Ben Earl has spoken ahead of a must-win game for England. (Image: Getty.)
Ben Earl knows desperate have nothing to lose in Saturday’s Cardiff clash but insists can ride the punches and notch a fourth win this campaign. The Welsh have lost 16 on the spin and are out to deny England a shot at the title and send stand-in coach Matt Sherratt off with a bang.
Back row Earl was part of an England side that lost seven games on the spin against top tier opposition, until their win over France recently, and recognises the Welsh mood. Earl has only played at the Principality Stadium once, in front of empty stands during in 2021, but knows how Wales will play with their backs to the wall – he has been there.
The 27-year-old said: “You just come out swinging. It almost makes it simpler for us because the moment you are not right on it, international rugby has a pretty harsh way of telling you. They will be at their best. No team is going to lie down because of how their tournament has gone or what we’ve got on the line, no one is going to hand it to us.
“If that experience has taught me one thing it is this game owes you absolutely nothing against anyone. You sleepwalk into any sort of game or you expect a game to go a certain way it won’t.
“But we can win in arm-wrestle games, we feel like we can compete in high-scoring games. We almost don’t care how we do it. We talk about being aggressive, that doesn’t always mean you win 40-25, you can be aggressive and win 12-10.”
Ben Earl darting to the line against Italy. (Image: Getty)
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Earl, who will line up at No.8, is a career back rower but is the first cab off the rank to shift to the centre if England get midfield injuries during the game.
has been accused of taking a risk by naming just two backs, Jack van Poortvliet and George Ford, on the bench – neither of whom could play at 12.
French flanker Oscar Jegou did the trick in their win over Ireland and Earl reckons it is nothing to write home about.
He added: “The crossover is crazy between a centre and a back rower. Anyone who has played will know it is the same position – you just wear a different number and defend in a slightly different position off a scrum. That is basically the only slight technical difference. You just go and play rugby and see what happens.
“It is not something you overthink. It is just rugby at the end of the day, literally half the stuff I do is basically as a 12 anyway.”
England need a bonus point, and France to slip up against Scotland later on Saturday night but Earl is towing the party line of a win being the main priority,
“The moment we take our eye off the ball,” he said, “we get our pants pulled down. So, look after our own house first, win, play well, if we can win well even better.”