Disappointment, debriefs and development

When it comes to England Rugby there’s been much discussion of late about what’s happening now? What's happening after after England finished in fifth position? Is it just being parked and brushed aside? 

Well, at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday lunchtime the RFU’s Chief Executive Steve Brown made clear about what is occurring internally and also gave his perspective on the recent competition. His appointment into this role was announced on September 1 last year and he replaced Ian Richie who retired from the position. The now CEO, had been involved with the RFU since 2011 as the Chief Financial Officer and also was the Managing Director of England Rugby 2015 as they were responsible for organising Rugby World Cup 2015. 

Every month Steve Brown sits down openly with the media to provide his perspective, thoughts and opinions on various issues. These sessions cover a many topics and don’t just get put in the diary after something ‘big’ has come to light, they're ongoing.

As you’d expect at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday the focus was very much on the senior men’s recent Six Nations Championship performances and tournament. His point of view was clear and he highlighted the detail of the next steps that I mentioned earlier.

“The results in the Six Nations were not what we wanted, not what we expected and there is no attempt by us to dress this up. Everyone is deeply disappointed, we will learn from this and make it doesn’t happen again. 

“The key is, what do we do next? Eddie and his team do a thorough debrief, that's part of the routine. The debrief has started today and is part of an extensive review session. I was at the start of it this morning for the first hour or so. It's a thorough process that we do after every single tournament. It goes into some detail, including an analysis of what has gone on and what needs to happen. No stone is left unturned. 

"Eddie comes to the board after each tournament and that has been set in the diary for a while. Eddie will come to the RFU board meeting on Wednesday to give a debrief and some of that will be the content of the review today, the views, thoughts and findings. It will also help the RFU board understand what has happened and more importantly what can we do to make it better going forward.”

The Chief Executive also use the term ‘a bit of a bump’ in the road and made it very clear what now wasn’t the time for. 

“It's worth reflecting but Eddie has an 86 per cent win record with England. You don't become a bad coach or team overnight. We were motoring pretty well and things were going particularly well. We have hit a bit of a bump and now is the time to regroup and reassess and get back on track.

“Eddie and his coaches have my confidence and the measure of how good they and can be will be how they respond to these tough times. No one is patting each other on the back, they're looking for solutions to put us back to where we were before.

“We’re hugely disappointed but confident in the ability to turn this around. These are the moments when you don’t knee jerk without the evidence and data. We are not knee jerking but we are going to learn. We go again and we will bounce back.”

As you may have read from my reflective piece after England's loss at Twickenham Stadium I'm in accordance with these views. The losses against Scotland, France and Ireland and the performances in those games weren't what England's players, coaches or fans would have wanted to deliver. However, they happened and performances of that nature do in professional sport. Do sporting outfits always win? No. Do teams have challenging periods of time? Absolutely. It just so happens that when the English national side do stutter the wave of uproar is five, or ten, decibels higher than for any other side. It's worth pointing out at this moment in time that debriefs like the above occur after every competition the autumn internationals, a summer tour, a Six Nations... they're not reserved for 'bad' moments. 

Of course Eddie Jones' contract was extended in January to beyond Rugby World Cup 2019 and Steve Brown’s opinion on that move was that it remains the right, and best thing, for the team.  

“We spoke before and as you’ll recall the whole point of that [contract extension being announced now] is the two things we wanted to achieve. One of them was to secure Eddie post-World Cup based on success, so there’s a performance element in that. If Eddie is not successful, and we’re not successful, there is no contract after that so that is clear-cut. 

“The second bit, which you may argue the opposite at the moment, was to take the distraction away. We didn’t want the distraction, the debate and the deliberations and whatever else might have been on Eddie’s future, and our future, in the build-up to the World Cup. They were the two primary reasons for doing that and absolutely it was the right thing to do and we stick by it.”

Personally I see no reason to make a change - and find it difficult to get my head the perspective of those calling for a change - and even if the tour to South Africa involves a loss I can’t see England benefitting from this type of reaction now. I’ll go back to the initial point that the RFU's CEO made ‘you do not become a bad team or coach overnight’, he is right. One thing I do think that could add to this England side though would be to tap into the knowledge of a great attacking vision and mind, Ben Ryan as a clear example. From an RFU perspective because they are 'well-resourced' there is the financial support to bring in another individual to the team, whether or not that will happen will be based on the outputs of the ongoing review process and, of course, the perspective of the man at the helm Eddie Jones.

As I've stated already England's Six Nations campaign wasn't what anyone expected or any player, coach or fan wanted. However let's not forget some of the factors that were at play including a number of England's players that had been on the British & Irish Lions tour going into the competition without any form of prolonged rest. Lessons must, and will be learned, and rightly so in my opinion there won't be any knee-jerk reactions taken by the RFU's Chief Executive right now. 

England Rugby - Post Ireland Perspective

Three losses on the bounce and Ireland securing a Grand Slam at Twickenham Stadium was not what Eddie Jones and his side wanted to contemplate before kick-off. However, it was the reality that met them after the full-time whistle on Saturday afternoon. 

This Six Nations campaign has been far from a walk in the park for England and instead it's seen them finish with fifth position next to their name. Following the full-time whistle their head coach first praised Ireland's performance and his side's effort before focusing on the period that they find themselves in:

"Our team played with plenty of character and stuck at it but we just weren’t good enough and the other team was too good. We gave them penalties that were avoidable which has been a trait for us during the Six Nations and allowed them to skip away too far at half-time. Then, we were chasing our tail for the whole game. 

"You have these runs and I’ve coached long enough to know that you have them. Sometimes you get out of them quickly and sometimes it takes a bit longer. At the moment we’re in a position where it’s gone on for three games. It’s not nice but it’s part of the process of being a better team."

England's coach is right and if you’ve ever been part of a sports team striving to be the best then you’ll know that the road there isn’t easy. It isn’t plain-sailing and it doesn’t run smoothly. I know this from personal experience having progressed up the ranks to the national level as a netball player. 

In sport there are days, matches, tournaments and championships when things go astray. Performances are put on the park, or on the court in my case, that you know just don't reflect your personal capability or your team’s capabilities. Injuries occur, players are missed, confidence is knocked and as a result losses happen. One loss or even two or three arrive. It's sport and that's the reality of it. 

Confidence is something that can play a major part in runs like these, be them good or bad runs, and Eddie Jones discussed this his post-match assessment. 

"I’ve coached over 150 Tests and you have these runs. Everything is going well then you lose a game, you lose a little bit of confidence and you start losing those 50/50 decisions. Then you get some injuries and it just becomes a bit of a cycle that you need to break. 

"Sometimes you break it through a bit of luck, sometimes you break it through an individual player, sometimes you break it because the opposition aren’t as good on that day. You’ve just got to keep at it, wait for the opportunity and make sure that people stick together and keep believing in the process. If you do that then you get out of it."

Up until this point the Australian's England side have shown themselves to be an all-encompassing outfit. By that I mean a side that was able to dominate others or in separate instants grind out results during indifferent occasions. However right now, that skill of grinding out results, has gone missing and it’s linked to confidence. 

"It’s funny isn’t it? Because up until now that’s what we have been exceptionally good at [finding a way to win] and as I said you lose one and that little bit of confidence ebbs away. You don’t get the bounce of the ball, you don’t get the 50/50s and than you don’t find a way to win. How do you get it back? No-one knows you just have to keep at it."

As I mentioned in my pre-match thoughts there are fundamental elements to England's game right now that aren't perfect - their breakdown work and their creativity moving forwards in particular. However when their confidence returning, the latter in particular will start moving back on an upwards trajectory. When George Ford arrived onto the pitch on Saturday and Owen Farrell moved back to 12 England started to show more. The Leicester Tiger is an individual who I would have in my side every day of the week and as a duo I remain of the belief that together they are a key partnership to helping this side to spark when they couple fresh ideas with confidence. 

