How rivalry with Tom Youngs gets the best from Dylan Hartley
For the 50 minutes he was on the pitch, however, he was at the forefront of a pack which is once again a formidable force in world rugby after proving that among the forwards at least, last autumn’s historic win over New Zealand was no fluke.
But Hartley believes that it was the performance seven days previously, in what was perceived as a lacklustre win over Argentina, that has re-established England’s pack as world-beaters.
He said: “Watching the Rugby Championship I think Argentina were probably the best forward pack and to compete with them the other week and get a driving maul against them and scrummage against them was really good.
“And we took that confidence into the All Blacks game having done what we did against Argentina. Yes, they were world champions, but we were confident we could get the job done and that’s what we did.”
Hartley’s performances this autumn, not to mention his lineout link-up with Courtney Lawes, were undoubtedly major plusses for England and Stuart Lancaster.
After a man-of-the-match performance against Argentina, he was on the way to another against the All Blacks until a thundering hit on Richie McCaw forced him to leave the field. Only then, when New Zealand no longer had to face one of their own, did the world champions find their extra gear.
The ferocity and uncanny timing with which he hits the line, his superior throwing at the lineout and his leadership qualities – Hartley was barking the orders in the huddle after victory over the Pumas – have seen daylight emerge between him and Tom Youngs as England’s first-choice.
But Hartley knows better than to take his place for granted – for his faults, complacency is certainly not one of them.
Nor will he take any satisfaction from Tom Youngs’ rocky show from the bench last Saturday, even if the two have not seen eye-to-eye before, most notably in last season’s Premiership final. “I don’t want to talk about who does what well and who doesn’t as all that matters is that there are two players who are striving to be the best and helping the other raise their game, too,” he said.
“That’s what the best teams have, two or three quality players for every position and if we can get that then it can only bode well for the World Cup in two years’ time.
“A year ago the shoe was on the other foot, Tom played all the games while I was injured and in the Six Nations he played all the games.
“But it’s good, healthy competition and it brings the best out of people. I had it when I was coming into England and it’s great to have someone pushing you the whole time.”
It has been a fairly swift road to redemption after missing the Lions tour for swearing at referee Wayne Barnes in the Premiership final – Warren Gatland reckoned Hartley had ‘gone to the edge of the cliff and jumped off’ – but he has climbed back up it at some speed.
Indeed, Lions hooker Youngs was preferred from the off against Australia but Hartley has wasted no time in proving this ‘last chance’ offered to him by Lancaster will not go to waste.
He has prospered this season from the faith shown in him at Northampton – coach Jim Mallinder admitted he thought long about retaining him as captain but the 27-year-old began the season like a man possessed, scoring a try inside two minutes of the season opener.
And Hartley’s lung problem is not going to keep him down for long, meaning he will return to a Saints side still competing at the top of the table, itching to right his wrongs from last year.
“I think, especially being involved as a captain, seeing the squad and trying to keep them motivated moving forward and trying to buy into the bigger picture of a squad kind of game, it is so important,” he said.
“Bruised lung sounds bad but I don’t know how bad it is. There are no written rules that come with it so I have to just rest up and see the specialist later in the week and see what he says.
“I think the scan just came back and said I was really unfit! But I feel pretty good so I’ll hopefully be back playing as soon as possible.”
BEN BAKER
