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Jack Bracken: 'Third try was pretty good; lucky with the bounce'

England players celebrate one of Jack Bracken's tries versus Argentina (Photo by Thinus Maritz/World Rugby)

What a way to introduce yourself to the world at the age of just 18. Jack Bracken wasn’t part of the England squad that clinched the Six Nations U20s title 15 weeks ago, yet he was in Cape Town on Saturday justifying his recent call-up with a dream debut hat-trick.

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He volunteered in the Athlone Stadium tunnel to RugbyPass that his third score was the best, latching onto his own kick to pounce out wide on the right. However, his first try was the most important as England were down 0-14 following a sluggish start and needed some momentum to pierce Argentinian exuberance.

It came in the 35th minute with successive out-the-back-door passes from Ben Redshaw and Henry Pollock followed by a carry and a slick pass to Bracken from scrum-half Ollie Allan. That possession invited the No14 to fly past a defender and score with a fast gallop from the 22-metre line.

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In a blink, the game changed. England were level by half-time and they went on to largely dominate the second half, winning 40-21 with a flourish that included a crosskick catch try from Bracken before he went solo, kicking ahead from the 10-metre line, regathering it five metres short of the try line and then rolling over after hitting the deck.

“The third try for me was pretty good. Lucky with the bounce but enjoyed it,” he chuckled after returning down the tunnel for a quick interview before the bus journey back into the city from the Cape Flats venue. “It’s really incredible. I can’t describe it.”

But he did. “It was really special. Really thankful for the opportunity. Yeah, credit to the boys. It was a good game. It was really special with the brotherhood that we have got going. Yeah, special… Yeah, my ability to beat defenders is one of my strong points. I got given the opportunity today and I took it pretty well.

Tough first 20. Credit to Argentina, they really made it hard for us. But we got momentum towards the end of the first half and kept it going throughout the second, so it was good. Definitely, physicality was a step up. Speed of the game a step up but I think yeah, worked a lot harder and I coped with it pretty well. Great vibe in the changing room after a big win but looking forward to Fiji next week.”

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Bracken wasn’t daunted stepping into the environment of a title-winning team that had done its business impeccably earlier this year when he wasn’t on the England U20s selection radar. Injuries helped to open the door, but his form wasn’t shabby either and they welcomed him in without any awkwardness.

“So I started with the 18s, then played 19s and did well enough to get selected for the 20s. Then to get my first start, really grateful for the opportunity. Everyone has been really welcoming. They welcomed me into the group and I know a lot of the boys. We have grown together and they have all been really welcoming. It has been a smooth transition.”

One that his famous World Cup-winning father Kyran is watching from afar. “He’s watching from home, it’s a bit far to travel. I’m sure he and all my family were watching. My brother Charlie was here (last year with the 20s) and he didn’t go either. It wouldn’t be fair if he came here for me.”

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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