Young Guns: Gloucester lock Arthur Clark
Grand Slam celebrations didn't last long for England U20s star Arthur Clark as he shifts from rugby commitments to farming.
The Gloucester lock, who signed professional terms last year at Kingsholm, returned home to his family's farm in Todenham last week with a Six Nations winner's medal days after beating Italy. But the grind didn't stop for Clark, who was straight away tending to 1,000 sheep and 70 acres of arable before he returns to Gloucester training next week.
As one of six Gloucester players in the U20s camp – five being forwards – Clark says the team's dominance against the Irish and French packs bred confidence en route to a first title in four years.
“Everyone's motive was about building and building,” said Clark.
“And when we were in the opposition 22 it wasn't about winning ball to feed out to the backs to do fancy stuff out wide. We knew we could control things and from 15 metres out we backed ourselves to do a job.
“When you are reviewing games and can see clearly how you had dominance over another pack, it gives you a feeling you never really get used to. Our pack was so strong and it wasn't like other big packs because we still had a very quick back row.
“Sometimes you have to sacrifice speed for power but I don't think we struggled in that way once it was me, Alex (Groves) and Ewan (Richards) at 4-5-6. In the game against Ireland we decided to just scrum them off the park. If we were five metres out, we were going to scrum.
“And against Wales we said we were just going to maul it, so we would kick to the corner and run that way.
“It was the ability to go both ways that gave relief to the backs because they knew we were solid and were going to help them out, and as forwards we just knew we would have the momentum and that gave a boost to us in the tough games.”
Educated in agriculture at Hartpury College, where he spent last season on loan, Clark's time split between rugby and farming make his days longer than most others as a third-generation countryman.
He cites recent documentary series Clarkson's Farm about Jeremy Clarkson's rural adventure as a welcome eye-opener to city folk about the travails of a farming life.
“I think it has helped people gain more of an understanding of agriculture and the work involved,” said Clark, who helps to run the farm with his father Barry, a former Gloucester player himself.
“At the end what Jeremy was saying was quite nice because it's true that if a farmer is in a pub moaning about the bad weather it isn't because he is a moody b******.
“There are people who come to the country from the city and moan about all the tractors and hopefully now they know that there is method behind our madness.
“Ever since I have been able to sit in a tractor and drive, my old man has put me to work. Speaking to you now I'm sat in the tractor after seeing to the field and just parked at the gateway.”
