Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'Until that point, I'll continue to do it': Ben Earl explains his celebrations

Ben Earl of England celebrates as Referee Mathieu Raynal awards a penalty to England during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between England and Argentina at Stade Velodrome on September 09, 2023 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

By the time the World Cup was drawing to a close, Ben Earl’s notorious whooping and hollering was no longer being talked about, nor was the subject of ridicule. That’s not because he had stopped doing it, rather it became apparent that it might have actually worked and had a positive effect on England. If not that, at the very least it was because his performances were stealing the attention.

ADVERTISEMENT

Earl was probably England’s best performer across the entire World Cup, and while he started the tournament being caricatured as a mouthy mascot for an underperforming England, he finished the tournament as the driving force behind a side that came within minutes of reaching the World Cup final and beating the eventual champions South Africa.

Well the Saracens and England loose forward had an emphatic message recently- he’s not going to stop any time soon. Joining Jim Hamilton on The Big Jim Show, the 25-year-old said that as long as it does not annoy his own teammates, he will continue with his now-iconic celebrations.

Video Spacer

Jamie George passionately defends Owen Farrell | Big Jim Show | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 3:17
Loaded: 5.08%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 3:17
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Jamie George passionately defends Owen Farrell | Big Jim Show | RPTV

    RugbyPass tv

    What’s more, Earl also explained the reasons why he does what he does, and why he bizarrely wore a microphone to training to effectively help him improve on his cheering and celebrating.

    “Firstly, the people I grew up loving, taking inspiration from, all did it,” he said on the podcast. “And I thought it was a really crucial part of what Saracens were when we were at our most successful.

    Related

    “But personally, for me, it’s a really good way of keeping myself engaged in games. A hard game of rugby these days is about 37 minutes. That’s 37 minutes of effort and the rest is rest time, ball’s not in play. So moments like that keep me engaged.

    “In a scrum, if we get a scrum penalty, I’m obviously not in the middle of a scrum so I’m not blowing out my arse, I can really get the boys up for this, I can enjoy the victories. And I think on the same side, it’s what it can do to the opposition. If an opponent sees me – we’ve had a long defensive set and we get a turnover – and we’re celebrating, it just shows that we’ve got so much more in us, and we do. Obviously boys are hands on heads, hands on knees, on the floor, gasping for air, if I’m showing others that I’m ready to go, I’m showing the opposition that I’m ready to go, that can only be a good thing for the team.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I’ve said this to a few people who have asked me about it, I will continue to do it and if a teammate goes to me ‘Ben, I really don’t like it, it really off-puts me,’ I’ll stop in a heartbeat and that’s fine. But until that point, I’ll continue to do it.

    “A big problem of mine when I was younger was I would be very inconsistently in games. I’d have an amazing five minutes and then I wouldn’t touch the ball for ten minutes or I wouldn’t make a tackle or my body language would be poor. I remember speaking to Alex Sanderson when he was at Sarries and we were trying to find ways of keeping me engaged in moments so that I was staying switched on. We came up with that as a way of really engaging me. I remember training with a mic on a couple of times and reviewing what I was saying to others and how I was talking to myself and that’s the result I came up with.”

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

    Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

    The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

    KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

    New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

    France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    Lions Share | Episode 4

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    18 Comments
    B
    BigMaul 580 days ago

    “I remember speaking to Alex Sanderson when he was at Sarries and we were trying to find ways of keeping me engaged in moments so that I was staying switched on. We came up with (shouting and whooping at every opposition error as if we’ve won the World Cup) as a way of really engaging me.”


    This is the same Alex Sanderson that a few weeks back said "We're humbled, as you are after every defeat, but never more humbled than when you are at the Stoop because they rub it in your faces.”


    Something he also had an issue with back in 2021 when he called Quins “not very gracious in victory”.


    Those comments coming after Quins comparatively muted celebrations at actually winning a big game.


    Hmm. Anyone else noticing the hypocrisy?

    r
    ruff 586 days ago

    He said it ..his choice to carry on like that. Therefore its My choice to think he’s a knob.

    s
    sean 586 days ago

    Maybe he should go and play soccer if he likes doing it so much?

    J
    Joema 586 days ago

    Juvenile, puerile and being a complete D*ck comes to mind

    B
    Bob Marler 587 days ago

    Well, when you don’t win much anymore - I guess you need to find something to celebrate.

    B
    Bob Marler 587 days ago

    *Yawn*


    Has RP writing team gone home for the holidays? Left the Skeleton staff to find stories to post?

    T
    The Crypto 587 days ago

    Earl and ENG, behave like a bunch of newbie T-Shirt bodybuilders at a powerlifting meet, they are the most almost winning baby pumped up side.


