Red Rose snub won’t sap Shields’ motivation
BRAD Shields has not been required by England since missing the last World Cup through injury, but the New Zealander has been in imposing form for injury-ravaged Wasps.
The 30-year-old back rower, who joined Wasps from the Hurricanes in 2018 and was playing for England that summer before his club debut, has led by example during a time when a number of the club's leading players, including Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu and Dan Robson have either missed all of the campaign or the last month.
Launchbury is expected back in action by Christmas with the others looking at the end of January and there have been some matches this season when Wasps have been without 18 players.
Shields missed only one of their opening seven league matches, the heavy defeat at Saracens, and has been his side's rock.
”My advice to any young kid would be to watch Brad Shields and follow him,” said Lee Blackett, the club's head coach. “He gives absolutely everything, in training and in matches, the first in and the last to leave.”
The lure of playing for England was a significant factor behind Shields, whose parents are English, leaving New Zealand after six years with the Hurricanes, but his lack of international recognition in the last two years has not sapped his motivation.
“I would imagine that playing international rugby is the goal of every player,” said Shields. “I do not let it get in the way because, first and foremost, I have to play well for Wasps. Anything else is a bonus.
“If you get too caught up in the next step, it will affect your performances. You do not want to play poorly for your club, your bread and butter. If you are going well, opportunity opens up, and we are building towards a really good thing here.”
Shields quickly adapted to the English game despite being injured for Wasps after breaking his cheekbone on his debut for the club at home to Exeter after a clash of heads with Stu Townsend.
“What stood out quickly was that the weather dictates the way the game is played here,” said Shields. “It creates a different mindset in teams and more are set-piece oriented than in New Zealand, but what I like about Wasps is that we have built a really good group culturally and it is getting better and better.
“It is a really inclusive environment and it is not a place where players feel they cannot speak up. We have been missing some key components this season, but we have an environment where we are demanding of each other and we have not used injuries as an excuse.
“We pride ourselves on how hard we work off the ball and it does not matter who is playing. It is all about channeling leadership in the right direction and what we have found is that the depth in our squad is pretty good.”
The Autumn International series marked a rare victory for Europe over the leading southern hemisphere nations with even New Zealand losing two of their matches.
Shields knows a number of the All Blacks and believes that anyone writing them off ahead of the 2023 World Cup should pause for breath.
“Everyone goes through difficult patches and it is about emerging from them the stronger,” said Shields. “England, Ireland and Australia have all been through them recently and it is how you build.
“The All Blacks have their sights on the World Cup and have given new guys game time. They will come out of the tour the better for it.”