Will Eddie Jones bring in a new coach specifically to add an extra element to England's attack? Who knows? If he does that may be a productive move and one that helps to accelerate the re-emergence of their confidence. Why? Well, when you're attacking with conviction and flair and delivering moves that other sides can't cope with then that breeds positive feelings. That ability in turn energises the whole group and can be the catalyst to turning around a run of this ilk. 

On Sunday morning shots will be fired, metaphorically of course, at Eddie Jones and his England outfit. The number five will be shouted from the rooftops and their current flaws discussed at length. However, I personally would urge a spot of perspective to be delivered and consideration given to the fact that no side in the world runs white hot constantly. 

England's Six Nations campaign has been a tough one for the players involved and one that they would not have envisioned ahead of their opening game. However, as long as it's build on and learnt from that's what counts. Right now, would England win Rugby World Cup 2019 in their current form? No but that doesn't mean that they're down and out or that it's time for loud calls of 'Eddie out'. 

England v Ireland - Super Saturday 2018

England’s encounter with Ireland is a fascinating one isn’t it?

The final weekend of the Six Nations Championship, England coming into it off the back of two losses, Ireland with a Grand Slam on the line and week that has been far from quiet off the field too.

Of course we could have had a straight shoot-out for a Grand Slam and what a prospect that would have been however I personally am fascinated by this encounter. The more people I have spoken to about this game, the more I’ve heard the same sentiments and the words ‘I’m just not sure I can call it’.

Now I realise that to some reading this article that sounds absurd. However, allow me to explain my perspective and why I cannot wait to watch the action unfold on Saturday afternoon.

When it comes to this match the unknowns are greater than usual, on both sides of the fence. For England the fact that Eddie Jones has decided to twist his personnel and make seven changes does bring the first element of the unknown.

Yes tried and tested partnerships are being placed into the Test arena – Richard Wigglesworth and Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and George Kruis – however  as a collective will England, in this formulation and this guise, be able to deliver off the back of two potentially confident-knocking losses?

The second unknown from an English perspective is whether or not they can fix the fundamental issues that they have been exhibiting during the past two Test matches. The breakdown being the most obvious alongside their tardy pace of adapting. With Ireland in their faces and well aware of their current ‘fragilities’ do they have the personnel and courage of convictions to lift themselves to victory at home?

From an Irish perspective the first focal point is the weight of expectation and the weight of pressure that comes with having a Grand Slam on the line.

This Irish side are an established team and a team full of players that have cut it at the highest level, be that for their clubs in the European Cup or as individuals in the British and Irish Lions. Yet, most have not shouldered the burden that comes with this particular situation – a Grand Slam opportunity. Will they thrive? Will they romp to victory like we saw England do against Ireland back in 2003 in Dublin? Or will they find it too much no matter how much they prepare not to?

In this game, more than any other during the Championship, both side’s emotional levels, and their control over them, will be pivotal. This was an area that Eddie Jones focused on during the week and openly admitted that England had got it wrong against Scotland and France.

"You don't understand what the Six Nations is until you're really in it. The emotional part of the game is enormous in the Six Nations," England’s head coach said.

"It's probably more than any other tournament I've experienced about your ability to not get over-aroused, not to be under-aroused, to be at the right arousal level. Looking back at Scotland we were probably over-aroused and sometimes it looks like lethargy and again that was my responsibility, I got it wrong.”

England are going into this game with ample pressure of their own, not when it comes to things regarding the Championship but when it comes to the criticism being levelled at them from all sides. In the space of a few short weeks it has ramped up considerably. Of course there are elements that aren’t there and their performances have exposed key weaknesses however from my perspective the intensity has been a touch severe. These periods happen in the development of sporting outfits, it’s how professional teams grow and develop. The famous class of 2003 that I just mentioned didn’t always have it all their own way, look at the path that Saracens have been on this season too as an example.

"This is going to be good for us,” said Eddie Jones, honestly, on Thursday at England’s training base in Bagshot.

"I love it. This is what we get paid for as coaches. It's the best time in rugby, when you are under the pump and you have got to produce it. And the team feels the same way.

"It is a fantastic test for us. It is the first time that we have been tested like this. It is better off happening now than later on."

