Eight years on, I am raring to go...

Paul Eddison talks to Ben Curry, the Sale flanker who is aiming to be a big hit on England's summer tour

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BEN Curry can still remember the moment he understood what it meant to be on a full England tour. Aged just 18, he and twin brother Tom were bold selections from Eddie Jones eight years ago when England travelled to Argentina deprived of a host of players on Lions duty.

The Sale flankers turned 19 on that tour, and now Ben is set for his second taste of the country with England returning to South America this summer.

But where he was a fresh-faced teenager who grew up very quickly last time around, the responsibilities in 2025 will look very different for Curry, who is now club captain at Sale and a senior member of Steve Borthwick's squad.

Looking back at his 2017 experience, he said: "It definitely feels like it's been eight years, that feels like an absolute lifetime ago. It's a lot more relaxed (now). I definitely don't panic at driving up the gates to Pennyhill (Park, England's training base in Surrey) like I used to. It's an interesting one.

"You probably don't actually really reflect on it every day until stuff like this happens, where it's pretty nuts. It wasn't just learning about rugby, it was learning about life on that tour.