with injuries and believes he’s failed to get going because of niggles and concussions, with the openside flanker making just 15 starts in all competitions this season for Sale Sharks.
“It’s been disappointing this year in terms of I’ve had four different injuries,” he said. “I got concussed in the first game of the year which put me out for a while and I then had a couple of three/four-week injuries, so I’ve found it hard to get momentum this year and keep it.
“I’ve learnt a lot about myself in terms of what drives me, but it has been very challenging a lot of the year. It’s been the first year I’ve had to do a lot more outside of rugby to just play rugby.”
Despite his injury problems, Curry enjoyed his rugby towards the end of Sale’s season and is thriving – both mentally and physically.
“Sale is massive for me and right now I couldn't see myself leaving,” he added. “I enjoy it a lot, it’s more than just playing rugby, it’s more about the deep connections with the club and I love the area.
“I’m in my own lane, I do my own thing. When I first started, I definitely did feel the pressure of being compared to my brother but now I’m in a really good place with my rugby at the moment and I’m happy to be playing.”
Ben made his long-awaited England debut last July at Twickenham against USA in a 43-29 win in front of a capped crowd of 10,000. But he is desperate to live out his childhood dream of playing in front of a packed-out HQ.
“Last summer was nice but it was just a taster,” Ben continued.” I was ready for more and it makes you want more because I’ve been there before with the Argentina tour, where you dip a toe in, but you could imagine it even better with 82,000 people.
“It’s been my dream ever since I was four years old to that, however there’s a fine balance between wanting it and not pulling your hair out. I find it very easy to get intense with things and get obsessed, so for me it’s about staying relaxed as possible about it all and keeping myself occupied with other stuff.”
Jones has a plethora of back row talent at his disposal for the forthcoming summer tour, but Ben is instead focusing on his own game and isn’t worrying about whether he’ll secure a place on the plane.
He concluded: “It’s unbelievable the competition in the back row, probably more than ever. It’s great if your coach selects you, however if you’re a player you've got to stick to your guns and stick to what you're good at and get the best out of yourself.
“At the end of the day, selection is someone else's opinion and I’ve been there when you're pulling your hair out but there's no real benefit to that from experience. I’d love to go, I'm not sure Eddie's my biggest fan so it's one of those ones where if it happens it happens and if it doesn’t, I’ve got a really nice holiday booked.
“For me it’s about really enjoying rugby and getting the best out of every session, and that’s when I’m at my best.”