By LIZ MOORE

Former Wallaby captain Ben Mowen is back at Easts to chase another rugby dream of his – winning the Hospital Cup for his beloved Tigers.

Off to a good start this season, Easts had a 31-24 win against UQ in the first round of points competition on the weekend. It comes on the back of two strong trial wins against Sunnybank and Wests.

“The ultimate goal is winning the premiership,” the Easts captain said.  “We’re not aiming any lower than that. 

“We’ve been quite upfront with our planning and road-mapping as a group, and our expectations around how we’re going to get there.”

The No.8 started at Easts as a Colt in 2003 and spent three more years playing Premier grade while also being involved with the Reds Under 21s, before being contracted permanently to the senior Reds. 

It was the start of an illustrious career, including playing a Super Rugby final for the Brumbies against the Chiefs, captaining the Wallabies to very nearly a Grand Slam, a British and Irish Lions tour, then heading to France to play for Montpellier and Pau and find more of a balance between rugby and family life and immersing themselves in the European experience. 

He and wife Lauren even opened a restaurant, Beanz, in Pau, which they still own and run alongside their business partner in France.

Last year the couple made the move home to Brisbane, along with their three kids, two of whom were born in France. 

Mowen didn’t waste much time to throw the boots on for Easts towards the end of last season, but didn’t qualify to play in the finals.

Mowen was meant to spend most of this year on coaching duties with the Australian Junior World Cup team, but with that on hold he is assisting at the Queensland Reds Academy and is firmly focused on his Queensland Premier Rugby playing goals.

It was a seed planted back in the 36-year-old’s early playing experience at Easts, the club his dad Sean and uncles played for, as well as the place where his parents met. 

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to come back and finish playing club rugby in Brissie, so I’ve always tried to look after myself through the years to enable myself to do it.

“I played for Easts during the times where Easts were quite weak,” Mowen said. “We really struggled for any sort of success across the grades.

“Then a couple of years after I left, Easts won their first premiership since 1999. 

“That was 2008.  It was cool to be a supporter and watch that happen, but also I was a little bit envious that the guys that had gone through all those hard times then worked really hard to put a successful team together then got the ultimate reward.

“So in the back of my mind, I always wanted to have that be a part of it. That’s one of the main reasons I was really motivated to come back to Easts at some stage cos I went through the tough years, I wanted to be part of the good ones.”

It’s so far so good for Mowen this time around.

“It’s far exceeding my expectations. We’ve got a really great squad, a really good one. They’re really happy, and we’re having a successful start to the year.

“We had a good win against Uni on the weekend, which was very important to start that way. We played really well, and that’s what our expectation is this year. We’re not playing at our potential yet. We’re playing some good footy, but there’s still a lot left in us.

“And then we’ve got GPS this weekend, who are undefeated, so it’s a nice way to start the year. We’re really excited by it. I think each week we’ve just gotten better and better, and I think that’s got a lot to do with the work ethic of the group.

“We’ve spoken a lot about we want to be there on grand final day this year. It’s not about playing one or two good games this year and then one or two poor games after it. It’s about consistently improving. 

“That’ll be our messaging and our drive again this week. We know GPS have been one of the teams that have set the standard across the pre-season, and so it’s really good that we get to take them on, and we take them on at Easts.”

The aspiring coach is also really enjoying the experience of being coached by his former playing mate, Moses Raulini.

“He’s a great coach. I know him really well. He’s just got a great outlook on rugby and life. He keeps the rugby really high energy. He wants the guys to play with a really high skill level, but he understands the fundamentals of the game and what you need to be successful so he’s got a really lovely balance to him.”

Mowen said he only got to play with Raulini a couple of times in those early days at Easts because his now coach had international and professional playing commitments across the world. 

“It was really good because it instilled in me the importance of older, professional guys coming back and playing club rugby. Just to really pass on so many good lessons and little habits that you pick up through being a professional that you don’t necessarily get exposed to as an amateur.

“I certainly got a lot of those attributes through guys like Moses coming back and playing at Easts so it’s nice I get to do that with the guys around me. And obviously having Moses who’s a former player and former international player, to have a guy like that as your coach is pretty special.”

As for hanging up the boots, 36-year-old Mowen has no plans.

“I just love it too much. I naturally like to keep fit and train, and to do that in a social environment and be part of a club that’s as special as Easts, I don’t think there’ll ever be a year I declare I’m not playing anymore. If I’m around and I’ve got time, I’m in there. 

“I’ve been fortunate that I’ve always been really deliberate with my diet and the way I look after my body so it’s given me a bit more longevity, which has been good,” said Mowen, who goes to the gym with his Dad early most mornings. 

“It’s such a rewarding experience when you’re part of a team and everyone’s got that exact same goal and that same level of motivation.”

As for his coaching future, Mowen is equally all-in.

“My goal is to be a coach full-time. I really enjoy being part of teams, watching guys improve, playing a part in that process. 

“I’m a big one for being part of common goals. I’m obligated to myself to be involved in teams for the rest of my life. I’m excited by it.”

IMAGE: BRENDAN HERTEL / QRU