Toeing the party line? Saying it for the sake of it? No. We all know that the Australian isn’t just delivering these messages because they’re the right thing to say during challenging times.  He means them and his team will too as they approach the considerable challenge that is being laid at their door this weekend.

On paper, even with the weight of a Grand Slam expectation on them, Ireland’s noses are in front. Yet, if England in this formation click and if they iron out even just 90% of their issues from their previous two games then we’re in for one hell of a ride.

Passions will run high, the odd tear or two will be shed by fans and even perhaps players either way and the competition that runs with title of ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ will live up to its name. Roll on 2.45pm.

England: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Te'o, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 James Haskell, 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Don Armand, 21 Danny Care, 22 George Ford, 23 Mike Brown.

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 James Ryan, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Dan Leavy, 8 CJ Stander. Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Jordan Larmour.

Eddie Jones on...

“To sum it up; he is no-nonsense and just gets on with it. He knows what he wants to do, he knows what the team needs to do and he is quite direct in communicating that. He expects high standards. He has been super-loyal to Dylan and to the team.”

Eddie Jones’ words as he started to discuss why England inside centre has been selected to lead the national side this weekend in the absence of Dylan Hartley. He followed them up with ‘it was an easy option for me to take because we want someone in the same mould as Dylan’. 

Of course the Saracen has captained England on a number of occasions under his head coach however not from the outset nor for a full match. On Thursday at Pennyhill Park the 26-year-old was his usual calm, measured and focused self. He worked his way around all of his broadcast interviews, sit down one-to-one interviews and the larger press conference  quietly and diligently. There’s no doubt that behind closed doors he's immensely proud about leading his country out at the Stade de France but as you’d expect in public he's taking it all in his stride and just getting on with it. There's no fanfare or show. Yes, his heart will be beating a little faster when he wakes up on Saturday morning and when the bus drives into the Stade de France and when he lines up in the tunnel ready to run out but right now it's business as usual. 

'Super-loyal to Dylan' were Eddie Jones' words and he elaborated further on their meaning a short time after. 

“Loyalty in a team sport is one of the number one qualities you want. When you get an international team who has stars in their own team [club] – all of our guys are stars for their teams – the ability of them to work together and be loyal to each other is vital. 

"Perhaps with past English teams, it has not been the case. I think we’ve got guys now who work for each other and understand that one person has a “C” next to their name and you’ve got to give them everything you’ve got.”

England’s head coach always leaves Dylan Hartley to own the latter part of the week and the build into game day. With the hooker still being in camp it's up to Dylan and Owen to will ‘work it out between them’ as to how they manage this dynamic. When it comes to the team’s development you’d expect that the back would take the lead now. Why, when Dylan is still around? Well, because if the Northampton Saint wasn’t available at any point in the future, god forbid due to a more serious injury, then the team would need to know how to function - fully - without his voice, his presence and his leadership there. 

One other point that England’s head coach made about his captain this week is that when it came to ‘that’ incident in the tunnel in Scotland he believe that his back simply ‘did what was right for the team’. He concluded that it was his expectation that his players do what is right for the team and left it there. My perspective on that incident, is that it was one of those things that was blown out of proportion. At the end of the day words are set and tempers flair... it happens!

When it comes to Le Crunch itself, England’s head coach has tasked his side with being ‘brutal and aggressive on the gain line' and playing with great 'tactical discipline’. In short having the physical intensity that you need to counter France whilst showing the agility and smarts to adapt on the hoof. Both are areas that I expect to see from his men early on at the Stade de France. I'm fascinated to see England's back-three combine and clicking quickly as a trio will be key for them. Whilst in the midfield Ben Te'o has been charged with letting Mathieu Bastareaud know that he's there and shutting him down:

“He [Bastareaud] is a bit of an icon player for them. Read all the press: he’s been built up as the guy who’s going to regenerate French rugby. So it’s important that, early in the game, we let him know he’s going to have a tough day in the office. The other key position for any French team is the 9 – he’s been playing in a dinner suit. We want to put a bit of heat on him.

