England duties provide solace for Ben Curry after Sale’s Premiership disappointment
The Sale captain linked up with Steve Borthwick’s squad just three days after his club were denied a place in Saturday’s Premiership final.
Ben Curry is delighted to have the immediate distraction of England duty as he parks Gallagher Premiership heartache on the back of being overlooked by the British and Irish Lions.
The Sale captain linked up with Steve Borthwick’s squad just three days after his club were denied a place in Saturday’s Premiership final by an agonising 21-16 semi-final loss to Leicester.
Flanker Curry is among the senior figures in a 37-man training camp, containing 16 uncapped players, ahead of upcoming Tests against Argentina and the United States.
Head coach Borthwick is currently without players from Premiership finalists Bath and Leicester in addition to a host of star names, including Curry’s twin brother Tom, who are involved in the Lions’ summer tour of Australia.
While in an ideal world he would have been in different surroundings this week, Curry is not contemplating what might have been.
“It’s very easy to do the opposite of that,” he said, “There’s always something different to go after. Obviously you’ve got to address the emotional disappointment but, with professional sport, there’s always something thrown at you next.
“Essentially, you can’t rest, it’s about just cracking on to the next thing. The challenge we’ve got this tour is properly exciting.
“I think it’s a perfect position. Obviously very disappointed after that semi-final but the beauty of rugby is there is always something next and we’re quite fortunate it’s straight away.
“In five weeks I might address those emotions, but right now it’s quite nice to just throw yourself into something different.”
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Curry impressed during a Guinness Six Nations campaign which brought four wins from five for England and a second-placed finish behind champions France.
Yet the 26-year-old was subsequently left out of the Lions squad revealed by head coach Andy Farrell in May.
“I haven’t had anything, so for me, I just want to play for England,” said Curry when asked if he retained hope of a late Lions call-up, “I’ve literally had nothing, so I wouldn’t have a clue.”
England front-row pair Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour were this week added to Farrell’s group as injury cover, with Ireland prop Finlay Bealham taking the place of stricken Scotland tighthead Zander Fagerson.
Speaking of the opportunity for 20-year-old Sale team-mate Opoku-Fordjour, Curry said: “He’s still very young. He’s got so much potential to grow.
“For him to be around the best players in the world, I think could do wonders for him.
“His ceiling is so high, it’s unbelievable. Even to have a sniff of that, he’s going to come back and he’s just going to go from strength to strength. I’ve got full confidence in that.”
Meanwhile, Henry Arundell has been drafted straight back into the England setup after finishing his spell with Racing 92.
The former London Irish wing, who has agreed a return to the Premiership with Bath for next season, was unavailable for international selection during his time in France.
Arundell scored a try on his Test debut against Australia in 2022 and registered five scores during England’s pool-stage victory over Chile at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Asked for his initial impressions of the 22-year-old, Curry said: “Very quick. He’s unbelievable, isn’t he? We’re definitely blessed to have him back.”