But this season Ben, whose five England caps came when his brother was either injured or involved with the Lions, has forged his own identity, leading by example as Sale made a late push for the play-offs.
Ben won the last of his five caps in last year's Six Nations, starting the opening match against Scotland and coming off the bench for the final three. He had work-rate and nous but not quite the physicality.
This season has been different. He missed the opening seven weeks having been injured in last season's play-off semi-final against Leicester and ruled out of the World Cup in France, but it was quickly apparent that he was a different player from the campaign before.
"Ben is 5kg heavier than when he last played for England," said Alex Sanderson, Sale's director of rugby. "The challenge for him is to keep that weight on and keep moving as he always has done.
"Ben does what he wants and I support him.
You can see the difference around his neck and shoulders and it helps him in terms of the impacts, which is what England want from him.
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