England hooker Dylan Hartley has praised Northampton team-mate Ben Franks, lifting the lid on the prop’s own lunch box and training methods.
Franks, 34, joined the Saints ahead of 2018/19 and has immediately impressed the England captain, who’s giving him an extra boost this year.
“I have got a new mate, Ben Franks and he is 34,” Hartley told England Rugby, with the hooker back playing this season after taking a break.
“He trains better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He finds time in his day to do extras, like extra weight sessions.
“He does his own warm-up sessions, he carries round his own lunch box and brings in his own food. When he started playing, he didn’t get food, so he had to bring his own and he’s always done that.”
Hartley was back in England training this past week but now returns to Northampton and at 32 years old, the hooker treats veteran Franks as a role model.
“I asked him why and he told me he’s scared that if he stops doing the work that his body will shut down, so he works incredibly hard to maintain his ability to play. I see someone like him as a great role model even though he is only a couple of years older than me,” he said.