    After “Celebrating” in their rivals face every knock on they “Won”, its strange how prickly they were when Willie Le Roux ran and celebrated being the only try scoring team in a Semi, after 65 mins of ENG as “Braying Micomoment Men”. There conduct for the nation of ‘manners’, is the most narcisstic and ungracious in any sport I have seen.


    I literally stay to watch their rivals put them away, whomever they are IRE,SCO,NZ I love to see inflated macho boys get fed a slice of humble pie, for their premature self aggrandisation.

    B
    Bob Marler 587 days ago

    Fiji

    M
    Matthew 587 days ago

    😘

    C
    Clive 587 days ago

    Earl is, was and will always be a total knobjockey, just grow the fork up man.

    B
    BigMaul 587 days ago

    “Earl’s notorious whooping and hollering was no longer being talked about, nor was the subject of ridicule.”


    This just isn’t true. Everyone still thinks it’s embarrassing and ridiculous. And it is embarrassing and ridiculous.


    “the people I grew up loving, taking inspiration from, all did it,”


    This is also complete nonsense. This started with modern Saracens in the 2010s.

    B
    Bob Marler 587 days ago

    His mum and dad whooped and hollered when they won a scrum?

    N
    NE 587 days ago

    O'Keeffe must be hanging his head in shame and embarrassment but I suppose the mandate of his WR employers to ensure that SA appear to have a competitive rugby team (which in reality and the facts clearly show they don’t have) override the obligation to officiate a game on a neutral basis. Well at least he’s not alone, there’s still at least a dozen biased little yes boys in WR's stable. Hilarious but sad. The game is no longer what it should be.

    A
    Ace 586 days ago

    Shut up and listen, Naainul. The adults are talking. Play close attention and you may learn something. I don’t have high hopes but hopes springs eternal. Even a dullard like yourself MUST be able to glean a modicum of something from all the brilliance you’ve been exposed to on this forum…

    B
    Bob Marler 587 days ago

    The truth is out there

    Load More Comments

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    S
    SK 7 minutes ago
    Harness Skelton's might and move Sua'ali'i: How the Wallabies can fix things for Test two

    That fighting Aussie spirit really served them well last week when they were down 24-5 early in the second, to rally back to 27-19 and dominate the last quarter was really impressive. I dont subscribe to the thought that the Lions took their foot off the gas. The Lions are not flawless. This group goes through periods in matches where they run riot and then through other periods where their game almost devolves as they try to play too much and lose all momentum falling flat. The strongest most consistent part of their game is their defence. I feel like the weakest part could be their set piece especially that creaky scrum which really should be doing better against Australia. If this Lions side was playing against the Springboks or All Blacks they would not be winning collisions and their set piece would be under serious scrutiny. Australia must try to do better in the collisions and put more pressure on the Lions set piece. They must bring line speed and power to their defence. They cannot afford to give up any soft tries and they must bring urgency at the start of the game. They need to force the Lions to play on their terms and to play from behind. If the Lions race out to an early lead all bets are off, if they keep momentum for a protracted period the game will be up. Australia must spoil, harass, frustrate and compete in every ruck, maul, scrum and lineout. Its time to face the Lions head on.

    34 Go to comments
    H
    Hellhound 29 minutes ago
    Steve Hansen: The Boks are 'rolling the dice and so far they’ve got away with it'

    As I said, always blame the ref. The Boks can't win unless the ref helped. It was a hooker and not a prop. You don't even have your facts straight. You just confirmed what I said idiot. Blame the ref for the try😂As for hate? I don't hate the AB's, just some of their fans like you. You don't look at the whole picture. All you see is AB's players. You don't look at the opposition. No, you see what you want to see and then open your mouth, spew drivel and then get heated up about it screaming hate. Yes, the Boks haven't won in NZ in awhile. Boo hoo, cry me a river. That will change. A very strong AB's side barely beat a weak C French team and you think they are in such a good place. I would not bleat such prowess if I were you. The Boks played against much weaker opposition and they were very disappointing. Lots to work on. However, we know what these Boks are capable of. We know what the youngsters are capable of. We know the depth we have and that depth is extreme. Lots of new youngsters bleeding through too. Better than most of the current AB's. Have you watched the URC? No. Japan league? No. English Premiership? No. You watch SR and you are awed by what you see. You think the world will fall at the AB's feet, that they will smash everyone in front of them(couldn't do it to a C French team). You are blind. Foolish. Big mouth and overhyping a team that is already out of time for the WC. At the most 17 Tests left to give players time to shine. Razor doesn't even have a full A team yet. Prospects yes. Possible future stars, yes. The Boks have about 3 teams, and about 3 teams with star studded youngsters that can shift up. What will the AB's do when there is injuries? Red card bans? AB's are good. They always will be. However, they are wafer thin in the talent department. As I said, I love the AB's, just not all its arrogant supporters of which you are one. You get good supporters, not you, and then bad woke idiots, that's you!

    30 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan