England No 8 Ben Morgan has capped a remarkable autumn series by beating five-time world darts champion Eric Bristow in a match at Kingsholm. The 25-year-old, who scored two tries against Australia and was named QBE player of the autumn series, defeated Bristow in front of a stunned crowd.
Morgan, who previously worked as a plumber and weighed 20 stone, said: 'Whatever sport I play I want to win. I hadn't played darts for a while. I was nervous on the oche but I backed myself. You don't go up there to lose! I hit a 140 and then Eric missed check-out on 81. I won with double four!'
The Bristol-born forward's form marks a turnaround from last season, when he struggled with confidence due to Gloucester's poor performances under former coach Nigel Davies. 'I wasn't in a good place mentally and 100 per cent it was getting me down,' he said. 'I lost all my confidence.'
Morgan's path to England honours was not straightforward. In 2010, he turned down an invitation from Martin Johnson to play for England Saxons, fearing injury. 'Saying no to Martin Johnson? Who wouldn't be? I was absolutely dreading it,' he recalled. He later moved to Wales, turning professional with Merthyr before joining the Scarlets.
Now with 27 caps, Morgan is expected to start England's Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on February 6. He has lost around 18 kilograms since his early professional days, saying: 'When I first started at Scarlets I weighed 132.5 kilos. I was a big lad.'
