Why England players will have shuddered at Eddie Jones’s assessment of the France win
As bruised England players pored over the Sunday papers while tackling a breakfast of serving bowls of cereal and kilos of back bacon, they would have been unnerved digesting Eddie Jones’s post-match remarks.
The head coach blamed himself for the dull performance in England’s narrow 19-16 win over France on Saturday, saying that he didn't “prepare the squad well enough” for their Six Nations opener.
Implicit in the comment is that this week’s preparations will be even more tough than those of the previous fortnight, meaning more intensity, more bone-on-bone, more crunch, crash and clatter.
Read more: Winning run makes us calm under big pressure, insists Ford
Over the training week, Tuesdays are typically the most demanding, following recuperation on Sunday and lighter sessions on Monday.
While we roll back into our offices, Dylan Hartley and his band of moderately merry men will be embarking on a back-to-back schedule no doubt including a grilling in the weights room, fiery rugby sessions and any extra fun that Jones concocts for good measure.
There should be no surprise if further training-related injuries occur over the coming days and Saturday’s fixture against Wales will decide whether an open throttle was effective in achieving the required level of readiness.
Fly-half homecomings
Freddie Burns could be heading back to Bath (Source: Getty)
Despite a higher offer from Sale Sharks, George Ford is strongly rumoured to be leaving Bath and returning to Leicester, from whence he was plucked in 2013.
If the move crystallises as expected, Freddie Burns will head in the opposite direction, back to his home club, where he progressed through the academy prior to committing the ultimate West Country sin in defecting to Gloucester’s cherry and whites in 2008.
Burns quickly became a popular figure with the East Midlanders despite the language barrier posed by a broad West Country twang, and although he has recorded many notable performances for Leicester, he hasn’t ever become the definitive stand-off of choice.
Burns’s cheeky, mischievous personality has meant he has always fitted in well at new clubs, and has quickly become a well-liked squad member, but coming back full circle to his home club should finally allow him to peak as he hits prime maturity.
For Burns, Bath’s familiarity, squad strength and opportunity for a weekly or bi-weekly starting berth should provide a favourable environment to remind the rugby community and the national selectors of his natural talent.
His expected signature constitutes a refreshing change in a league that is growing ever more international in its recruitment policies, with the likely homecoming of Burns a positive method of reinforcing the connection between the club, the town, and its passionate local support.