The scrum-half’s unique approach to career prolongation has served him well as Steve Borthwick relies on his experience
Few players have heard more Calcutta Cup bagpipes over the years than Danny Care. He first played against Scotland in 2009 and Saturday’s match will be his 99th Test appearance for England. If the striker’s young team-mates wanted first-hand advice on Murrayfield and how to survive there, they had no need to look further.
It is one of the reasons why the 37-year-old is staying in the national team; Steve Borthwick is hoping to bring in some experienced players to set the tone for the younger generation. Now an experienced player, Danny the Lad was selected for his experience of dealing with pressure, particularly after Ben Youngs withdrew from the Test and Northampton’s Alex Mitchell suffered a knee injury last week.
But none of this means anything if a player has lost his drive, charisma or whatever it is that makes him want more. Kyle, for his part, is a personalised regimen: he attributes his longevity to “liver and saunas” and admits that nutritionists in England have not always been his closest allies. “I’m lucky because I’m not a huge nutritionist and I don’t believe in it completely, so nutritionists hate me.”
Cookies and saunas…if it works, why not? I don’t think I’ve found the answer, but at 37 years old, I think I’ve shown an alternative to consuming large amounts of protein every day and taking supplements. The thing is, everyone is different. What works for me may not work for Dan Cole or Joe Mahler. I always say I play a different sport than those guys; the way they do it is incredible. You have to find what works for you.
A Sheffield Wednesday youth player with Jamie Vardy, Kyle has always had a natural athleticism but, like the champion jockey, he is the first to hit the sauna when England are based at the five-star Bagshot Hotel.
Saunas and ice baths are our best friends. It’s a great feeling to have it on your doorstep and have time to enjoy it.
“When I was home, I couldn’t just go away for a few hours to ‘recover.’ My wife… well, she wouldn’t be my wife anymore. But you can be so selfish here. I’ve definitely taken recovery more seriously in the last few years. I feel better now than I did four or five years ago.”
He now understands what I need to do to be at my best on Saturday, but at the same time he would be nothing if his mind didn’t wander to the possibility of playing next month for the umpteenth time. When he was suddenly dumped by Eddie Jones in November 2018, it was clearly a hopeless future. “I kept thinking I’d like to do this. And then I thought, ‘It’s over now, it’s not going to happen again.’”
Now you think, ‘Oh, the nineties were really intense.’ ‘It’s a huge privilege to play for England; if I could get 100, that would be great. But if I look too far ahead, playing on Saturday won’t be enough for the team. ‘Yeah, but what are his plans after this season?’ I don’t really know, to be honest. I think I’ll find out in the next few weeks what my long-term plan is.’
Whether the curtain falls or not, the experienced Harlequin is keen to go out on a high note. England have won just one of their last six meetings with Scotland and will need to improve their performances to secure victory. Bath’s Ollie Lawrence is expected to return at No 12, ahead of Fraser Dingwall, George Martin and perhaps even Manu Tuilagi, who are also aiming to reach the Round of 23. In Mitchell’s absence, Kyle will also be an important part of what will be a crucial game for both sides.
What would he say to this new crop of players at Murrayfield? “It’s a really great place to play. When you’re a kid and you watch the Six Nations, you see games like that and you want to go and play. When you actually play, you realise how special these games are.”
It’s never easy there. I love getting off the bus and hearing the enthusiasm of the fans. They’re so passionate because they care so much. They want their team to win, and we want our team to go out and win.
“The last few times we’ve played them they’ve been better than us, there’s no doubt about that. They’re a team that should win two games out of two this season and I’m sure they think they should. They’ve got a magical midfield, some world-class finishers and some veterans who can give you problems.”
My advice to our young players? Enjoy the game, immerse yourself in the game. You never know when you won’t be able to play these games anymore.