EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW
O
n a family
holiday to
Rhodes,
Danny Care
was lying on
a sun lounger
when the text
message
arrived from
Eddie Jones asking him to call as
soon as possible. He knew what
was coming.
Phone conversations with Jones
do not involve any exchange of
pleasantries or chats about the
weather. If the England head coach
rings, it is generally to impart bad
news. Despite being half tempted
to ignore the message, Care called
back. The conversation lasted less
than a minute and confirmed his
fears. He had been left out of the
World Cup training squad.
For the third consecutive
tournament, England’s second
most capped scrum-half faced the
prospect of having his nose
pressed up against the glass of the
sport’s showpiece event. His
burning ambition of winning a
World Cup, which had fuelled his
11-year international career, was
seemingly at an end.
“When you see the name, you
know what is going to happen,”
said Care, who will contribute
columns to The Telegraph during
the World Cup. “I am big enough
and it has happened to me enough
times that I can accept it. It doesn’t
mean it doesn’t hurt like it always
does when you are dropped.
Particularly for a World Cup. That’s
my last chance to play in one.
“It was not anger, just
disappointment that this had been
my aim for so long. Since I won my
first cap in 2008, the reason I was
there was to win a World Cup with
England. I never really had a
proper crack to help the team to do
that. In 2015, I sat in the stands and
didn’t touch a ball before we were
out. Since Eddie came in, he put a
clock up on the wall counting
down the weeks, days and hours
until the World Cup final. I felt I
was part of that mission and now I
am not there to finish it off.”
It is difficult to discern the logic
behind Jones’s scrum-half
selections. For three years, Care‘It stings that someone from another co
and Ben Youngs exclusively shared
the No 9 shirt. Then in World Cup
year, Care was jettisoned with Ben
Spencer and Willi Heinz, who
between them then possessed
three caps to Care’s 84, included
in the training squad.
Gloucester’s Heinz was
eventually chosen for the final
World Cup squad.
It would have hurt no
matter who was selected
instead of him, but Care is
honest enough to admit that
the pain is that much
sharper for it being Heinz,
who spent the first 29 years
of his life in Christchurch,
New Zealand, and qualifies for
England through his grandmother.
“I would be lying if I said itdidn’t sting a little bit more,” Care
said. “It took me by surprise that
they had gone for Willi. That’s not
his fault.
“I have got nothing against Willi.
He is a nice guy. I’ve met him a few
times, played against him a few
times. I never knew he had
aspirations to play for England. I
never knew he could play for
England. When he came into that
Barbarians week, he took me back
a bit because I didn’t know how
long he had been in the country or
that he had an English
grandmother.
“It was interesting to see him
there and then to get the call ahead
of you ... obviously it hurts. I think
with people from other countries, I
have probably never experienced itNNNNNNTERVIEWTERVVIEVIEWW
Highs and lows:
Danny Care has
enjoyed scoring
tries for England
(left) but has only
played one World
Cup match in his
84 games for the
national teamSport Rugby Union
, p
clock up on the wall counting
down the weeks, days and hours
until the World Cup final. I feltI
was part of that mission and now I
am not there to finish it off.”
It is difficult to discern the logic
behind Jones’s scrum-half
selections. For three years, Careand Ben Youngs ex
the No 9 shirt. The
year, Care wasjett
Spencer and Willi
between them th
three caps to C
in the training
Gloucester’sH
eventually ch
World Cup sq
It wouldh
matter who
instead ofh
honest eno
the pain is
sharper fo
who spent
ofhislifein‘Being dropped
hurts like it always
does. That is my
last chance to play
in a World Cup’
Danny Care has
had World Cup
blows before but
missing Japan is
painful, he tells
Daniel Schofield
10 *** Thursday 22 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph
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