Exclusive: Lewis Moody

Planet Rugby sat down with England captain Lewis Moody to chat about life in Bath, breaking records and World Cup preparations.

Planet Rugby sat down with England captain Lewis Moody to chat about life in Bath, breaking records and World Cup preparations.

In a professional career spanning almost 15 years – including England's victorious 2003 World Cup campaign – Moody has had his fair share of ups and downs.

2010/11 serves as a perfect illustration as an historic win over Australia in Sydney in June was followed by a knee ligament injury in mid-January that prevented him from appearing in the Six Nations Championship and a bruised eye socket that hampered his first season at Bath.

A productive off-season and a change of environment have, however, left the 33-year-old raring to go as a new season and the World Cup loom large on the horizon.

“I'm feeling strong. Pre-season training has been tough, as it always is, but I'm happy to report that all the niggles and frustrations of last season are in the distant past,” Moody told Planet Rugby in an exclusive interview.

“I had fourteen fantastic seasons at Leicester but you do get stale when you've been in one environment for a very long time and a move to Bath offered me challenge as an individual.

“On the home front the move couldn't have gone any better. My wife is very happy and the kids love it. Leicester was my home for twenty-odd years but Bath has been very welcoming and we couldn't ask for a better place in England to live. We've settled right in, which makes my life on the field an lot easier knowing that my family are happy off it.

“Ian McGeechan has taken on a full-time role now and he has been very influential. The changes we've made looking forward to where we want to go as a club are very exciting.

“We've got the playing personal and staff to start challenging for a top four spot and silverware. Geech has made sure everyone understands that the only way of getting there is by hard work.

“The club has signed well over the summer and I'm sure someone like Francois Louw will fit in well.”

England's next Test (against Wales at Twickenham on August 6) should see Moody break former mentor Neil Back's record of 66 caps as a flanker, a feat he concedes would be great honour.

“Backy was such a phenomenal player it surprised me that he didn't have more caps – I think it's because he wasn't picked for England until he was 27 or 28,” said Moody.

“I've got huge respect for Backy as a player because he helped me a lot when I was coming through the ranks at Leicester – so it certainly would be an honour to surpass his tally. But it takes nothing away from anything he did as a player. In my eyes, he's the best openside flanker England have ever had.”

In a game where commitment is everything, Moody has stood out for his no-fear approach, earning the nickname of 'Mad Dog' in the press. And after ten years on the international scene, he still has the hunger to keep charging.

“I think that's just something that is built within you. If you don't have that motivation you'll disappear very quickly,” he explained.

“I've just always loved playing for England, ever since my first cap, I've never wanted to let the opportunity fade away.

“I've always been an advocate of the 'train the way the play' philosophy – that's how I was brought up at Leicester. It's probably cost me a few games in terms of injuries but it's always stood me in good stead. It's about a natural desire to do your best for your club and country. There's no higher honour than running out with your mates in that England jersey.”

Moody recently launched an iPhone App that will give fans an insight into his training and nutrition regimes.

“The content in based around training and fitness. I thought it would be interesting for people to see what we do as rugby players and then try it out themselves in the gym or on the pitch with their teams,” he explained.

As for England's World Cup preparations, Moody felt that too much had been made of the potential for southern hemisphere sides being 'overcooked' or the northern hemisphere teams to be short of momentum ahead of the global showpiece.

“Everyone prepares differently,” he said.

“There is no definite answer. Whether it's playing more games to get cohesion or less game to have fresher legs – there are pros and cons to any way you prepare. From a player's perspective, you always want to give it 100 per cent every time you take the field.”

Members of the Springboks' 2007 winning side have spoken of the importance of being able to take time off during the World Cup campaign to spend time with family and Moody admits that England will adopt a similar approach.

“Jonno and Graham (Rowntree) and most of the management team have not been long retired and are well aware of how important family and friends can be, so if loved ones can make it to New Zealand, then players will be able to meet up with them…at some stage anyway,” he said.

Part of England's preparation will also involve studying the styles of each of the referees as being on the correct side of the interpretations of the laws around rucks have become vital to success.

“At the end of the day each referee has his own personality so the nature of things means you have to take it each referee at a time and do your homework,” he said.

“I think in the past there have been a discrepancies between refs from different hemispheres but over the last year or two we've had a good deal of southern hemisphere refs here for the Autumn internationals and the Six Nations, so we've had a good understanding of both sides of that now.”

England will prepare for the World Cup with Tests against Wales on August 6 and 13 and Ireland on August 27 before kicking off their campaign against Argentina on September 10.

The Lewis Moody Rugby App now available at the itunes store, priced £3.99. www.lewismoody.co.uk