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\u201cI was playing at Nottingham when the last World Cup was around, watching it from home,\u201d lock Ollie Chessum recalls, his mind flashing back four years as he recalls where he was during England\u2019s last campaign. \u201c[That spell] was massive for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the place that gave me an opportunity to be where I am now. I hadn\u2019t got offers from anywhere else \u2013 Nottingham were the last people to approach me and say they wanted to give me a shot. They were incredible with me. I was fresh out of school, and they gave me the tools. It\u2019s massive credit to them for me being sat here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps the Rugby Football Union (RFU) could look to the journey of one of England\u2019s breakthrough stars at this World Cup as evidence of why the league is in need of nurture. For Chessum, it has been an unconventional route to the top. Born in Lincolnshire, Chessum was cut from the Leicester academy at 16, watching from afar as many of his good rugby mates continued to be reared as Tiger cubs. Nottingham offered a lifeline; Chessum grasped hold of it with both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in my position, the Championship is about the set-piece,\u201d Chessum explained. \u201cBeing 19, thrown into scrummaging and mauling against seasoned professionals and some of the blokes who have played in the Premiership is a big thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a weirder journey than others. I didn\u2019t go through the academy stuff, so I am proud of that. If someone told me in 2019 I would be at the World Cup in 2023, I would have laughed in their face.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ollie Chessum has established himself as a certain lock starter in England\u2019s side <\/p>\n
There could soon be two Chessums in England\u2019s side. Ollie\u2019s younger brother Lewis, a couple of inches taller, captained his country at Under-20 level and is already part of Leicester\u2019s senior set-up.<\/p>\n
Full international honours are expected to follow but dislodging his big brother may prove difficult. Those small steps at Lady Bay have been replaced by great big bounds in recent months. Having made his England debut during last year\u2019s Six Nations, Chessum cemented himself in the starting side during a breakthrough Six Nations. A serious leg injury disrupted his progress but, having fought back to make the squad for this tournament, his partnership with Maro Itoje has gone from strength to strength.<\/p>\n
Chessum has packed on extra muscle and mass in the last few months to better fulfil his brief as England\u2019s tighthead lock, the set-piece a pillar of paramount importance for England at this tournament. Both scrum and lineout have largely worked well, with Chessum a crucial cog.<\/p>\n
Now will be a litmus test of how far he has come. Packs don\u2019t come any meaner or skilful than South Africa\u2019s \u2013 but Chessum is ready to relish the challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a player you\u2019ve got to use the week to get yourself right,\u201d Chessum stressed. \u201cThe big motivating, rev-up factor for me is that I\u2019m playing for England. I\u2019m playing for my country at a World Cup, and we\u2019re facing South Africa. Every time you\u2019re playing for your country it shouldn\u2019t be that hard to rev yourself up.<\/p>\n
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Ollie Chessum has developed his second row partnership with Maro Itoje <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to rise to the challenge. We play rugby, it\u2019s a physical game. If you don\u2019t bring physicality against any team then you\u2019re going to struggle. From that aspect, certainly as a forward, it\u2019s not particularly hard to brace yourselves for a physical game against South Africa. It\u2019s our job this weekend to be physical.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t turn up you haven\u2019t got a shot; not against these big teams, teams in semi-finals. If you\u2019re anything less than 100 per cent, they\u2019re going to walk all over you.\u201d<\/p>\n