'Gob'smacked' Easter coming to terms with call-up

Nick Easter was “gob-smacked” by his shock England call-up for the RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against Italy.

The 28-year-old Harlequins flanker received another pleasant surprise too when he arrived at England’s Bath University base this week – a chance to train alongside World Cup hero Richard Hill.

Hill was invited by England head coach Brian Ashton to join the sessions as he continues his return to full match sharpness following major knee surgery after the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand.

But while a possible Test comeback for Hill remains a long-term ambition, Easter now finds himself in the thick of things after a largely unspectacular career moving through English rugby’s lower league ranks with Orrell, Rotherham and Harlequins before the London club regained their Guinness Premiership place last year.

“It is beginning to sink in,” he said, looking forward to Saturday’s match against the Azzurri.

“This time last week, I was at a disciplinary hearing [Easter was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in a Guinness Premiership game against Bath] wondering whether I would be able to play for England Saxons last Friday.

“A week is a long time in sport.”

Easter avoided a period of suspension, and the subsequent pace of events culminated in a call on Sunday night to join the England squad.

He added: “I was gob-smacked, when I was told. I had 20 minutes for the Saxons (against Italy A) on Friday, and then on Sunday about 7pm I got a call from Viv Brown (England team manager) saying that Brian Ashton and John Wells wanted me to come down for training.

“Brian’s first words to me when I arrived in the hotel reception were ’congratulations, you are in the starting XV’.”

Easter began his rugby education at Nottingham Trent University – where he also gained a mathematics degree – before joining Orrell when northern businessman Dave Whelan set about building a squad with Premiership ambitions.

“I had a gap year in South Africa – then I came back and worked in the City for six months. It was pretty tedious, to be honest, and I then decided I was going to give professional rugby a crack.

“I spent a little bit of time at Rosslyn Park; then a contract was on the table at Orrell, where I had three seasons.”

When Whelan decided to withdraw from the Lancashire club in 2004, Easter was among several Orrell players who tried their luck at Rotherham – only for that stint to end abruptly for financial reasons.

“Mark Evans (Harlequins chief executive) got to hear about me. I remember him saying at the time they weren’t looking for a back-row player, but he felt in a good mood!” Easter recalled.

“I was offered a three-month contract initially with Quins, and it was a case of take it or leave it.”

Easter’s form has been instrumental in Quins holding their own back among the Premiership big guns, and Ashton has no doubt the decision to hand him a Test chance instead of injured Wasps flanker Joe Worsley is the right one.

Ashton said: “Nick has been playing really well this season – he is one of the form back-row players in the Premiership.

“We looked at who we are playing against and we looked at who he was replacing. He is a big physical player and he is also an intelligent player in terms of decision-making in the back row, so we felt he was the ideal choice.

“We will make sure he is fully aware of the organisational side of things we are trying to do, and then he has got to play his own game.

“What you want as a coach is for any player coming in to have an outstanding game, so you have a sleepless night thinking who do you pick next time? I hope that will be his intention.”

As for Hill’s return to the fold, albeit a brief one before he joins his Saracens team-mates for some warm-weather conditioning work in Jersey later this week, Ashton is suitably encouraged to see him back on an England training pitch.

Ashton added: “Richard has started playing again, and I just thought it would be good for him to come along and see what we are trying to build so he could experience it for a couple of days.

“Also, to have someone like him around is a great boost for other players as well. It is not that long ago he was one of the best, if the not the best, back-row forward in world rugby. It is good to have people like that about.

“I am sure Richard will let me know when he feels he is ready. With players like that, who have been at the top of the world game and been out with long injuries, they are pretty shrewd and will know themselves when they are ready to play in a game at international level.”