HAS ALEX SPOKEN TO THE RETURNING ENGLAND PLAYERS?
“Yes, that was done days ago. If they are still in a state of kicking stones at this point in the preparation I wouldn’t be doing my job correctly. I ring them up during camp and on their way home from camp. A lot of the time they travel together. I have been really impressed with their eagerness and how excited they are to prove they have got the minerals. The challenge is making sure that they are on our page not the wrong page. By that I mean Sale’s page not what England have specified what they are looking for. I haven’t had to spend any time in turning them around. They are super motivated.”
HAS GEORGE FORD HAD ENOUGH GAME TIME TO GO BACK IN WITH ENGLAND?
“That is up to Steve to decide. George has more than 70 England caps. I think it’s perhaps a little too much to ask regardless of how many caps you have after 7 months out having only played 40 minutes thus far and whatever gametime he gets at the weekend. It’s still a tall order but he is looking really sharp. I’ve said in the past it’s not his timing that is out because he’s not that kind of a player. It’s the speed of thought that has seemingly come back immediately and he seems as sharp as ever. He is making a big difference and impact in the last couple of weeks of training.”
CONVERSATIONS ALEX HAS HAD WITH BEN CURRY
“He was really excited about playing Northampton and the potential of leading us again this weekend and working his way back to the forefront of Steve Borthwick’s mind and then he got the call late on Sunday because that’s when they have to leave due to injuries and form on the back of the Italy game and he said ‘I have been called up’. I asked how he was feeling and he said he had his mind set on playing against Northampton and I said ‘But you are where you want to be’ so it was reframing of the reframing. So he was good to go for Monday. That’s all the conversation I have had with the boys from last Thursday is their first priority is for them to be sure they are physically fit, mentally fresh and ready and able to play for us first and foremost and to make sure they are geared up for that and if they’re not then they won’t be included.
“There’s no point trying to push someone who’s not at the races so to speak. We were turning them away from training on Thursday morning (last week) because they wanted to train. That’s where they are at and Ben was the same as those guys. We have had the conversation. The selection for England at the highest level carries a bigger gravitas but it’s not something they are unused to. I hope to think we have a decent enough process of them understanding what they need to do to get back in. The communication from England for the most part has been good from that perspective.”
HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED ALEX ABOUT GEORGE FORD?
“Quite how good he is. He was someone I targeted in the past because you have to eliminate his influence on the game to beat the teams he is playing with. No-one is quite as fast and free as they are in training because people will try and push things they wouldn’t generally do in games. So you see extra levels of his skillset from that regard. The biggest benefit is his humility and empathy. What that means is when you are having conversations even about his own performance. They are probably the most open and honest conversations from someone of his ability have tended to be in the past not stubborn but they have to have a confidence in their own ability to get that good. But he is that at ease with himself that it ends up being conversation rather than trying to have to persuade someone to look at it through your eyes. He gets it straight away even if he doesn’t agree. This humility and easy way about him has fostered greater player ownership and that psychological safety particularly for the backs to problem solve, lead and drive. It was never all coach driven in this environment but it is very much now player driven and that is largely down to George’s influence.”
HOW HAS MANU TUILAGI BEEN?
“I am sure he was kept in England camp even when he is not playing because he has that ability as I have said to bring up people around him not just himself. He has got a great feel for the environment and the ambiance. He has come back in and he is all smiles. He was the first person to give me a hug when he is back in. Underneath I sense a simmering, frustration isn’t the right word as he is too mature for that. He definitely wants to show the powers that be that they have made the wrong decision in not selecting him. I would say he has got a point to prove.”
PLAN AT 10 AND 13 WITH GEORGE FORD, ROB DU PREEZ AND SAM JAMES
“I want the best, in-form players on the field at any one time. Like with anything, George on the back of 40 minutes cannot expect just to be handed the privilege of taking the 10 shirt when the players who have been there have been performing really well. The combinations we have had have increased our win percentage by about 25%, 35% away from home so you would be foolish just to move away from that too hastily. Yet the quality of player that he is he is undoubtedly going to play himself into that position. They we have to let the chips fall where they do but he is going to have to work for it.”
INJURY UPDATE
Daniel du Preez- Grade 3 calf injury- out another 6 weeks roughly, 8 week injury from a couple of weeks ago when he injured his calf, could be back fit for Cardiff Challenge Cup game or week after that
Tom Curry- fit and available for selection this weekend against Northampton, Alex hasn’t had conversation with Steve Borthwick but has spoken to the England camp, does believe he knows what England are planning with Tom and situation is similar with George Ford, if they prove they are fit and in form very good chance they will be included going forward
Tommy Taylor- in 12-day concussion protocol after failed HIA test on Sunday in Prem Rugby Cup
Akker van der Merwe- struggling with neck injury, seeing specialist tonight, but did do scrummaging today
OTHER NEWS
8 re-signings to be announced this week, discussed process of club announcing incomings and outgoing and when the announcements happen, mentioned the politics of it and the fact that the club wants to take control of situations as to when things are announced
Praised England’s management Manu Tuilagi well in terms of his loading, his robustness is at a really good level, the more game time he gets the more special things he will do, he is excited, fresh and super pumped for the weekend
10-day preparation for the Northampton game, similar preparation time in games against Exeter and Ulster earlier in the season which worked well, returning England players back then but eased back in at end of last week
Resting senior first-team players over last couple of weeks is with coming 4 weeks in mind
Physicality in defence hasn’t been good enough over last couple of weeks in the Prem Rugby Cup
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