Ben Alexander’s debt to Bedford Blues production line

Bedford may have been the finishing school for three front-rowers in the Lions squad, but the Blues also played a key role in developing a player they will face in the Wallabies ranks: prop Ben Alexander.
For while Dan Cole, Mako Vunipola and Tom Youngs all spent valuable time honing their skills at Goldington Road, no one owes the Blues as much as Alexander does.
In 2005, Alexander suffered an horrific broken leg. Worse was to come as bone marrow entered his blood stream causing an aneurysm in his lungs.
By the time he was out of the woods he had lost two stone and was in desperate need of game time with the Australian season coming to an end. That’s where Bedford came in.
While the dogfight of second-tier English rugby may be a million miles away from the glitz and glamour of Super Rugby, Alexander told The Rugby Paper that the experience of playing in mudbaths alongside Cole and Youngs were invaluable.
Alexander said: “There’s the Australia way of playing, which varies province to province, but it was great to go over to England and experience a different mindset to scrummaging.
“It was a very tough scrummaging in that division. We were up against some big units, Rotherham had the best scrum.
“It was a great learning experience and is something that I’ll treasure and feel it has put me in good stead.
“I had a British passport because my mother was born in Britain so I was able to play on a one-year contract.
“I had a great time under Mike Rayer, we had a reasonable season and came about sixth although I missed the end of the season because I had a metal pole in my leg that had to be taken out.
“I still keep in contact with Dan, Mouritz Botha, Adam Kettle, Sacha Harding and Karl Dickson. I was also lucky enough to get a run for Leicester A under Graham Rowntree, which was also a great learning experience for a young Australian prop.
“I’m grateful for the time I had in England, I’ve never forgotten the lessons I learned.”
It was Cole’s talent that left a lasting impression. “Dan was an amazing talent and it was obvious that he was going to play for England,” said Alexander. “I think he was 19 at the time but he was clearly a special player.
“He had class written all over him. We had a good understanding, we liked to bounce ideas off each other and we always try and catch up after the game.”
Within two years of his return to Australia, Alexander had made his international debut before he had even started a Super rugby game. Cole’s international bow was not far behind.
Less clear-cut was the route to the top taken by Youngs, then playing as a centre, but Alexander is not surprised to see the hooker in the Lions touring party.
“I did think at the time that he would make a good flanker,” Alexander added. “He is built like the proverbial brick out-house, a real nugget, is extremely fast and strong but it is testament to the coaching at Leicester and England that they’ve turned him into a world-class hooker in such a short space of time.
“His best footy is well ahead of him and that’s the scary thing for opposition sides that he is already playing as he is. This definitely won’t be his last Lions tour.”
The scrum is shaping up to be one of the defining contests of the series just as it was in the Six Nations decider between England and Wales.
Alexander watched with interest as Adam Jones gave an indication of what is to come by dominating the scrum and paving the way for a rout.
“There’s not a cleverer prop in the world than Adam Jones,” Alexander added. “He knows exactly how to find weakness in our position and he is very good showing the referee his side is dominant.
“Obviously it will depend on who they select and that will dictate how the side will scrum, but personally I view him as the most important person in that Lions side.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD