Line-out ability is my back-row edge

BBC News

4 days ago

Ollie Chessum says he is relishing his opportunity in the back row as the versatile England forward zeros in on a spot in the British and Irish Lions Test squad.Chessum started at blindside flanker in the 36-24 win over the Brumbies on Wednesday, scoring a try after 14 minutes and narrowly missing out on another as he was held up over the line late on.Only two of his 28 Test appearances for England have been back-row starts, but the 24-year-old - more usually a second row - says his set-piece experience is an advantage over his rivals for a place in the squad for the 19 July series opener against Australia."I think the line-out one is probably obvious, to have that third jumper," he said when asked by BBC Sport about his point of difference as a back row.
"But all sorts really. I think that when I get the ball in my hands on the edges I can make a real difference. Playing six frees you up to be both on the edge and in the middle."I have had to work at it, but since I have been 20 or 21 I have played in and around the back row at Leicester."I have had hints of it with England - with the players we have there it works nicely in a bit of rotation. I do really enjoy it."The coaches have been great with me because obviously we have not had that much time to prepare and train so they have freed me up and let me go to work."Hopefully I did what they asked me to tonight."
The win over the Brumbies marked Chessum's first back-row start for the Lions. He came off the bench and into the second row against the Western Force and started at lock against Queensland Reds.He also finished the match in Canberra in the second row, swapping in after Henry Pollock replaced Joe McCarthy just before the hour.Head coach Andy Farrell has emphasised the importance of players' versatility to ensure his side can adapt tactically and cover injuries during the game.The Lions have also prioritised having a line-out jumper in the back row on recent tours with Courtney Lawes starting all three Tests in South Africa in 2021 and Peter O'Mahony captaining the side in the first Test against New Zealand four years earlier.Some observers have pegged the fixtures against the Brumbies – the strongest Australian province in this year's Super Rugby competition – as a dry run for Farrell's Test line-up.However, Chessum says that with another warm-up game to come against an invitational Australia and New Zealand XV in Adelaide on Saturday - and the hectic schedule leading into the first Test on 19 July - he is taking every day as it comes."I don't know what to expect!" he said of the series opener in Brisbane."These past two weeks has been an absolute blur. You play a game, you are on a flight, we land in the next city, we have a captains' run and then we are playing again."It has been really enjoyable but, as far as what is to come next weekend, as a squad we will see where we want to take the game."That is one thing that has been really good - it has been player led and hopefully we can have our input on what we are going to do next week."