by After each game Chandler Cunningham-South receives a message over WhatsApp from his father back on the farm in New Zealand, reviewing the performance of the new England full-back. They are not short. “It’s really like a script, and you have to click ‘read more’,” he laughs. “I won’t get a rating, it would be tough so I don’t want to see it. It’s good, every encouragement and it’s helpful.”
There are rapid rises and then there are players like Cunningham-South, launched like a rocket into Test rugby. After swapping Sidcup for New Zealand at the age of four he returned to these shores as a teenager, after Canterbury were unable to find him a place in their academy. Cunningham-South is now an English player aged 20 and the youngest player in Steve Borthwick’s squad.
It’s not hard to see why Borthwick and England like him; hitting all wrecks, carrying and tackling with a large frame and maximum resolution. Had he ended up with the Canterbury set-up there is every chance he would have been lost to English rugby forever. Keen to enter a professional academic environment despite enjoying life at Lincoln University outside of Christchurch, a highlights pack was put together and sent with London Gaeil taking an interest. Given the Dorries’ excellent record of developing young players under Declan Kidney, Les Kiss and Jonathan Fisher before their sad demise last year, what better environment for a raw but talented prospect to learn the ropes.
“They were all very good men and helped me a lot,” says Cunningham-South. “They developed me a lot, especially the professional side of it, and even as a person. I was only 18 so it wasn’t just training they had to do, they had to almost be helping me on a personal level as well, making sure I was ok, which was nice, checking on me in always and I was. enjoying myself.”
An early sign that Cunningham-South might be a little special was that he made his debut for the England Under-20s before playing a game for the club. The family stays back home in Wellsford, almost 50 miles north of Auckland, surrounded by cattle. “It’s off the grid, there’s not a lot of service,” says Cunningham-South, which contrasts that with running out in front of more than 80,000 at Twickenham. “Maybe when I’m older I’ll be more into that kind of thing but now I’m more of a city boy,” he admits with a laugh.
His mother will be the latest family member to step forward ahead of England’s game against Ireland next weekend. Without the support network at London Irish and now Harlequins moving around the world would be very scary for a teenager, but when you hear Cunningham-South discuss how he handled losing out on that place to Canterbury, there is a mental bucket load. strength. “I had the confidence that I should be in a professional environment. One time of it [the academies] willing to give me an opportunity, I would then work hard and take the right steps to play in the professional game.”
Two things helped Cunningham-South to do away with Twickenham. The first is to describe his speech. “It’s gone now, he says. “When I first came here I had a full Kiwi accent and I lost it when I was here. When I’m on the phone with my friends it comes out sometimes.” The second was his steep learning curve of English rugby history, and ironically, learning the true identity of his new mentor: 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Richard Hill.
“I went back to [Irish] and he said there’s this guy who keeps talking to me and giving me this feedback and this stuff to work on and he seems to know what’s going on, and I couldn’t remember his name,” Cunningham-South says of his first person. experiences with English under 20 years.
“Then I found out from the Irish boys that it was Richard Hill and he told me a few sessions later that he won the World Cup, and knows a bit about rugby!”
‘Twickenham is a great place to play’
Hill isn’t showing his mettle or making Cunningham-South sit down for obligatory viewing of England’s 2003 win, but having a mentor of that quality on hand seems invaluable. Not that anything could really prepare Cunningham-South for a first-time exit at Twickenham. “It’s great to play there. You don’t realize how big the situation is until you’re on the field looking up. It just doesn’t seem to stop. So loud, so passionate, it’s a great place to play.”
Arriving in the England camp has undoubtedly accelerated his development, noting that his ability to “take information” with lineout plays has increased.
The start of the first test doesn’t feel like it either, given how well Cunningham-South has done from the bench so far. Amazing, really, since he joined the London Irish academy a little over two years ago.
“I haven’t had a chance to stop and reflect and I have to look forward to what lies ahead. I don’t like to look back and wait for things. A lot of good things have happened and bad things but they have all happened for the right reasons, I think. I’m doing well and I’m happy and grateful for that.” He is right. Why press pause and reflect when everything towards Cunningham-South is always up.
