Cricketer 'enthralled' England squad ahead of Los Pumas clash
England intend hitting Argentina for six after cricket World Cup winner Jonny Bairstow visited their camp to deliver a motivational talk for Sunday’s autumn opener at Twickenham.
Eddie Jones’ squad were captivated as Bairstow told how he dealt with the highs and lows of his career, most recently the difficulty in coming to terms with the broken leg sustained during a freak golfing accident that has forced him to miss the T20 World Cup currently being staged in Australia.
England face the Pumas in the opening match of the Autumn Nations Series and Bairstow, who played for Yorkshire in age grade rugby, offered an insight into how he copes with pressure as they continue the countdown to their own global showpiece.
“Jonny was fantastic. He’s a big rugby fan, a number 10. He had the boys enthralled for an hour,” Jones said.
“He’s a great guy, loves his sport. He’s a dedicated sportsman and he loved watching training. Wants to bat at five he tells me.”
All eyes will be on Manu Tuilagi as the powerful Sale centre makes his first England appearance for a year after being hampered by hamstring and knee injuries.
Expectation is balanced with caution considering Tuilagi’s history of breaking down and Jones admits a player he is desperate to have available for the World Cup faces an important 80 minutes.
“Manu is in great nick. Psychologically he’s really focused, the medical staff in conjunction with Sale have done a great job in getting him back and this game is the big test,” Jones said.
“He is much more mature now than when I started with England in 2016. Most of those tearaway centres, when they are young they never stretch, they never do all the things they have got to because they just run hard. They are bit silly, all of those powerful centres.
“Now he has got a good opportunity to put together a great 12 months of rugby. He has kept himself healthy, Sale are looking after him well and we hope to get the best out of him.
“The players love playing with him because he is an engaging guy and he brings that physicality, so you have got this engaging guy who brings physicality and takes other players with him.”
England and Argentina clash in the group phase of next year’s World Cup and Jones is looking forward to their Twickenham appointment.
“It won’t dictate the result at the World Cup but one team will learn a bit more about the other,” he said.
“Whatever happens on Sunday we can take things away from it. It comes down to how much we learn about them and how much they learn about you.
“It’s very important for rugby to have a strong Argentina. They have always played a distinctive way and they have been a great World Cup team. They come together at World Cups and it has probably helped them not having a Super Rugby side.
“Having the Jaguares maybe took a little bit of the national emphasis away. The players come together now from all parts of the world and they are so proud to play for Argentina.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
51 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
51 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
51 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
51 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
51 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
51 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
51 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments