After an NRL Premiership and two State of Origin series wins with the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues, second rower Angus Crichton secretly hoped he’d take the next step to an Australian jersey.
“I guess if you’re not aiming for that jumper you’re selling yourself short a little bit,” Crichton told nswrl.com.au.
“I always thought I could be an international player, and I mean that in the least arrogant way.
“But I know I’m capable of it and I want to showcase what I can do.”
That comes against Fiji at the 2021 World Cup, where Crichton will be the envy of most being wedged between two of the most exciting players in the game – five-eighth Cameron Munster on his inside and centre Latrell Mitchell on his outside.
“It’s pretty exciting isn’t it? I’ve played a fair bit of footy with Latrell and I’ve known ‘Munny’ for a long time too but we’ve never played together – only against each other,” Crichton said.
“So I’m very much looking forward to linking up with those guys and hopefully causing some damage.”
Mitchell and Crichton were part of the 2019 Sydney Roosters premiership team. That same year Crichton was named in Neil Henry’s U23s Junior Kangaroos team.
Two of the players in that squad were Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Campbell Graham, who are both named in the 18-man team to play Fiji in Leeds.
“It’s so cool to link up with those players again. I was there at Souths when Campbell made his NRL debut and now Tino and I make our Australian debuts together,” Crichton said.
“Over the years you get to know a fair few players but this is a chance to understand them even better,” he said, adding that Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan was the only player he had not met among the 24-man Kangaroos squad.
“We’ve gelled together well and we all know that international footy is the highest honour – to represent Australia and my family….I just want to do them both proud.”
Crichton has only played under coach Mal Meninga once before – the Prime Minister’s XIII in September against Papua New Guinea.
“He’s got such a big aura and personality around him being the legend he is and what he’s done in the game. The way Mal talks about the jersey gets me going… really excited to play.
“He puts a lot of trust in us as players and expects us to prepare the way we should.
“I can’t thank him enough for giving him this opportunity and I look forward to paying him back.”