Turning the spotlight from Mathieu Bastareaud to France as a whole then Eddie Jones has always believed that they had the potential to come good in this competition. Indeed he highlighted that at the tournament launch and so far in this competition they haven't surprised him. 

“No, as I said at the start of the tournament I always thought they would be a much better team. They have an experienced coach in place who knows what international rugby is about, who knows how to select well and he’s a disciplined coach and they’re starting to play like that so it hasn’t surprised me at all.”

Finally he had a word on his counter-part Jacques Brunel and the longevity that he has shown in world rugby. 

“Anyone who can last the distance, go 15 rounds against Muhammad Ali… if you coach professionally for 20 years you are doing a lot of things right. He’s a good selector, he’s got a certain style of play, always picks big physical teams, they always play like that and if they’re good enough they win.”

England Rugby: A look back and a look forwards

… And so a new Six Nations week Test begins with three huge matches at the end of it. 

For France a first Test in the Championship outside of Paris awaits. Marseille will be their home this Friday night however the question lingering over that fixture is just how will they cope without the front-line players that have been dropped due to disciplinary reasons?

Saturday will start with Ireland and Wales clashing in Dublin. Will Wales continue where they left off against England, pressurising and pushing their opponents? Will Ireland find a new level again after brushing aside Italy in Round 2? 

Then, last but not least there’s the Calcutta Cup. The Cup that has been be apple of both England’s and Scotland’s eyes since 1879 and the Cup that’s been held by England since the 2009 Six Nations Championship. 

England are the ‘bookies favourites’ and that’s a statement that I think all will agree with whether they wear the blue of Scotland, the white of England or are of a neutral persuasion. Why? Well, it comes down to the fact that Eddie Jones’ side are much further ahead in their collective development than their opponents and as a unit house greater firepower within their squad. 

Before I continue to start looking ahead at Saturday’s encounter, I’d just like to reflect back on England’s Round 2 meeting with Wales. 

It was another enthralling Test match and one that indeed tested Eddie Jones side. ‘A win built around a lot of courage and belief’ were the head coach’s words after the game and that was spot on. My own words on the final whistle were ‘the resilience of England to secure that victory was herculean’ and watching the game back again I stand by them fully. It was another encounter that England had to win the hard way and Tests like that are simply invaluable for a side’s progression. They are the types of Tests that teams must learn to win as they build towards a key competition and win more than once. 

Within the 80 minutes itself the axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell excelled and highlighted, not for the first time, the significant competitive edge that having two exceptional play-makers and rugby experts on the field delivers. I fully expect the same dominance from the duo at Murrayfield. 

Elsewhere England’s back-three, and Mike Brown especially, highlighted that loose kicking will be punished and having worked on the Scotland game the day after Finn Russell will need to deliver a more accurate kicking game out of hand to avoid his side being punished.

Defensively, as mentioned, England were intense and ferocious. It’s a key characteristic of every performance now and something that once again I believe will cause Scotland issues this weekend. More on that in the pre-game preview. 

So what of the two squads that assembled together to prepare for the Calcutta Cup? 

Well, within England’s squad Nathan Hughes is being pushed with ‘tough sessions’ to find his match fitness and should slot into that No 8 jersey. Joe Marler is back following his suspension and Gabriel Ibitoye is named an apprentice player. If you haven’t seen Ibitoye’s try for England U20s then when you finish reading this take a look HERE. 

Gregor Townsend has added six to his squad. WP Nel and Zander Fagerson are both back in training; the former has been ‘training for a few weeks’ according to their head coach whilst the latter is slightly further behind. Elsewhere, familiar Premiership faces Tim Visser and Matt Scott come into the backline mix.

As far as I can see the Met Office is predicting and dry evening for Saturday’s match. It looks crisp and a tad chilly but that won't bother either side one jot. The conditions currently predicted  should allow us to see the best of both sides as Scotland will look to feed off their home crowd and play at a pace and tempo that they love. For England it could also be an opportunity to really see them let rip going forward after the drizzly day at Twickenham Stadium wasn't overly conducive to that.

Personally I expect this week to be an altogether different one to the one that we encountered ahead of Round 2. Test weeks against Wales have an added crackle to them and this time around I believe that it could just be a slightly quieter and more closed lead into the Calcutta Cup. 

Gregor Townsend will show his hand on Wednesday at 12pm before Eddie Jones' match-day squad will be announced on Thursday. England’s full squad will come out at 9.15am and a little later on in the day I'll be bringing you the head coach’s thoughts regarding selection and after that some further pre-match analysis talking points ahead of this Round 3 encounter. 

England Squad

Backs: Mike Brown, Nathan Earle, Gabriel Ibitoye*, Harry Mallinder, Jonny May, Denny Solomona, Anthony Watson, Danny Care, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Jonathan Joseph, Jack Nowell, Ben Te'o, Richard Wigglesworth.

Forwards: Charlie Ewels, James Haskell, Nathan Hughes, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Joe Launchbury, Chris Robshaw, Sam Underhill, Dan Cole, Jamie George, Dylan Hartley, Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Harry Williams.

Scotland Squad

Backs: Mark Bennett, Nick Grigg, Chris Harris, Stuart Hogg, Pete Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Maitland, Ali Price, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell, Tommy Seymour, Matt Scott, Tim Visser,

Forwards: John Barclay , Simon Berghan, Jamie Bhatti, David Denton, Cornell Du Preez, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Luke Hamilton, Rob Harley, Scott Lawson, James Malcolm, Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Gordon Reid, Josh Strauss, Tim Swinson, Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson, Jon Welsh, Ryan Wilson.

It's England v Wales time!

England v Wales… it’s a fixture that always has that little bit extra to it isn’t it? If you have either side in your heart then it’s the first match that you look for when the schedule is announced and as the week progresses the anticipation and tension builds and builds. 

It’s a week when the messages delivered from both camps are fascinating to watch and the ‘verbal jousting’ adds to the occasion. Both Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones are experienced and sharp operators, both have been there and done it all before, and I’d say that Test weeks like this one are just as enjoyable for them as they are for us. 

Before we dive into the specifics let’s orientate ourselves in the line-ups - just in cased you missed them. From a Welsh perspective it’s as you were in their starting XV with George North arriving on the bench and for England Jonathan Joseph comes into start as Ben Te’o shifts into a finishing role and Richard Wigglesworth moves onto the bench. 

Eddie Jones shared that the change in England’s midfield was driven by a ‘gut feeling’ on his part more than anything else.

"My experience with big players – and he’s a big player [Ben Te'o] – is that when they’ve had a long injury, their second game back is always the most difficult.

"They build themselves up mentally and physically for that first game, and like with any player they get a bit of a let-down from that first game, it is hard to get that energy back and they’re always a little bit off. I just think that JJ is going to be a little bit on. He has had a nice preparation in the game, he’ll be fresh and Te’o will still be good for us off the bench."

Jonathan Joseph’s role in defence was made clear throughout Thursday's team announcement day as England's head coach turned the lights to full beam onto Rhys Patchell. Now, I believe that most of you will have read the comments however just in case you’ve had a monster week at work and haven’t had the chance to review them here’s a taster. 

"They’ve got to get the ball wide and Patchell hasn’t played much Test match rugby. He’s a young guy, he’s inexperienced and he’s their third choice ten. So, he’s got to get the ball wide for them and that’s going to be a big job for him.

"It’s going to be different to playing against Scotland. Scotland couldn’t cope with the expectation and now he [Patchell] has got to cope with the expectation of playing well and he’s got to find guys around him to help him because he’s going to be under some heat." 

"There’s a lot of experience on either side [of George Ford].  Who’s Patchell going to look for? He hasn’t got a lot of experience inside or outside him. That’s a big task for him. I’d imagine that when Alun Wyn Jones and the guys go down for breakfast on Saturday morning, they’ll be looking at him thinking : can this kid handle the pressure today? It’s a big ask on him."

This type of individual ‘pressure’ isn’t something that we normally see over here in good old England. It’s a little bit out of the ordinary and certainly different keeping it rather conservative. However we all know that there are different facets to sport and that messages being delivered out of either camp are part of a match week and contribute to the occasion and final meeting. Eddie Jones hasn’t been backwards about coming forwards regarding Rhys Patchell but I expect that the fly-half will see it as a compliment and will relish the individual treatment. The Scarlet is a professional sportsman after all and knows what this sort of thing does come with the job, not always but on occasion. Eddie Jones' comments have whipped the excitement and discussion around the gave to fever pitch levels, it's also taken some of the spotlight away from his team to leave them to prepare in peace. Today’s there’s a buzz from Cardiff to Twickenham and everywhere in between. Not only, is it England v Wales day but it’s England v Wales day off the back of an emotional and exciting week…  

So what of England's approach to the match itself? Well, their outing in Italy was a productive afternoon at the office and one that delivered the required victory and any cob-web dusting off for individuals or as a collective. England's final quarter was wholly impressive, they're training to blow teams away and succeeding to do so with their bench adding the intensity and zip you always hope that one will do. 

Today, well today will be different. Today as Eddie Jones rightly said that this will be a 'tight old Test match', a 'bit of cost and thrust' he added and it's important that we see England embrace that and adapt. Wales' outing against Scotland was a confident one, as I wrote in my preview for Sky Sports Warren Gatland's Test side is fuelled by confident and in-form players, epitomised by the 10 Scarlets in his XV. However my perspective on Eddie Jones' words this week is to start the process of trying to see if that confidence can be shaken and he was laying the foundation for his side to truly test it at Twickenham Stadium. 

Twickenham Stadium is a tough place to visit, Wales’ last victory there was back in ‘that’ Pool game in 2015 and England are a different, more hard-nosed and composed outfit now. When it comes to this Test match it will be about individuals, on either side, stepping up and being counted for. We could go into detail about all of the fundamentals of the game but we all know well enough about how rugby matches are won and lost to understand which elements need to be  rock solid in order to prevail. At the end of the day the key moments are decided by individuals, individuals taking responsibility by themselves and as a collective.

In a few hours time I expect Twickenham Stadium to absolutely rock to it's very foundations and I expect this to be one of the most intense and fiercely contested matches of the 2018 Six Nations Championship. England’s pack and backline will look to get in the face of Rhys Patchell, they will look to shut down Wales’ space, offloading game and tempo. On their own ball the vision and distribution of George Ford and Owen Farrell will be vital whilst it's a big opportunity on a milestone day for Danny Care. The Harlequin takes the reins from the off and the experience, kicking game and countenance of Richard Wigglesworth could prove to be a trump card in England’s hand late on. 

Today’s Test match is a simply mouthwatering prospect and for England Eddie Jones’ final words during their team announcement day summarised his expectations. 'It might be a set-piece game, it might be a side-to-side coast-to-coast game, it might be a kickathon. Whatever way we need to win we’ll find a way.’

Six Nations 2018 - First stop, Italy.

Once again we have blinked and it’s time for more international rugby. It seems like only yesterday that Eddie Jones and his England side were preparing to start the autumn internationals and now it’s almost time for the competition hailed as ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ to begin.

The phrase "it’s going to be the most competitive yet" have already been said and whilst it’s a line that always features around this time, it does always true. Each year that passes international Test level rugby goes up a notch and even with the injuries impacting almost all of the Six Nations protagonists the statement is correct and valid in 2018.  

Injuries, the number and who has got them, has been the hot topic of conversation throughout England’s build up to this weekend’s match. At one point in time Eddie Jones stated that he had almost 20 players unavailable to him. However an early birthday present this week saw Jack Nowell, Chris Robshaw, Maro Itoje and Mike Brown all declared fit for this Six Nations opener. That’s quite the present indeed and when you look at the XV and bench that Eddie Jones has selected for Sunday’s Test then it hardly looks depleted or weak. That’s the beauty of English rugby right now, its strength in depth, and it’s why none of the other nations are buying the fact that England are vulnerable or underdogs. England's opponents are treating the back-to-back Champions as seriously as they would have done if every single player was available to Eddie Jones.

