Henry Arundell reveals Johann van Graan influence and why England wing ‘looks up to’ Cheslin Kolbe
Henry Arundell in action for England against Wales.
Henry Arundell stood in the Allianz Stadium mixed zone, a hat-trick secured inside 35 minutes, trying to explain why he wasn’t particularly interested in talking about confidence.
“You don’t really want to be a confidence player,” he said. “There’s a risk that you can fluctuate too much emotionally.”
Johann van Graan’s influence at Bath has clearly seeped deep within the flying wing, who impressed against Wales as England ran out comfortable 48-7 Six Nations winners on Saturday.
“Something Johann van Graan is very good at speaking about at Bath is to be never too high, never too low. It may sound a bit cliché sometimes, but I think you need that in professional sport because you know you can have a great week today and then next week you can have the worst game of your life,” he said.
Different stories
The three tries told different stories. The first, Arundell told us, came from work done in training, conversations with George Ford about exploiting space at pace.
“Fordy and I had spoken about it in the week. How quickly can I get the ball from him when there’s space. When you’ve got a world class 10 it helps having that,” he explained.
The second required something more subtle.
“Likewise, the cross-field kick, it’s not making too big a thing about it in the moment. I kind of want to keep it quite subtle because otherwise the defence are going to see you’re going to do it. It’s just eye contact with your 10, that connection and it comes down to a great kick, something George is probably the best in the world at doing.”
The third needed teamwork and communication, Arundell explains: “Dingers picked the ball up and I’m glad he heard me, because I wasn’t sure if he was going to get there on his own, and in fairness he said he was glad I was on his shoulder. It was nice to finish that one.
But the conversation the England wing seemed more interested in having was not about himself but more over about everything else the team did around him. The kick chase, the aerial battle, the defensive work under high balls that are so critical in the modern game.
“All wingers want the ball,” he stressed. “It would be a bit strange if you didn’t, because there’s always a bit of ego about wanting to score tries. I’ve definitely learned and grown a bit more in the sense of appreciating the other sides of the game. I’m trying to develop my focus, the importance of the kick chase and the kick battle and how that can influence the team.”
He confesses that Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe is a player he studies as he strives to improve.
“Someone I look up to is Cheslin Kolbe,” said the England star. “He’s probably the best winger in the world in terms of the all-round game. South Africa are a great team and if we want to beat them, we as players have got to improve each week. I’ll back my attacking game all the time, but it’s how I develop the other parts of my game as well.”
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Murrayfield next week would tick a personal box. Scottish family, years lived in Edinburgh barracks as a military kid, Bonaly Primary School at five or six means Arundell has deep ties north of the border.
“I played my 20s game up there, on the field just outside Murrayfield, but we got changed in the main stadium. I thought it would be cool to one day play in Murrayfield against Scotland and complete the cycle!
“Although I think we’re all firmly English now. But there’s always the emotional attachment to Flower of Scotland if I’m lucky enough to play next week and I will enjoy that part.”
Team-first focus
He adds: “It’s very much a team-first focus. So, whoever’s going to play will do the best job they can.
“The hat-trick is an awesome memory, something to enjoy and look back on in a few years.”
But the risk, Arundell said, is starting to think you’re something you’re not.
“It’s about trying to stay quite emotionally balanced, knowing that regardless of what happened today,” he admits. “I still have to wake up tomorrow and have breakfast, do some recovery and you’re ready for next round, try and stay fairly level.”
Fairly level. That’s the commendable aim.
