Features

Englishman Ben Kay holds that rare distinction for a rugby player from the northern hemisphere – he’s a man who has played in a Rugby World Cup-winning team.

As a second row forward, Ben was part of the England squad that won the tournament in 2003. For this year’s tournament he’s part of a very different team – RTÉ’s team of pundits.

He’ll be in the studio alongside the likes of George Hook, Brent Pope and Frankie Sheahan offering his views on the trials and tribulations taking place over in New Zealand.

Ahead of that, he talks to JOE about squaring up to fellow pundits, Ireland’s chances of success and the problem with Brian O’Driscoll.

By Nick Bradshaw

JOE: Hi Ben. So apart from RTÉ’s financial incentive, what’s brought you over to Ireland for the duration of the 2011 Rugby World Cup?

Ben Kay: I got a message out of the blue asking if I’d like to come over and do some World Cup work.

I’ve have some good trips to Ireland in my rugby career and some bad trips as well in terms of results. Dublin’s a fantastic city and I’m going to get a good opportunity to see another country’s coverage.

JOE: So do you know any of the guys you’ll be working with? Are you aware of the punditry style of our broadcasting stalwarts Brent Pope and George Hook?

Obviously I know Frankie [Sheahan] as I locked horns with him a good few times over the years, but I’ve never really come across any of the other guys, but I believe there’s a good bit of banter between them.

My day job at ESPN has me paired with Austin Healy and we’ve nearly come to blows a few times, so I’m ready for whatever happens here at RTE. We’ll be alright.

JOE: And are you prepared for the ribbing you’re going to get as the Englishman on the RTE team?

Ben: Yeah, absolutely. You don’t come over not expecting a bit of stick. I’ve had a good grounding playing for England in Dublin before and playing for Leicester. You know exactly what you’re going to get. But I think it’s all good natured and with a smile on people’s faces. I’m really looking forward to it.

JOE: What’s it like not going over with the England team this time? Is it handy having the RTE gig to focus your attention on? Do you still feel a pull to get your kit on and join in the training when an event like the Rugby World Cup comes around?

Ben: The one thing that has eased any desire I might have to still be part of the England set-up came at the start of the summer when I thought to myself ‘Thank goodness I don’t have to take part in one of those World Cup training camps’, because they are horrific.

I’ve a lot of good memories of World Cups from the past, but I’m probably looking at them through rose-tinted glasses.

When you’re at the World Cup as a player you have to block out a lot of what’s going on if it’s not immediately relevant to what you’re doing and the specific games you are playing or preparing for.

You don’t get to appreciate the atmosphere that revolves around the whole event. I’m really looking forward to being able to properly enjoy that.

I actually remember sitting on the plane heading out to the World Cup in 2003 next to Dorian West and talking about the fact that it was going to be the first major sporting event I was going to where I wouldn’t get the opportunity to watch the proceedings unfold with my mates down the pub. It seemed a bit of a shame that we wouldn’t be able to do that.

In the run up I’ve been trying to watch as many games in possible.

JOE: All the chatter ahead of this year’s event is that it’s the host nation New Zealand’s tournament to lose. Do you agree?

Ben: I’d go along with that. The one caveat to that is if they lost both McCall and Carter they’d be a different side. Keeping those two guys fit is really important, and both have had their injury worries over the last couple of years, so it’s not a given. But if they can keep both of those guys fit I can’t see anyone else touching them.

JOE: What about Ireland and your own team England?

Ben: I’d say that the most important game in the early stages of the tournament is Ireland v Australia. If Ireland beat Australia, and I believe they can despite all the talk of the dominance of the Southern Hemisphere sides, then I think it’s not only very good for Ireland, it also makes things a lot harder for England. If there’s one Southern Hemisphere team that Ireland can beat it’s Australia.

Win against Australia and I think Ireland can well go all the way to the final. Lose against Australia and they’ll get knocked out by New Zealand in the quarters.

I think if England could get through the quarter-finals they’d fancy playing Australia in the semi-finals.  I think they’d be more nervous about playing Ireland in the semi-finals. So if Ireland can win against Australia and reproduce the game that they played against England in the Aviva at the Six Nations then they could go all the way.

In that Aviva game Ireland played much more like a team than England. They were much more solid and that’s the key – keeping the guys in that team fit.

JOE: How crucial is Brian O’Driscoll’s fitness to Ireland?

Ben: Brian O’Driscoll is a fantastic player, but I almost think that he’s become a bit detrimental to the Irish team now because if he’s not fit there’s this feeling that Ireland can’t win because he’s not playing. Actually, if Earls comes in with D’Arcy that’s still a very good midfield.

I think there’s a lot of psychological barriers in the Irish team when it comes to beating a southern hemisphere team. Of course they can. And as far as having everyone match fit, things don’t go right at a World Cup and it’s the team that deal with that who tend to do well.

England in 2003 had Richard Hill injured until late on and there were loads of problems, with guys being sent home and replaced. You just have to be pragmatic and crack on. Ireland need to take the approach that whatever’s thown at them they can overcome.

JOE: So Ben, what’s it like to actually lift the Rugby World Cup?

Ben: We went into the 2003 tournament as favourites, having previously beaten Australia and New Zealand away. It was a real feeling of relief, because we didn’t actually have a brilliant tournament. We just managed to get through it. Four years of hard work finally came together and we all had a feeling of immense pride.

You might see guys at dinners and events afterwards and even if you don’t get to speak to them you might share a look across the room. The nicest part of winning in 2003 was when the changing room doors were locked and, although we could hear all the commotion going on outside, you just had us all together in one room having achieved what we had.

2007 was totally different. We felt euphoria in the Australia and France games in the quarters and semis mixed with disbelief because we felt like a pub team. If we’d  beaten South Africa in the final and won the tournament again, they’d have made a new version of Cool Running about us – about this rubbish team who’d come together and done something special.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup commences on 9 September.