Before we look at this year's trip to Italy let's just orientate ourselves in this Six Nations Championship for England. After this weekend's fixture it's back to Twickenham Stadium to face Wales, an encounter that I always think has more zing to it than any other in the Championship. Then it's back-to-back away trips in Scotland (so intrigued to see how the hosts deliver) and France (what will we get with Jacques Brunel in charge) before heading back to Twickenham the game that we all hope will be the Championship, and Grand Slam, decider against Ireland. It's a schedule that Eddie Jones will be pleased to have in order to ensure that his side continues to deliver on the road and doesn't get too comfortable in the beautiful surroundings of Twickenham Stadium.  

So what of Sunday's Italian job? Well after the curveball that Conor O’Shea and his side threw into the mix last year there’s no doubt about the fact that all teams, not just England, will be prepared for anything and everything. That said, Eddie Jones has made it clear this game is like any other Test and as a result his side's fundamentals are absolutely crucial. 

"Test match rugby never changes, it doesn’t matter who you are playing and where you are playing them. You’ve got to get your set piece right, you’ve got to be strong defensively and you’ve got to play with aggression and energy.”

Of course he's right, with all of the focus on the 'jazzy' elements that may be put on the park it doesn't do well to take the focus off the nuts and bolts. When it comes to those key areas, England are well-poised to deliver from the opening minute until the 80th minute and beyond.  Personally I’m expecting to see Italy’s passion drive them hard in the opening half however where England have the advantage is in the area that their head coach continually trains them for - the last 20 minutes of a Test match. He trains them at a tempo and rate that I don’t believe Italy can reach just yet and with the likes of Jamie George, Sam Underhill, Danny Care, Jonathan Joseph and Jack Nowell all ready to fly into the game England have another gear to go into and I don’t think it's one that the Azzurri will have in their locker. 

From the offset we’ll get to see this England side playing with a hard-ball carrying 13 as Ben Te’o steps back into the mix after a few months out. His dedication to returning to full fitness has been exemplary, he flew himself back to Australia and financed his own intensive six-week rehabilitation in order to get ready his return to action. It’s that type of dedication and desire that Eddie Jones wants to see from his international players, he says that to us all the time, and on the field on Sunday Te’o could be a huge torn in Italy’s side. If we see the Ben Te'o that donned the red of the British & Irish Lions then it will be a sight to behold however understandably he might be dusting off a couple of cobwebs at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and not be at full tilt just yet. We'll all just have to wait and see on that one. 

“It’s about spreading the work load. We don’t want to rely on one dominant ball carrier because if you rely on one then the opposition find a way to stop that ball carrier and you’re stopped going forward.” 

Without Billy Vunipola in the mix the question regarding England’s ball-carrying ability is always going to raise it’s head. The Saracen is such a colossal player, and so instrumental in that regard, that he’s always going to be missed. However as Eddie Jones points out above it’s key that the side as a whole take control of delivering that go-forward. Sam Simmonds’ physicality in that area has been building throughout the season and I hope that he really thrives at the Stadio Olimpico. Zach Mercer’s illness is a shame for him however personally I think that in the grand scheme of things it’s no bad thing that his international debut isn’t being made just yet.

Italy have won three of the 18 opening Six Nations fixtures since their introduction (2003, 2000 and 2013) and have never won a meeting with England (they’ve encountered each other 23 times prior). Conor O’Shea names his side at 1pm on Friday afternoon and without question will look to the leadership of his captain and the confidence that domestic Guinness PRO14 victories will have provided his players over the last few months. With every minute that O’Shea is in charge Italy are moving in the right direction, that is a fact, however what is also a fact is how far behind they are England in terms of their development. I expect to see a proud and feisty Italian outfit this weekend however I also expect to see a strong English victory and Eddie Jones’ side leaving Rome on the right foot. 

England's game against Italy is live on ITV from 2.15pm on Sunday 4 February. 

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell.