‘My mother told me I always have to shave. I went to get the shaver and just slipped...’
‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT AS INJURY JINX FLOORS JONES SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL:
DYLAN Hartley returned to centre stage yesterday after being reappointed England captain for the Six Nations revealing his latest period in the wilderness had delivered a “reality check”.
Professional sportsmen at the peak of their powers rarely spare the future a second’s thought – they are the immortals – but Hartley’s sixweek ban has underlined to the 30-year-old just what he risked throwing away when he was sent off against Leinster.
When he leads his country out against France at Twickenham a week on Saturday, he will do so in the knowledge that he had been given his last chance on the disciplinary front.
The Northampton hooker has been sent off three times in his career and suspended for an astonishing total of 60 weeks since 2007.
“You reflect on things when things like that happen. This is a privileged position to be in, not just to be sat here as captain, but to be involved with the team,” said Hartley.
“I’ve jeopardised that, put the team and myself in a sticky situation and I’ve had a clear directive from Eddie and the staff of what they expect. I’ve got my head down and all I can do is repay that faith with how I play.
“It is sobering. You realise what is at stake. I appreciate just being here as I am no spring chicken. I know I haven’t hundreds of years left rugbywise and this environment is the best I have ever seen.
“I truly believe this team is going in the direction where it is going to do great things. To be in the camp and potentially play next week is a huge privilege. It was something over the last six weeks that wasn’t at the back of my mind but the forefront of my mind. It was my sole motivator.”
Hartley has satisfied Eddie Jones he will be ready to face France despite his long lay-off. After all, he has made such comebacks plenty of times before during his chequered career. “He has had 60 weeks off. He’s the world expert at it!” said Jones yesterday.
Ahead of a championship which could set new records for red and yellow cards with the crackdown on high tackles, reinstating a player who has just been banned for a swinging arm challenge to the head carries risks – particularly one with Hartley’s past. The battered Australian continues to believe that the bristling direction Hartley brings to England on and off the field outweighs his red-mist risk.
“We had an incident yesterday where a player missed something they should have been at and it was up to the senior players to discipline him. When you have a strong captain, you know that’s going to happen straight away. Dylan
is a strong captain and makes sure it happens,” he said. The accident-waiting-to-happen brigade were in full cry when Hartley flattened Sean O’Brien before Christmas in front of a visibly shocked Jones and they were not short on supporting evidence but the Northampton player has convinced him there will be no repeat in an England jersey.
“I’m aware people write stuff. As long as it is fact-based I have no grudge. As soon as it starts being opinion I might have but, hey ho, they have jobs and I have a job, which is to keep my tackles at an acceptable height and play within the laws. It is noise and I try not to read into it but I’m aware of what’s said.
“I’ve worked hard on my tackle technique with defence coach Paul Gustard and other staff. We always want to tackle low but there are times where you are the second man and that isn’t an option. For me it’s about bringing my arms tighter to my body and following through with shoulder and then the arm.
“There are a few technical things but we have to adapt as the sanctions for high tackles have changed and we need to look after player safety.
“It is something that I needed to clean up and I’ve given myself a good chance of not having that same issue again but it is an ongoing thing – it is something I have to keep working on.”
WORCESTER have named South African Gary Gold as director or rugby to lead their topflight relegation fight. He will work above head coach Carl Hogg and has Scotland prop Ryan Grant at his disposal after he joined from Glasgow.