On Saturday evening Nick Easter’s voice could be heard booming from the Twickenham PA system, telling the 81,000 spectators where England had just gone wrong against Wales. This weekend the pitchside pundit could be in his kit fighting to save his country from World Cup oblivion. It is some transformation; he must also rank among the more mature, weightier Cinderellas ever to have secured the role.
The last time the 37-year-old Easter played in a World Cup, furthermore, it did not end well. His ill-timed throwaway line – “That’s £35k down the toilet” – in the dressing-room after the quarter-final defeat by France in 2011 was seized upon as proof of the England squad’s warped priorities in New Zealand and he was duly swept away by Stuart Lancaster’s new broom. Having also been omitted from this summer’s original World Cup squad, a potential berth against Australia this Saturday would be a remarkable twist.
It is grim luck for Billy Vunipola, clapped out of the team hotel by his squad mates following confirmation that his knee ligament injury would rule him out of the rest of the tournament. Easter, though, was around in 2007 when England, as now, were on their knees in the pool stages having suffered a crushing defeat by South Africa. Somehow they bounced back and managed to reach the final; their 2015 counterparts would love history to be repeated.
That experience will come in handy, with Australia looming large, just as they did in 2007. “It was eight years ago but there are similarities,” says Easter, now involved in his third tournament, quite an achievement for someone who was still a World Cup virgin at the age of 29.
“It’s knock-out rugby and I will try and impart some previous knowledge.
“Our mind-set against Australia in Marseille was to go out and attack them. There can be no backward step this weekend either. There just can’t afford to be.
“They’re a side that doesn’t come with much fear. They’re a side that comes with a plan and their execution is of the highest order. You have to be fully focused at all times and be ready to get stuck in physically at every collision.”
Given Easter heard of his call-up en route to Harlequins training on Monday morning – he may be the first international player ever to celebrate his selection by letting his dog out of the car to “do his business” – it has not taken him long to switch into hyper-competitive mode. “I didn’t have to pack too much, just boots and gumshield,” he joked. England, though, no longer have the luxury of time and the arrival of a forward with more than 50 caps and a hunger to right a few past wrongs is no bad thing. With Gloucester’s Ben Morgan back running again after missing the Wales game with a knee problem, however, Easter’s best hope of involvement is off the bench where he will presumably be competing with James Haskell for a solitary berth as a back-row replacement.
England will sorely miss Vunipola’s power and, with Northampton’s Courtney Lawes also struggling with a knee injury, another dynamic ball-carrier such as Exeter’s Dave Ewers or, whisper it, Toulon’s Steffon Armitage might have come in handy. Easter, though, trained with the squad throughout the summer, knows all the calls inside out and, if required, can also lend some moral support to his fellow Harlequin Chris Robshaw. Easter does not reckon much of that will be necessary, being firmly of the belief that Robshaw is made of stern enough stuff to deal with the criticism of his decision not to opt for an equalising late penalty kick against Wales. “We’ve seen this guy bounce back many a time,” he insisted. “That’s why he’s England’s second most-capped captain. There’s a reason for that. He’s a very resilient guy.”
His pitchside analysis stint at Twickenham has also convinced him England are not a million miles away, if only they can finish what they start. “Unfortunately what we didn’t do at the weekend is play for the full 80 minutes,” said Easter, suddenly the third most experienced player in England’s squad. “The guys understand that now.” This Saturday’s occasion, he suspects, will be even noisier than last weekend’s. “England v Wales was huge but it’s going to be another humdinger. I expect it to be bigger this weekend. If I happen to be on the pitch, it would be doubly or triply as good.”
