First, some good news for spectators or spectators who may have difficulty distinguishing curries. When they align together for England for the first time in Dublin on Saturday, there should be some useful and sartorial clues to take into account.
The Ben and Tom sales flankers will be the first twin brothers to represent the national team in Tandem, in the first game of the six nations against Ireland. It will be a memorable day for 6 -foot 1 inch young, their proud family and their club.
But it could also be a confusing day for those who observe and even officials. So, as a public service exercise, the father of the brothers has offered Mail sport A practical guide to distinguish them.
“If it helps, Ben will probably be in black boots,” said David Curry, director of the Bishop Heber high school in Cheshire. “And Tom has been using a guard in the last five or six games, but he is not trained in one throughout the week, so I don't know if he only does that with the sale.”
Identification has been a problem since the twins broke into the scene.
“When they played their first senior game for sale, one of them went crazy and the coach was wrong,” David added. Ben left the field, perplexed, and Tom was injured!
Tom (left) and Ben (right) Curry will become the first twins to represent England together
Ben tends to wear black boots while Tom has been playing in a guard chief in recent weeks
Steve Borthwick's team faces severe evidence in its first game of the six nations against Champions Ireland
'At first, we try to help by placing them in different guards, even to help the family go out! If we could, put Ben in Azul, so it was “BB”. We often put it in blue boots. Black or blue, the track is in the footwear then.
Leaving aside their identical appearance, their races have not run parallel, despite the fact that the couple is a sale of strong, strong, strong race, cut from the same fabric and armed the same formidable DNA.
What initially distinguished them was the formative moment of sliding doors in 2017 when Ben was destined for a debut in England first, against the barbarians, but suffered an injury and was replaced by Tom, who became a fixed and fast element.
The memories of that episode, which defined the paths taken by the brothers for so long, on Saturday will be the 57th CAP, and the seventh of Ben, explained why the Curry family did not allow any premature hope in recent days, since England trained Northern Spain.
“Tom suggested that Ben could be in the mixture this week and that Ben has really been out of the radar,” David said. 'He has kept his head down.
“It was the same as then, before that game of barbarians: Tom told me that Ben was in the mixture and it wasn't, but it was fine with that because they were only 18 years old. But Ben was injured in training. He called and said his back was gone.
“Then, when I was in the mixture this week I thought:” We hope to see if the training passes. “Seven, eight years after that game of barbarians, he has done it. They have trained today and now I can give a sigh of relief!
In the intermediate period, there was also the surrealist phase when Eddie Jones, with his appearance as a chief coach of England, suggested to Ben Curry, and the sale, which should try to become a scrum medium. While the club tried the idea with an understandable disbelief, the ambitious player tried. Just in case.
David Curry (left) spoke with Mail Sport about his children of history before the crash of Ireland
Tom will win its 57th cap for England, while Ireland's clash will be Ben's seventh
Tom replaced his brother Ben ahead of a clash from England XV with the barbarians in 2017
“That was just before Covid,” David said. 'There are training balls that are very weighted and half rugby ball, and one day I caught Ben practicing with one of them in the garden.
'Typical of Ben, I was giving everything; A couple of hundreds pass one hand and a couple of hundreds of the other. It was a true scrum medium plan. There I was practicing for it, outside the brick wall.
While Ben has been the one that is updated, Tom also had to show an incredible resilience, to pave the way for this transcendental occasion in Dublin, after undergoing greater surgery in hip damage that could have finished his career.
Both twins have dealt with adversity to reach the point where they can initiate a test together. It is not surprising that it means so much for your family.
“It's amazing,” said his father. 'We are ecstatic. People think that, because they are twins, their trip has been the same, but in reality they have been very different and I am very proud of them.
'They have come to this place in a very different way, with Tom and his hip, and Ben always seemed as if he had been playing the second violin. Now, in this current way, this opportunity really deserves.
I will be honest; I did not think this happened, after New Zealand in November, when I thought they had a chance (just for Ben to replace Tom, when he left the bench). The competition in the back row is so fierce in this country. So, for this to happen, it is a long time, like a rugby father.
When Ben and Tom were 11 years old, his former head of the year at the Bishop Heber school said he was going to bet on both playing for England. Unfortunately, there will be no great payment. “He got out of that,” David said. “I can't imagine what chances I could have had.”
Both curry brothers have dealt with adversity on their paths to the top of the game
While Ben has been playing, Tom has shown an incredible recovery capacity before Saturday
Meanwhile, there is also euphoria in the sale, in response to a double selection that they considered that it should have been on the cards many years ago.
The club has benefited so often to display the brothers in the same row back and asked how it looks in practice, rugby director Alex Sanderson painted an attractive image for England fans who are not familiar with The alliance.
“You have a curry in any other ruck,” he said Mail sport. 'Defensively, it is a nightmare (for the opposition) because the fight has never ended; In the Tackle and after the Tackle.
'These guys can execute good lines and offer a lot in attack too. They have football skills. They are quite complete players. If you think everything is bigger and growl with those two, you are sadly wrong.
Sanderson echoed Curry SNR by praising his players because of the way they have overcome the difficulties in establishing this long -awaited opportunity to join forces in the national cause.
“They have grabbed the caps individually in the last two years, but never next to the other until now,” he added. 'It has been a dream of childhood.
'It may be more difficult to be selected, when you are identical to another person, because you can always be seen as for the same.
'These guys are really good in similar things, but Ben has improved more and more. He has become more physical, is a little more weight and has become more consistent. He is a different leader than Tom; Your personalities are different.
There was euphoria in the sale after both shark stars were called Borthwick in England
Time will tell if the bold plan of the back row of Borthwick brings enough balance to its advance package
'If you are a captain, as Ben has been for us, you have to act. You have to live on that, you have to go and act first, before saying it in the gear room.
'Part of his philosophy has been to leave free, not try to impress according to the standards of England, but only for his. He is only playing what is facing him and there has been less pressure on him. He is enjoying it.
'Tom has gone through that trauma due to injuries and now experiences everything with more gratitude because he could have moved away from him. Therefore, there is a different motivation for both of them to play very well and definitely are in shape. It is the right decision (unite them).
Time will say if the bold ploy works and there is enough balance in a rear row unit that presents Ben Earl in No. 8, with the twins on both sides. Tom is expected to offer a lineout option and there is no doubt that Ireland will seek to point to England in that area.
But, on the other hand, visitors will go after the headlines of the title in the collapse and are armed to the teeth for that task. One day of the jackal is in prospects and the currys will continue to appear together, ready to wreak havoc.