GEORGE FORD’S RETURN FROM INJURY
“He is on schedule in terms of his rehab from the Achilles injury but I have been informed since then that it is probably going to be mid-January. 6 months was a bare minimum. He is doing really well. He had a game of tennis last week by all accounts. He is kicking, he was doing spiral bombs, he is bouncing around.
“He will be fully, fully fit (when he is back). The only gradual implementation with loading and minutes will be for the confidence for the medical staff and George. Rest assured we won’t put him near a field unless he can go 80 minutes because even off the bench he could do 80 minutes.
POSITION GOING INTO EUROPE
“I would say physically and mentally no (have we gone into Europe in better shape). But some of Europe is luck of the draw, who you are drawn against and what their form is like. Some of Europe is staying under the radar. I don’t think we are going into Europe under the radar having been the most successful English side over the last 2 years. We are going in having got further than any English team in the last couple of years. It puts a bit of a target on your head. At some point we have got to step out from that and own and embrace it. We have got to be proud of the fact that we are going in there strong and with the expectation of going further as you have to.
VIEWS ON STEVE BORTHWICK POTENTIALLY GETTING ENGLAND JOB
“I don’t think anyone can dispute the fact that he has the mental tools or the experience. With his journey with Eddie Jones through Japan and back to England and then winning the Premiership with Leicester last season he has earned his stripes I think. Has he got the coaching tools and the mental resilience to be able to handle a job of that pressure? I believe he has. Many of the candidates they have put forward; Ronan O’Gara is staying at La Rochelle, Warren Gatland has gone back to Wales, Scott Robertson who could be in the running and Steve Borthwick. They could all do a decent job, that’s why they are international candidates. They (RFU) have never done a more thorough investigation as to what an England head coach requires. They have had a 16-man stakeholder team, Nigel Redmond has been gathering that information over the last season or so which I have been party to. It was an information-gathering exercise but with real depth. I have seen Nigel a few times and I had some quite honest and deep conversations and interviews with a sports psychologist. I have been told I am going to be privy to some of the information having given some myself as to what some of the requisites are down the line. It’s one of if not the biggest positions in world rugby. But in the past in my opinion a degree of popularity has come into it. It should be deeper than that. There has obviously been a loss of faith because of results. However Eddie’s consistency over the last 7 years has been the best in his position. I would like to see it go to an Englishman. But I have spent some time over at the Crusaders in New Zealand and Scott Robertson is coach I want to emulate down the line. He is a very people-orientated coach and that is important at any level.
RISK TO SACK EDDIE JONES OR CHANGE NEEDED?
“I feel it is a risk because we know cohesion breeds success by keeping good players and coaches together so that they are able to understand your vision and are able to implement that. So that is the negative with moving on from Eddie Jones. The positive is that everyone sees a spike as there was here when every new Director of Rugby or Head Coach comes in. There is always that natural spike. People want to impress in a change of environment and there is a renewed energy and purpose. That is the ying and the yang of it.
INJURY UPDATE- OTHER THAN LONGER-TERM ABSENTEES, ONLY TOM ROEBUCK SET TO MISS OUT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH A SMALL GRADE 2 ANKLE INJURY, TOM O’FLAHERTY BACK THIS WEEK
ENGLAND PLAYERS COMING BACK IN
“I believe really well. We had a day off-site yesterday looking at the distance travelled and where we are going in terms of what we want to focus on over the next 8 weeks as well as the micro focus which is the European Champions Cup which is the best cup in the world. If you can’t get excited for what is essentially internationals without anthems what can you get excited for. We just welcomed them back in with open arms and ignore what they have been through over the Autumn Internationals. They all take it differently because they are different people who cope with it differently. They have had a good de-compress for a week and get their heads around the fact that they are coming back into a very warm and loving environment where we are probably about to embark on possibly the most important phase of the season which is this middle phase. We have had a good start, the middle can sometimes feel a bit messy if you are not able to understand of what you are going for right now. We have a very clear understanding of what we are going after. They have been able to shift as they are good players and people. They have focused right back on us and I haven’t seen any hangover from the last 5 weeks.
DISCUSSIONS STILL ONGOING WITH MANU TUILAGI OVER A NEW CONTRACT
SAM JAMES’ 200TH APPEARANCE VS BRISTOL
“Very important. He is important on the field in terms of the skill sets. He is a very genuine and giving person. He puts this club before much of his own ego and interests which I respect. We have got an option next year on his contract which we are activating as we want to keep him and we have offered him another two years thereafter so we want Sam James to be a Shark for life and that probably tells you how much we respect and want him around the place.”
INFLUENCE OF EDDIE JONES
“He has been one of my biggest influences in terms of my methodology. I still have a very good relationship with him. I have got a lot of respect for him. I am not the same coach by any stretch but when you meet people of his experience and calibre you mix it with your own methods. He taught me how to work hard and smart.
EXCITEMENT GOING INTO EUROPE
“I think we are in a position where we feel like we can push on. You want to chase that feeling where you feel you can compete at that level against the best teams in the best stadia. There is still feeling of unfulfilled potential with this group. We are not thinking at this moment in time about semi-finals and finals, Ulster is a big enough challenge. They are all good teams, it’s the best competition. The lads are excited.
POTENTIALLY COACHING ENGLAND IN THE FUTURE
“I love this environment, I love spending time with the lads on a day-to-day basis, I love the fact that it is about relationships. I feel I have a lot of work to do here with this group but also me individually in terms of personal growth before I could do a job like that really well. If I ever do a job like that it’s being ready which is the priority.”