Motivated to New Heights

New Zealand-born Dylan Hartley has received a lot of stick in the Six Nations but, instead of snapping back, England’s hooker tells The Independent’s Chris Hewett how he’s been motivated to hit new heights. Hartley, current fulcrum of the England pack and a man seemingly determined to buck the trend insists: “I’m not witty enough to get involved in all that. I’m always being hammered in the banter department, usually by [England team member] Chris Ashton.” If Hartley’s performance at the Millennium Stadium — a 1 per cent return from his line-out throwing, an aggressive scrummaging display, no sparing of himself in the loose, no loss of temper — was top-notch, his display against France last time out was even better. No hooker in the British Isles has safer hands or a wider range of footballing gifts. Some of the passes he gathers in the heavy traffic, with tacklers clattering him from all angles, beggar belief.”