Ben Earl reflects on his first British and Irish Lions tour, expressing pride despite not achieving a clean sweep. He learned the importance of adaptability and embracing disruptions, such as a jammed bus door on match day. Earl advocates for a relaxed approach to rugby, suggesting players should not overthink and should enjoy the game. He believes this experience has improved him as a player and hopes to share this mindset with his England teammates, highlighting the significance of making memorable experiences and friendships on this journey.
The key, according to the 27-year-old back-rower, is essentially to go with the flow. He cites as an example that on the way to the stadium last Saturday the door on the team bus became jammed and as a result the Lions had to decamp to another.
Earl's eyes have been opened to a world where not everything has to be perfect or prescriptive. To that end, it was instructive to hear he has spoken to England colleagues about bringing a similar attitude when they reconvene in October.
Just get out of your own way, he says. You can overthink this sport so much but when you've got a game on Saturday, then you've got to play again on Tuesday or Wednesday, you're not going to be able to do every rep, review everything opposition.
It's almost like you get to the pinnacle of our sport this is what it is and you're back playing under-12s on a Sunday morning. There's no preparation, you just go out, you have a plan, you try to implement it.
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