LLife has been full of surprises for new England back-rower Ethan Roots of late. First, Steve Borthwick was called up just months after arriving at Exeter before making his first start against Italy last Saturday and picking up the Man of the Match award. However, he was surprised to learn that his mother Carla had flown in from New Zealand to watch the Auckland-born flanker make his debut.
“My dad came back to Oakland, but my mom flew out and surprised me,” Lutz said. “I saw her for the first time in a long time. It was special too. She arrived [the night before the game]. I don’t know how she planned all this. She landed at the same time as my partner. They kept it a secret. This was a nice surprise.
“[Before the game] I got a few messages from my parents, my partner and my brother; all my family members were pretty much the same. I’m very excited about this. They are a lot of the reason why I play and probably why I do as well as I do. “
If this was a whirlwind for Mrs. Lutz, it was nothing compared to Ethan. As a teenager he was a budding cage fighter in New Zealand, before returning to rugby and making one appearance for the Crusaders and the Maori All Blacks, only to doubt he had a future in the sport. A move to the Ospreys in 2021 rekindled his love for the game before Exeter’s Rob Baxter – who knew Roots had qualified for England through his father – brought him to Germany. England manager and World Cup-winning flanker Richard Hill brought him to Devon to attract the attention of Borthwick.
“The last six or seven months have been quite overwhelming,” the 26-year-old said. “Everything happened very quickly and for me everything went well. I went through a tough time but in the end Still got over it. I was lucky enough to still be in a professional environment and I jumped back into it. I fell in love again [with the sport]”.
Roots is an unpretentious flanker who stood out for his direct passes – something Borthwick’s side were lacking – including in England’s 27-24 win over Roma. A spectacular run down the left wing. Likewise, Borthwick has been impressed by his performances in the training camp and he has wasted no time in lending his voice to a team that has lost a number of senior players since the World Cup.
“He doesn’t look like he’s playing Game 1, does he?” Borthwick said. “That’s what struck me from the first day he came into camp. We had a fitness session in the afternoon of the first day of training. What impressed us was how much he talked to the other players around him.
“The players were mostly in pairs, so I would watch how they interacted, but then they would all come together and he would be loud and encouraging and demanding of others. That was his personality in the camp. That struck me as Deeply impressed and we saw that today too. I know he’s a good player but as a character he’s down to earth, experienced and has real leadership qualities.”
Newsletter Promotion Post
Roots agrees this is where his strength lies and after an impressive performance against Italy he is expected to make his England debut against Wales on Saturday, where he will be linked up with some of his former Ospreys team-mates conflict.
“Inspiring people and speaking out is something I’m good at,” Lutz said. “A lot of people told me I needed to find my voice in camp and I just tried to do that. Steve just said everyone can bring their own different perspective. The more I touch the ball, the better for myself and the team.” The better.
“I know a lot of those boys at Wales and it would be nice to get a strong run against them. It’s a big moment and it will be my first Test at Twickenham, so I’m very excited about it.”
