Tom Harrison believes Tom Curry’s “unique” ability to train beyond the pain barrier has helped lift England to new Rugby World Cup heights.
Sale flanker Curry will be available for England’s final Pool D clash against Samoa on October 7, having served the two-match ban for his red card against Argentina.
The 25-year-old’s return means England have all their 33 players fit and available for the Samoa showdown in Lille. And scrum coach Harrison hailed Curry for raising England’s level again, even in his absence.
“Tom Curry is a unique player in that I don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone so fit, or so willing to work hard and put himself through pain,” said Harrison. “But he just seems to be able to enjoy it and keep going.
“There was a conditioning session the other day where he had finished his reps, and Aled Walters was shouting at him: ‘Get out, get out’. And he just carried on running.
“And when he did finally decide it was time for time for him to get out, he left the drill and Ellis Genge started hammering him for leaving the drill. And you just saw him getting so angry about it.
O“When he was suspended where he was brilliant was not just going, ‘oh I’m suspended for these two games’, he went, ‘How can I help England win’.
“And the work he was doing to help make training hard and difficult for the guys playing, and also the work he was doing with the back-rows, to add his experience and his knowledge to our team meetings has been exceptional.”
Curry was sent off just three minutes into England’s World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille, for a head-high tackle on Pumas full-back Juan Cruz Mallia. England shook off the blow to prevail 27-10 on September 9 though, and set their World Cup campaign off to a fine start.
Now Steve Borthwick’s men are enjoying several days off before reconvening in Le Touquet to prepare to face Samoa. England are likely to face Fiji or Wales in the quarter-finals, but will be hoping to account for Samoa to sweep the pool.
Curry will be itching to get going after missing the victories over Japan and Chile, and Harrison hailed the 46-cap flanker for how hard he has pushed his peers in those weeks.
“I think that’s the environment that we drive here, that it’s very much that if you’ve got something that can help the team win, then let’s do it,” said Harrison.
“If you sit there and you’re quiet and you don’t speak about it but that knowledge you have could help us, then you’re in the wrong place. We’re here for a common goal.”
