The former Leinster centre is shocked at his club’s current plight.
Leinster fans were undoubtedly disappointed when Ben Te’o announced around this time last year that he was to leave the province at the end of the season for Premiership outfit Worcester Warriors.
However, it was no secret at the time that the former rugby league star harboured ambitions to represent England.
His mother is from an area near West Ham in London and he also holds an English passport so, for him, it was never a difficult decision to make.
Te’o made his debut for England in their win over South Africa at Twickenham a few weeks ago but although he is very proud and happy with how his international career is proceeding right now, his club career is a different matter.
Leinster's Ben Te'o could make his England debut before he's played a game for Worcester Warriors https://t.co/YlETA3z2Z5
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 29, 2016
The Warriors are just six points above bottom-of-the-table club Bristol Rugby, who Pat Lam will be taking charge of at the end of the season.
“I never envisaged being in this survival battle, I thought this was a club that had come up, would stay up and really kick on. That’s what I thought; top eight, top four then grand finals. It’s not really been what I thought it would be,” Te’o tells Sportsmail.Â
Te’o shares his dismay over the Warriors’ current plight and seems to suggest that there is a lack of direction and leadership at the club, who former Munster and Ireland international, Donnacha O’Callaghan also plies his trade:
“It’s hard to put my finger on it. Leadership from the top down? I don’t know which direction the club’s going. The standard of players? We probably don’t have the quality. Honestly, we’ve got some good players but we probably need to add.”
It’s definitely a change of scenery for Te’o and although he needed a move to the Premiership to fulfil his ambition of playing for England, it would not be surprising if he thought he should have stayed with Leinster for another year.
Polar-opposites would be an accurate description for the current status of Leinster and Worcester. Leinster are facing into a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash against bitter rivals, Munster, while Worcester have to travel to Ashton Gate in a match which could prove crucial to the top-flight status of both clubs next season.
