Betfair Official Blog

England v Australia Betting: The rage lives on inside Vickery

Click here to view market

Ralph Ellis on the indefatigable spirit of England's lion-hearted prop - on the cusp of a 66th cap against Australia this Saturday.

There are some players who turn out every week because they love the game - and others for whom it's merely a way to earn a living. For them, being a professional sportsman is just what they do because they happened to be good at it - no different to the guy who has a talent for numbers setting off to the office every morning to be an accountant.

The ones who love it stay around however much money they've made. The ones who don't soon grow tired of the sheer, gruelling hard work needed to stay fit enough. So there's little doubt that when Phil Vickery talks today about his burning ambition to go on playing for England he fits very firmly into the first category.

At 32, "Raging Bull" has fought his way back from enough serious injuries to have put most people in a wheelchair. He's had three back operations, two concussions, and hardly a bone in his body that's not been damaged in some way. He's been given - and then lost - the honour of being England captain but he's still around to win his 66th cap at Twickenham on Saturday when England play Australia.

Vickery was supposed to be being eased out last week when Matt Stevens was picked ahead of him for the win over the Pacific Islands. That lasted one game and the veteran who scrimmaged alongside manager Martin Johnson in the 2003 World Cup win is back for more.

"When I sing our national anthem I bloody mean it," he tells the Sun's Tony Roche this morning.

"I'll still feel the butterflies. That will never change, the passion for England.

"I've been through a hell of a lot down the years, incredible highs, soul numbing lows. But I love the game so much and intend battling on until that emotion is replaced by old age.

"Of course I was disappointed when the captaincy was taken away from me. I was so proud to lead England.

"But I'm in a real battle with Matt Stevens for the number three jersey so there was no sulking. I never saw the honour of captaincy as something personal to preen about - it's about the team and your country."

That sounds not unlike what David Beckham had to say about giving up his job as England captain! The difference is with the rugged Vickery you tend to believe him. And if you don't you certainly won't tell the 6ft 3ins, 19 and a half stone monster to his face!

Martin Johnson's time as captain was marked by a rage for perfection and it's a sign of his same one-eyed approach as a manager that he's made a couple of changes after last week's first win in charge.

He's also given a message to his other prop Andrew Sheridan that last week's performance wasn't good enough and needs to be improved. Vickery and Sheridan are two of only four survivors in the team from the side that produced a shock 12-10 win over the Aussies in the World Cup last October and need to be bang on their game again.

If they are then that should supply enough good possession to help the emerging talent of Danny Cipriani blossom again - and make England decent value for a win at [2.04]. With one already under the belt, you can back Johnson to start his management career by winning all four Autumn internationals at [10.0]. It's a tempting punt.

Five things you might not know about Phil Vickery

1. Known as a proud Cornishman, with parents from Bude, he was actually born in Barnstaple in Devon

2. He followed his dad as a farmer and ran the cattle insemination unit - which led to his "Raging Bull" nickname when he left Redruth to join Gloucester

3. He had played only 34 club games when he got his England debut aged 21, and was captain for the first time on the tour to Argentina in 2002

4. He has an oriental tattoo which translates as "I'll fight you to death"

5. He doesn't do political correctness. His Raging Bull range of leisure clothing has a "moody cow" range for women.