England rugby look to Leicester success

Wed, May 4, 2016, 10:54 PM
AAP
by AAP
England Rugby look dejected after their World Cup loss to Australia last year. Photo: Getty Images
England Rugby look dejected after their World Cup loss to Australia last year. Photo: Getty Images

England fullback Mike Brown feels Leicester City's stunning Premier League football title triumph can inspire the national rugby union side to success in Australia.

Brown also believes England have their very own Claudio Ranieri in the shape of head coach Eddie Jones.

Ranieri's unfancied side shocked the sporting world by lifting the Premier League crown just a year after struggling against relegation.

Brown, 30, was part of the England team that completed the Six Nations grand slam earlier this year and hopes to be heading to Australia next month.

Mike Brown breaks a David Pocock tackle. Photo: Getty Images

He sees similar attributes to Foxes boss Ranieri in Australian Jones, who is rarely without a smile on his face in public, but beneath that veneer is a shrewd operator desperate for success.

"It just shows that if you have that drive to succeed, the willingness to work hard and that team ethos Leicester have, you can achieve anything," Brown told the Press Association on Wednesday.

"I'm a big believer in looking at other sports and taking what you can from it and that's the message you can take from Leicester.

"They may not be big names, until now, but still they've achieved what everyone wants to achieve by working hard, by playing as a team.

"We want to be the number one team in the world and that starts now with the Aussies. I'd love to be selected and have a crack at the number two team in the world and hopefully push them all the way."

Share
South Africa's two-time World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi will return to the Stormers in July 2026. Photo: Getty Images
Springbok captain Kolisi to rejoin Stormers
Five key talking points for the Queensland Reds heading into Super Rugby Pacific 2026
Former Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete got the party started as Saitama Wild Knights beat Urayasu D-Rocks. Photo: Getty Images
Oh what a knight: Koroibete helps Saitama to Japan win
Queensland and Australia U18s star Treyvon Pritchard was named player of the tournament at the Global Youth 7s
Australia U18 Boys claim silver at Global Youth 7s