
Theo Dan ready to play the tourist on England tour to America
They are destinations and cultures Dan is keen to soak up on and off the field and he has been tapping up some of his teammates at StoneX Stadium for an inside track.
'It would be my first time in Argentina and I've never been to the USA either, so it would be an amazing experience,' he said.
'At Sarries, we have Juan (Martin) Gonzalez and Lucio (Cinti) and we've spoken about it a little bit over coffees, asking them what it's like and about the stadiums we'll be playing in.
'They've both played in both of them and said it's unbelievable. One of them is a football stadium in Buenos Aires (home of Estudiantes) and the atmosphere there is one I'm really excited to experience.
'You have to be sensible, of course, but I try to be a tourist where I can, especially when you're going somewhere you've not been before.
'Japan was incredible, Tokyo was one of the best places I've ever been. I loved it there, and being able to explore bits of New Zealand was amazing as well.'
Dan was one of five Saracens players in a 33-man England training squad who spent two days together at Pennyhill Park to prepare for an international summer which begins with an uncapped clash against a France XV at Allianz Stadium on June 21.
His fellow hooker Jamie George is set to keep him company in South America while Tobias Elliot, if selected for the final touring squad, could make his England debut after a standout season on the wing.
'Tobias has been outstanding for us this year,' Dan said. 'It might feel like he's broken through from out of nowhere but for us at the club it's no real surprise.
'He has been knocking on the door for the past year in training, he has trained and played really well for Ampthill and in the Prem Cup.
'It's no surprise he's transitioned seamlessly into the Premiership and I'm really excited for him. I hope he takes it with both hands and enjoys it as it's a really good opportunity and he deserves it.
'Jamie is a great guy and one of my really close friends, I feel very lucky to call him that.
'He has been a great mentor to me and also the younger guys coming into camp, he is such a great guy to have around.
'He's able to share invaluable knowledge and he makes everyone feel welcome. He's an incredible asset to have in camp and day-to-day around the club.'
England XV face France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 21 June at 3:15pm. Tickets from £25, please visit www.englandrugby.com/xvtickets

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
‘It's been life-changing': Ben Earl takes Lions lessons back to Saracens and England
After the British & Irish Lions failed to complete the clean sweep they were seeking in Sydney, the head coach, Andy Farrell, conceded it might take one or two beers before his players felt a sense of pride in their achievements. For Ben Earl, you sense it did not take as long as that. Earl gave a glowing endorsement of his first Lions tour – he appeared as a replacement in the first and third Tests – passionately expressing the hope he features on the next one and explaining why he returns to Saracens and England a much-improved player. The key, according to the 27-year-old back-rower, is essentially to go with the flow. He cites as an example that on the way to the stadium last Saturday the door on the team bus became jammed and as a result the Lions had to decamp to another. In other, more highly strung environments, disruption like that can have a derailing effect, but Earl's eyes have been opened to a world where not everything has to be perfect or prescriptive. To that end, it was instructive to hear he has spoken to England colleagues about bringing a similar attitude when they reconvene in October. 'Just get out of your own way,' he says. 'You can overthink this sport so much but when you've got a game on Saturday, then you've got to play again on Tuesday or Wednesday, you're not going to be able to do every rep, review everything opposition. Get out of your own way and just play rugby. 'It's almost like you get to the pinnacle of our sport – this is what it is – and you're back playing under-12s on a Sunday morning. There's no preparation, you just go out, you have a plan, you try to implement it, you express yourself in a way Andy and the rest of the coaching staff have allowed us to do and I've loved every minute of it. 'It's been a life-changing experience, the highlight of my life, certainly my rugby-playing life. I've made friends for life, memories for life. It showed me something completely different in terms of the rugby side of things. I've loved it. It has been completely transformative for me and I'm a far better player because of it. 'I've spoken to fellow Englishmen that there's some cool stuff we can bring back to camp and that's sort of the whole point, isn't it? We can come back and say, 'there are some bits we've done here that work when we have time away or during campaigns'. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion 'I'm almost excited to get going again. I need my time off, but I'm almost excited to get back into certain environments to be like, 'have you thought about this?'.' Earl is equally effusive about Farrell's coaching style. The Ireland head coach led the Lions to a first series win in 12 years on his first tour in the top job. 'He has made me fully believe in how good I am,' says Earl. 'Every time he talks to the group, I'm like, I'll do anything for that man, I'm ready to play. Even when I'm not playing. Every time he spoke to the group, I'm like, when the time comes, I'm ready to play for this bloke.' What of Farrell junior's England future? In the second Test, in Melbourne, Owen won his first international cap since the 2023 World Cup and having returned to join Earl at Saracens he is eligible to play for England again. 'I love playing with him, every time I take the pitch with Owen, I think 'we're going to win',' says Earl. 'That's his best quality. 'It's not up to me [if he plays for England again]. There are too many moving parts for me to comment on that. The more times I can take the field with that bloke, the better, let me put it that way.'


Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Maro Itoje hails 'special' British & Irish Lions team-mates as the captain prepares to rally his troops for one final time in search of a series whitewash in Australia
Maro Itoje will urge his fellow Lions to take their shot at history on Saturday, before ceasing to exist as an entity. That is part of the magic. They are striving to maximise a fleeting window in time together. The message from the captain to his British and Irish band of brothers is to seize their moment before it all ends in a hurry. The representatives of four rival countries will soon revert to manning the barricades and smashing lumps out of each other again, but for now, one last time, they are unified by a common goal. It is part of what makes the Lions such a unique sporting concept. So, Itoje will demand that the men around him commit body and soul to this; their own Last Dance. They have become friends and forged bonds in pursuit of a cause on the other side of the world. The skipper's last call to arms will involve imploring these 2025 Lions to ensure that their crusade resonates for eternity, by completing a 3-0 series whitewash of the Wallabies – and a tour return of nine wins from nine matches. The 30-year-old Saracens and England lock recognises that he is a figurehead for a group of players who are engaged in a highly unusual mission. 'It is different,' he said. 'It happens once every four years. You only have one shot at it. The next tour is never guaranteed. There's a rarity to it. If you miss one, you may never have another opportunity to do it. 'It has been said before, but in many ways, it (Lions) shouldn't really work. You have four different nations; four different ideologies; several different ways of how to play the game and how to think. It is not a homogenous group at all, but people buy in and you build bonds. That's what makes it special. There's a recognition as well that you're with very, very talented players across the board. To gain the respect of quality players and to respect your fellow quality players is special.' That has been a recurring theme for Itoje during this six-week odyssey Down Under. He has spoken about the sense of being surrounded by greatness. It was fascinating to hear how he addressed this Lions squad about the fact that they are all used to being 'the man' in other teams they play for, but that they needed to park the ego and a sense of status, because all the others in the squad are used to being up on pedestals too. Itoje recognises that being in this environment means being among an ultra-elite. He has tailored his leadership style to being part of such exalted company. 'What I've been conscious of is it's a higher level of player here,' he said. 'So, you don't try to treat certain players of a certain level and calibre the same way that you would if it was a much younger or inexperienced group.' This year's Lion king is following in the footsteps of giants. Today, whatever the outcome in the last Test against Australia, Itoje will raise a trophy in what is now called Accor Stadium, to celebrate the series triumph. He will do so in almost the same spot that the great Martin Johnson lifted the Webb Ellis Cup to signify England's World Cup triumph in 2003. Itoje is on a similar path to the legendary Lion and Tiger, by leading the famous four-nation alliance to a series win, as Johnson did in South Africa in 1997. He had already conquered Europe multiple times with his club, Saracens, as Johnson did with Leicester. He has been involved in Grand Slam glory and success in the southern hemisphere, as Johnson was in his and England's pomp. What has happened here has filled a gap in a gold-plated CV. 'Being a Lion in itself is a humongous achievement, but you want to be part of a series-winning side,' he said. 