22 May 2009 www.RUGBY TIMES.com 3
Foden in love with full-back
role
EXCLUSIVE by NEALE HARVEY
B
EN FODEN (right) has finally
admitted what his old boss
Philippe Saint-Andre knew all
along – he is a full-back first and a
scrum-half second.
Former Sale director of rugby Saint-
Andre once famously declared that ‘I
will eat my beret if Ben Foden isn’t a
full-back’, but it was not enough to stop
the 23-year-old quitting Edgeley Park
last summer to try and make his name
as a scrum-half at Northampton.
A year on, though, Foden has seen
the light – and he has praised
Northampton’s coaching staff for
allowing him to make up his own mind.
Foden told Rugby Times: “One of
the main reasons for moving to
Northampton was I needed to be
refreshed. I’d been at Sale five years and
was becoming a frustrated player who
hadn’t quite found where he was going.
“I had a lot of people telling me to
go in one direction and others telling
me to go in another, so I was always
unsure about whether to play nine or
15.
“Northampton let me make the
decision myself. They said they’d give
me a chance at nine and then every now
and again I could play 15 so we could
see how things worked out.
“I played pretty well in the nine
shirt early on, but the problem was that
Dicko (Lee Dickson) was also doing
I just didn’t want to be forced into it. in a televised match against Leicester in up there and in the top four.” you have these grounds like Edgeley
pretty well so it was going to be a few
That’s the main thing, I made the January went a long way towards Regardless of the positional debate, Park where you only venture on the day
games for him and then a few for me.
decision myself.” earning him a place in the England there is little doubt that Foden cuts a far before you play.
“As a player, I wasn’t particularly
As an exercise in man-management, squad and Foden has rarely looked happier figure now than he did at Sale “But if I want to do a passing or
happy with that as I want to be playing
Northampton’s treatment of Foden has back since. towards the end of last season. kicking session at Northampton, I can
as often as possible, so they asked if I
been exemplary. “Those were the weeks when I was The fact of the matter is Sale were just jump on the first-team pitch. You
wanted a run at full-back.
Despite the player’s obvious starting to run out at full-back more and giving him just as much game time at simply couldn’t get any better.”
“I started learning and progressing
stubborn streak, Mallinder and Co have more and starting to put more 80- full-back as Northampton are now, the Whether Foden’s fine form is
in the position and Jim (Mallinder),
managed to extract a season of such minute performances in,” says Foden. difference is the environment he is in. enough to earn him a starting jersey
Grayse (Paul Grayson) and Dorian
high quality out of Foden that last week “It was a great game to win, beating Foden explained: “No disrespect to against Argentina this summer remains
(West) were very supportive.
he was named as the PRA’s Players’ Leicester at home in front of a packed Sale, which is a great club and I really to be seen.
“I needed to fall in love with the
Young Player of the Year. out stadium. We needed to show that enjoyed my time there, but the facilities Delon Armitage made the full-back
position myself. I’d had this thing in my
After scrapping with Dickson for we could compete against those sides at Northampton are second to none. position his own this season, but
head about playing nine but now I’ve
the No.9 jersey during the first half of and I remember that game well because “There is no place I would rather opportunities may arise if the London
been able to take my time and look at it
Northampton’s campaign, Foden in the first 20 minutes we blew them call my home ground than Franklin’s Irish man is switched to outside centre.
from an outside view, I realise I’ve been
switched to full-back in the new year away. Gardens. The changing rooms are Foden added: “I’m in the mix and
playing really well at 15.
and promptly produced a string of “We scored a couple of tries and if absolutely outstanding and the great hopefully I’ll get a chance. Delon’s
“I never didn’t enjoy playing there,
stunning performances. we can find that sort of performance thing is we train there every day. playing well, though, so we’ll just have
A particularly memorable display week in, week out next season, we’ll be “It really is a home ground, whereas to wait and see.”
ENGLAND SUMMER TOUR SQUAD
THOMMO BACKED TO SHINE
FORWARDS: Steffon Armitage (London Irish),
Steve Borthwick (Saracens, capt), George
Chuter(Leicester Tigers), Jordan Crane
(Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers),
by JON NEWCOMBE
been much better,” Ellis told Rugby Johnson has been keeping tabs on
Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Nick Easter
Times. Thompson’s progress for Brive in the
(Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton
“He has now got himself in really
French Top 14 via video rather than in
Saints), James Haskell (London Wasps), Ben
B
RIVE coach Dave Ellis says
Kay (Leicester Tigers), Nick Kennedy (London
that Steve Thompson (left) is
good shape after what was a long, hard
person - but he likes what he has seen.
Irish), Lewis Moody (Leicester Tigers), Tim
in “great shape” and back to
process for him.
Johnson said: “Steve Thompson has
Payne (London Wasps), Tom Rees (London
Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Steve
his old self ahead of this summer’s
“He had put a lot of weight on
been playing very well and he looks in
Thompson (CA Brive), Julian White (Leicester
Tests against Argentina.
(around 25kgs) when he was not
tremendous nick and is really
Tigers), David Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), Nick
Wood (Gloucester)
Thompson, 30, won the last of his 47
playing and then lost a lot very quickly,
enthusiastic to be involved.
caps off the bench against Ireland in the
he looked quite ill.
“He has been around a long time
BACKS: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Danny
2006 Six Nations before a neck injury
“But he has built himself back up to
and is still relatively young in
international front-row terms. I hope he
Care (Harlequins), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks),
forced him into retirement.
the level he was at when with England,
has got a lot more to offer.”
Ben Foden(Northampton Saints), Andy Goode
(CA Brive), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Dan
But 11 months after surgery and the
and slowly but surely he has regained
England play the Barbarians at
Hipkiss (Leicester Tigers), Paul Hodgson
second opinion of medical experts in
his confidence.
Twickenham on May 30 before two (London Irish), Tom May (Newcastle Falcons),
France and England he was back
“I always thought of him as an
Tests against Argentina, at Old Trafford
Olly Morgan (Gloucester), Jamie Noon
playing again.
obnoxious player when on the other
on June 6 and a week later in Salta.
(Newcastle Falcons), David Strettle (Harlequins),
Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks), Sam Vesty(Leicester
He made a remarkable return to
side and he has got that aggression back
Thompson is one of five players
Tigers), Richard Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks)
action as a second-half replacement for
in his game.”
named in the 34-man squad who will be
Brive at Connacht on November 9 2007,
Ellis’ ringing endorsement has been playing their domestic rugby in France to join Andy Goode at Brive.
and has since gone on to feature in
backed up by England team manager next season. In addition to those five, Riki Flutey
nearly 50 games for the French club.
Martin Johnson who captained the The versatile and uncapped has also signed for Brive while Tom
“Steve has had a major effect on the hooker in the 2003 Rugby World Cup -
Newcastle back Tom May is heading for Palmer is off to Stade Francais and
way we’ve been playing, which has the year that Thompson played in 16
Toulon and James Haskell is bound for Jonny Wilkinson this week completed a
consecutive Tests.
Stade Francais while Jamie Noon is set move to Toulon.
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