The duel between Saracens’ Owen Farrell and Bath’s George Ford for the England No10 jersey is an absorbing one. As is the debate on their respective merits, in which passions often run high – so much so that most people seem to have forgotten that not so long ago the fight was a three-way affair.
Freddie Burns won the last of his five England caps in the 36-13 defeat by New Zealand in Hamilton in June 2014, at the end of what, with characteristic openness, the then Gloucester stand‑off acknowledged had been a season made difficult by uncertainty over his domestic future.
Moving to Leicester, however, did not lead to Burns regaining the level of performance which had helped him become the Premiership’s top scorer in 2012-13. In a Tigers side who ground rather than sliced their way to the Premiership semi-finals, Burns’s lack of consistent accuracy with the boot led to him slipping behind Owen Williams in the Welford Road pecking order. Only later in the season, after working with the former England fly-half Paul Grayson, did the then 24-year-old improve his kicking success rate to somewhere near the 80% mark that is the minimum expected and required, by which time he was not even on the edge of the international picture.
Returning from holiday last summer determined to make the most of a full pre-season, his motivation increased by the prospect of watching a World Cup he had hoped to take part in, Burns then found himself going through an episode that left its mark in more ways than one.
“I went for dinner with my missus and her family and her sister asked why was I winking at her. And I could feel my eyesight on one side, my blinking, being quite heavy. That night I woke up in the early hours and went downstairs for a glass of water and as I poured it in my mouth it just poured out, and I realised I couldn’t use the left side of my face.
“I felt fine in myself so didn’t panic too much but obviously it wasn’t the nicest thing at that time in the morning. I went to the doctor’s and he told me I had Bell’s palsy.”
Having learned that seven out of 10 times the condition, one of facial muscle weakness or paralysis, is temporary, and need not impact on his rugby, Burns did not let it affect his training – and is now doing what he can to help others.
“It’s a condition no one really knows too much about, but one in 5,000 will be affected so it’s not that uncommon and hopefully I can use my position to make others feel easier,” he said.
“For example, if you wake in the early hours with a problem with your face, you can call a helpline and I’m trying to promote that because it can be tough to cope with psychologically, as well as physically.
“For me I had no choice: being in a rugby environment, the only thing that was going to happen was the boys were going to take the piss out of me walking around with an eye patch for two and a half months because I couldn’t blink.
“My left eye still blinks a bit funny when I get tired but now I feel pretty normal. I was lucky because my face stayed still, whereas with some children and older people, the face can drop and that’s the bit that struggles to come back.”
In the circumstances, breaking his jaw in the final warm-up match before the season started would have left him shaking his head in disbelief, if it hadn’t hurt so much. “One way or another the face has taken a bit of a battering and it’s probably a good job I had a girlfriend beforehand! Seriously, I’ve just tried to carry on as normal as possible and if I can do a little bit to help, great.”
Having finally made his first start of the season in the European Champions Cup win over Munster at Welford Road last month, and extended his contract to boot, Burns now finds himself up against Farrell in what should be one of the matches of the season to date, at Allianz Park.
“Faz has been outstanding this year for Sarries while I’m still trying to get my match fitness, so maybe there’s not so much pressure on me. I just have to focus on my own performance and what I do for Leicester. But I’m in a good place again and we’re all excited because we’ve played in fits and starts, but only been beaten once, and there’s so much more to come.”
The influence of the new head coach, Aaron Mauger, has added to the sense that something different is being built at Leicester, Burns says. “The way Maugs has come in and changed the way we go about things, having that ability to play with your heads up and seeing what’s on and move the ball a little bit more, it certainly suits me a lot more than it did maybe last year. It’s good to play that kind of rugby, so perhaps I’m more suited to Leicester now and Leicester’s more suited to me.
“I’ve got huge ambition to get back in the England squad but right now I’m simply looking to get bedded in here, keeping the shirt and contributing towards team performances. Hopefully if Leicester stay there or thereabouts I’ll be in a conversation somewhere.”