'Speaking to some of the guys from 2013 and some of the golden oldies from 1997, they have such fond memories. Some have fond memories of 2001, maybe not so much 2005, but 1997 seems to be the one that they truly appreciate and love. Of course you want to be a winning Lion. You want to be part of that esteemed group.' Where to from here? Itoje has elevated himself to the oval-ball pantheon, but there is more which can be achieved. If his career keeps following a golden script, it will involve a return to today's grand venue in the autumn of 2027, as captain of England. The next World Cup is in Australia. Johnson was 33 when he held the Webb Ellis Cup aloft. Itoje will have just turned 33 by the time the next global showpiece reaches a climax in this city. Given the assured way he has handled Test captaincy, first with England and then with the Lions, maybe he can follow the giant's footsteps all the way to a defining pinnacle. He certainly hasn't been fazed by the responsibility; first with Saracens, then with his national team and most recently here. 'I definitely feel like I was ready to do the job when I was asked to,' he said. 'I didn't feel like it was a step too far for me or it was going to be something I wasn't able to do. When I've got all the posts I've had within the last year or so, I've felt that I was ready to do them and everything that came before them felt like preparation to do it.' After the Lions snatched a series-sealing 29-26 win in Melbourne last weekend, Itoje did a high-fiving lap of the stadium, to savour the acclaim of the travelling supporters. He had already led them on a chant of 'Lions, Lions, Lions' during his post-match interview, over the tannoy. Public speaking comes naturally to him, as he proved in front of the Prime Minister at Downing Street in April. Itoje is already mixing in influential circles. In the aftermath of last weekend's dramatic success, he received a message from the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy. 'I have a bit of a relationship with him,' he said. 'I think he may have been at the game, he had some work in Melbourne last week.' What may set Itoje apart from Johnson is what he does when he stops playing. Many doors are sure to open. He has a wide array of interests, including politics. When people suggest he could become Prime Minister himself one day, they are only half joking. This is a man of presence and gravitas and considerable intelligence. But for now, he only has his eyes on one prize. Complete the mission. Beat the Wallabies once more. Earn that 3-0 whitewash to make history. Then cease to exist, knowing they will be remembered for eternity, for seizing their fleeting moment and making it count.


Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
UK's 'most scenic summer drive' named as 'unforgettable' 500-mile route
A travel expert has shared his list of the UK's most scenic road trip routes - including a 500-mile loop around the Scottish Highlands and a short stretch around limestone cliffs A travel expert has named five scenic UK summer drives that should be on your bucket list. The round-up of the UK's best road trip routes highlights the country's diverse landscape - from rolling hills, mountains, storybook villages and coastal views. According to Dan Doherty, insights manager at Away Resorts, the rise of staycations has created a growing appetite for 'more flexible, weather-proof travel options'. He says road trips are the 'perfect way to explore at your own pace'. 'Whether you have a day or a week to spare, scenic road trips are the perfect way to explore the UK's natural beauty, " says Dan. 'From spontaneous detours to peaceful viewpoints, travelling by car lets you enjoy the journey without the stress of crowds or fixed schedules.' It comes after sunbed wars have seen Brits forced to queue for 'over an hour' just to get to the pool. Road trips offer the 'freedom to roam' with the 'comfort of staying close to home'. That said, Dan shares his ranking of the top five road trips everyone Brit should try. 'I moved from UK to Benidorm – price of a pint and Full English left me floored' Flight attendant urges tourists to always leave a shoe in their hotel room safe 1 of 5 North Coast 500, Scotland 2 of 5 Cheddar Gorge, Somerset 3 of 5 The Lake District's Kirkstone Pass, Cumbria 4 of 5 Atlantic Highway, Cornwall and Devon 5 of 5 Snake Pass, Peak District