"The physical intensity that we need to bring, sometimes you need to blow the lid off. I think the table-banging and that sort of era has crept out, but there's always a time. It would be done on feel. You need to feel what the group needs. I would hope that we've got that right in the last 10 days so that we play really well Saturday afternoon."
"Physically we weren't where we wanted to be, our physical intensity. The game of rugby is really complicated and has all these intricacies, but at the same time it's really fucking simple. If your physical intensity is not right, then parts of your game really struggle to put together. We didn't sort that out."
England faces Italy in Rome seeking to avoid their first-ever defeat to the Italians in 33 meetings. After consecutive losses to Scotland and Ireland eliminated them from Six Nations title contention, Steve Borthwick's team has undergone significant restructuring with 12 squad changes. The coaching staff, including assistant Richard Wigglesworth, emphasizes that physical intensity was lacking in previous matches and must be restored. Borthwick invited nine 2003 World Cup winners to address the squad, while Thomas Tuchel also spoke to players. Captain Maro Itoje promises an emotional response. The team recognizes that rugby fundamentals depend on physical intensity, and Italy presents a competitive threat after recent strong performances.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]