Hunting Lions in Dublin: Dylan Hartley
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England hooker Dylan Hartley is hoping he will be given a chance to go head to head with Rory Best on Sunday in his bid for British and Irish Lions Test selection.
Hartley started England's Six Nations opener against Scotland last week from the bench having recently returned from injury and is pushing for a recall into the run-on XV for this Sunday's clash with Ireland in Dublin.
The Northampton hooker would relish the opportunity to lock horn with Lions favourite Best, but he must first get picked ahead of Tom Youngs, who is emerging as another potential candidate for Warren Gatland's team.
"The Lions is like a big bonus isn't it? It's something to work for," said Hartley.
"We have a big chance with England as well. We'd all love to lift the trophy. That in itself is pretty exciting.
"The Six Nations is your stage to perform. Every week it's your rival (you are up against) - even Tom here with England. I understand that.
"I understand that I've got seven weeks to give myself a good crack at it. I've got my head round that and I'm highly motivated.
"I have played against Rory Best once this year for Northampton against Ulster. He is a key man in their team.
"They have got plenty of class throughout and he is key to their success up front."
England are now the bookmakers' favourites for the Six Nations title but Hartley remembers all to well the defeat on their last trip to Dublin that ended hopes of Grand Slam.
"You can take points from that experience and there are other players in the squad who experienced that. All we can do is share that with the current crop," said the 26-year-old.
"It was the intensity which stood out. I remember the first scrum of the game and we got rolled, they got a big shunt on and the crowd goes wild. I remember my first carry of the game and I got held in the choke tackle, ball turned over.
"If you look at the way they started the game against Wales at the weekend, they put a big emphasis on that. We need to front up emotionally. You need to be right in the head."
Hartley and Best came to blows when they met in that Heineken Cup fixture at Franklin's Gardens, with the England hooker receiving a two week ban after losing his cool. He was also banned for eight weeks following last year's game against Ireland, after being found to have bitten Stephen Ferris on the hand.
Hartley has been spoken to by the England management of his discipline and he is confident he can keep his cool in the Irish capital.
"The last one [ban] was down to frustration, the team not playing well, myself not playing well and not thinking and just reacting," said Hartley.
"It is a thinking process. I feel like I am in control.
"If anyone is (targeting me) it is short-sighted because as soon as you focus your energies on someone else you are not concentrating on yourself."
Comments
gingergenius says...
Best is yet another overrated Irishman. If Ireland players were all as good as Ireland fans made them out to be, they'd maybe, one of these days, earn a draw with the All Blacks. That's about the limit of Irish ambition.
Posted 17:51 08th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
This is the problem with having dumb ass kiwis in the England team. New Zealanders just can't keep their stupid traps shut in the run up to test matches!
It's Ireland! the only team better at taking pre-match jibes and ramming them down the opposing team's throat is England themselves. They already have home adavantage and now dozy dylan has given them something to get annoyed about too. Bloody idiot.
Stuart, start with Tom Youngs.
Posted 09:53 08th February 2013
Kije says...
Being a Lion is about rugby and a bit more. Rory Best has got that bit more ss well as being a better player than Hartley who is out of the English mould that turns out showboaters and big heads. He nowhere as good as he and a lot of English supporters thinks he is. Watch it unfold on Sunday, SUFTUM.
Posted 22:18 07th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
This is all very interesting but I have seen nothing in the last 12 months to suggest that Ireland have improved their scrum - a scrum that was mauled more brutally than I have ever seen in an international game - it really was men and boys!
So what is to stop that happening again? Fair enough Corbs is out but I still see England (with Hartley) having too much up front! People are saying that Hartley isn't world class - based on what? He has never been embarrassed and had played all the top teams (playing in a scrum that has always gained parity at the very least) - he also carries well and his line out work is good.
If I were an Ireland fan I would be very quiet about who is going to do what to who in the set piece on Saturday - because you are only as good as your last game and the last game against England the Irish scrum was utterly embarrassed! I didn't see Hartley standing up that day - but I did see him driving forward and over a disintegrating green mess!
And anyone who suggests that Hartley swan dives straight down is also having a laugh - how many penalties/penalty tries did Ireland give away compared to England last year?
Posted 21:56 07th February 2013
scrumdog says...
Short memories....hindsight might be of value in remembering what Ireland did to both the NZ , Argentina and Welsh scrums since Twickenham last year....don't get so lost in yourselves.....bring it on!! Ireland to win.
Posted 20:44 07th February 2013
Norm says...
Ginger genius you have a gnger stigma to get through life with dont add stupid to it.
Post World cup 2011 I read an article where pundits from France, england, ireland, scotland, wales, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA and AUSTRALIA picked their tournament 15. Best wore the #2 shirt in all but the Australian, English and Scottish teams. So take your half a club season and stuff it up your whichever of your orifices you prefer, in terms of output they are quite similar
Posted 20:09 07th February 2013
Jhamer25 says...
GINGERGENIUS - Szarzewski is possibly the worst hooker in the world. He can't ball carry, he can't defend, his throwing in is always 50/50 and he is a show off
Best Is by far the best.
Posted 18:34 07th February 2013
pierredelot1 says...
Oh dear ginger genius you shot yourself in the foot there. You name three great Safas and then sling in Szarzewski, quelle horreur. The guy just isn't good enough for France. Servat could walk off the training pitch in Toulouse and outplay that one all day. Trouble is he's retired. Front rows staying straight and driving straight, will win this one if its reffed properly, along with penalising the lying over the ball and bridging. Strange that when an English player is lumpy and aggressive he's panned by all, last person to really get stick was a certain Martin Johnson and as a player he turned up straight and true every week and everybody moaned. That is until he led the Lions. Now I'm not saying for one minute that you can compare both in attitude and application, but a bit of grit around the park is quite handy now and again.
Posted 16:42 07th February 2013
lacroix says...
Best versus Hartley..in football terms thats Scunthorpe versus Portsmouth really. neither are anywhere close to wolrd class players, though both seem to have a media fed comically over developed sense of their own abilities.
i rather fancy England to comfortably beat Ireland. as pierre says if ireland are refereed properly at the scrum they'll be outclassed there and the rest will follow. a hometown ref performance gives the irish a shot of running england close, but there is a gulf in quality between these sides on saturdays showing.
Posted 16:41 07th February 2013
pierredelot1 says...
Can't see Hartley starting as Youngs to date has outplayed him and offers more around the park an overall gives away fewer penalties.. The real test of the front rows will be whether Ireland scrum straight and true and if they don't will the referee penalise them. Ireland will look to continue holding up the ball carrier in contact but England have so many ball carriers they may run out of numbers, however England must drive low and go to ground earlier rather than later to counter this. I see the England backline being the main threat though last year the England forwards totally dominated the Irish pack. BOD can tackle all day but I'm not sure about the rest of them. in attack the new Irish recruits look dangerous, but they really need to be tested defensively. Question is how much home advantage will affect the result, I rather fancy England to sneak this one, especially if they start like last week. Big 'if' that
Posted 12:45 07th February 2013
gingergenius says...
Best arguably best hooker in the world?
HAhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
etc.
Half a good season in club colours does not a world class hooker make.
Bismarck du Plessis, Schalk Brits and Andries Strauss would all walk into any 6N starting lineup, especially with Szarzewski off-form at the moment.
Posted 11:42 07th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Hartley is not up there with Best. I say that as an England fan. Best is not best in world though but last Saturday he played like BDP.
Ferris dishing out retribution? I guess you mean put his fingers in his mouth then team mates cry ref when he instinctively closes it to keep the fingers from going down his throat or ripping his cheek. What do you expect! Thats not justice its Ferris who should have got the stick. If you force a woman to... It's your fault if she bites.
Posted 11:19 07th February 2013
APV1 says...
"We need to front up emotionally. You need to be right in the head."
Let's hope he's got the emotional maturity to see past any niggles. The England team of late have been very disciplined (technical penalties aside) and that shows a team in control.
I'd prefer Youngs to start (ignore any previous posts suggesting otherwise - I change my mind more than a woman!), with Hartley on the bench. he's not let us down, so why shouldn't he?
No I wouldn't. Hartley to start, because he's a better scummager and has more experience.
O bollocks, I don't know!
@ ArmchairGeneral - I agree that Brown should kick for territory more, rather than try to go through or into contact. Shame we've got the wrong people in the team, eh?
@ NHsaints - I'm not sure yet either. With regards to the hooker's abilities around the park, it depends who else is available. With Cole playing (almost certainly, unless injured), do we need another scavaging FR to turn the ball over? Cole is the best there is at scrummaging at the moment, so his work out of the set piece is a bonus. We should concentrate on players who can get the basics of their primary role spot on (hooking, throwing, etc) and anything else is a bonus.
Posted 11:19 07th February 2013
papachinzo says...
Cant wait to watch his dolphin diving during the scrummages too...
chap is the biggest cheat in Rugby !
Posted 10:48 07th February 2013
tellitlikeitis says...
Hartley is really hoping for a showdown with a KFC dinner bucket- it's the only teary showdown he'll be winning this weepy Sunday evening
Posted 04:14 07th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
I really do think the English scrum will be dominant on Sunday - it is our only chance to control the game so I certainly hope so! Hoping for a repeat of last year!
If I was Lancaster I'd pick Hartley because he is the more destructive scrummager of the two options - fingers crossed!
Posted 00:54 07th February 2013
Cabhan says...
I really hope he plays. Absolutely deplorable character and I'll take a lot of joy in watching him get smashed.He can just count himself lucky Ferris isn't around to dish out some proper retribution
Posted 23:03 06th February 2013
Dannyboy says...
Really hope England play Hartley, you just know he's gonna spend 10 minutes in the bin.
Posted 21:30 06th February 2013
Chubbylugs says...
I don't think it would be a bad selection. He'd add a bit more to the scrum. Also best etc clearly don't like and try to goad him, which could be a welcome distraction if he can keep his cool
Posted 21:29 06th February 2013
Norm says...
Oh and I forgot, no british passport! ( Sorry england fans couldnt resist!)
Posted 21:11 06th February 2013