Sam Underhill is the epitome of the modern professional rugby player: self-motivated, clean-cut, talented and driven. The 21-year-old Bath flanker, who was one of the standout players in England’s autumn international series, lives for the moment rather than tomorrow even though he suffered a second concussion of the season 16 minutes into the victory over Australia.
“I guess it is an occupational hazard, but it is not something you can afford to worry about per se,” he says. “You tackle people with your shoulders and your head is next to your shoulders. It is impossible to be an aggressive tackler and not risk getting your head caught.
“It is a case of picking and choosing moments and finding other ways to tackle: it is easier for bigger guys because they do not have to rely on technique much. For shorter players like me, our tackle height is lower and you are then at more risk of getting your head somewhere it shouldn’t be.”
A year ago, Underhill was playing for Ospreys in the then Pro 12, unavailable for England because of the rule governing players who are not contracted to a Premiership club. After announcing he was joining Bath this season, a flanker seen as the solution to the long-time search for a specialist openside played for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham in late May and won his first cap in the second Test in Argentina on 17 June.
It was against the Pumas last month that Underhill announced himself, thudding into one ball-carrier after another after sizing up his prey. Everything he did smacked of deliberation, taking what he did in training on to the field, and he is not a player who runs on emotion. He completed 20 tackles and was one of the few candidates for the man of the match, but his fearlessness in contact led to him being concussed on his Bath debut against Northampton and again against the Wallabies.
“The majority of laws are there to protect the ball-carrier, rightly so, but the flipside is the tackler is not as protected. They have rightly lowered tackle height and refereed high tackles very well and the law changes have had a real effect on the game. The downside is if you drop your body, your head is in a place where there is more force coming through from the ball-carrier, but I do not see how you can change the game to make it not so; it would not be rugby.”
Underhill does not want to be seen merely as a defender. It was 65 minutes before he had the ball in his hands against Argentina at Twickenham, part of the move that led to England’s second try.
“Attack is something I need to work on and I have some awesome guys to learn from in Bath, like Taulupe Faletau and Francois Louw,” he says. “There is always space on the field and when you have 15 players comfortable handling the ball, you will get into it a lot easier: it is better to play out of structure and look what is in front of you. You will always lean towards things you are better at, but I am keen to work on my handling game. Defence is important, but making 20 tackles means the other team had the ball.
“Big tackles are great, but in terms of the game they are not the be-all and end-all. You do not just want to be known as a guy who is a big hitter because that does not make you a good defender, it makes you a good tackler when things are in your favour.
“Being good at something means being able to make a decision and if there is only one thing you can do well, you cannot make a decision. Defence is like attack: doing the same thing all the time does not make you effective. It is a bit of a youth thing: when you are you are young you are fresh and feel good physically, not having experienced what it is like to be on the end of a few games. That is why being able to learn from Chris Robshaw and Dylan Hartley, who are where they are for a reason, is massively important.”
Underhill hopes to be fit for Bath’s European Champions Cup match at Toulon on Saturday but, even though the Six Nations is only two months away, he is not thinking about taking part in the tournament for the first time. He knows he can look forward to Bath’s Premiership match against Leicester, The Clash, at Twickenham on 7 April, with the club looking to build on last season’s attendance of just under 62,000, but he has disciplined himself not to contemplate the home matches against Ireland and Wales as the World Cup draws closer.
“If you had asked me a year ago where I thought I would be now, I would not have said this,” he says. “A lot of people on the outside see the jump but not the stuff that goes in between, all the training sessions and communication with the coaches. I have really enjoyed it: you try not to think about stuff that is out of your control, like selection, and when you have your opportunity you have to take it, always being at your best. I have relished being involved with England, but every time you go there might be your last and I will never take my involvement for granted. A big part of the setup is building relationships with people you would not otherwise: the best teams are the ones who get on together off the field the best.
“I speak to Eddie [Jones, the England coach] a bit, although if he does not text you that is probably a good thing. You can be hard when you are at the level Eddie is at. Maybe in a club environment it would not work, but an international side is not a club. When you go into camp you have the best players who are the most motivated to train and play. Everyone is there for a reason and you can expect that standard from people. You are only there for a short period. It is short and intense. Eddie is about getting better every time you go there. We have done so far and it is a really good environment.
“He talks a lot about being comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is the best way to learn: when you do not have time to relax, you have to be on the ball. When you have a walk-through lineout session, you are expected to know all the detail. There is no room for complacency, which is how you produce such a high quality of training. To be the best team in the world, you have to expect to win games.”
