We weren't the same team that we were in November – Hartley
Dylan Hartley insists England’s mindset following their defeat to Ireland at Twickenham is the same as it would be had they claimed a Six Nations Grand Slam.
Ireland were 24-15 victors in the London snow, sealing the Slam for themselves and extending the hosts’ alarming losing run to three matches following previous defeats to Scotland and France.
Prior to their recent downturn, Eddie Jones’ side had lost only one Test since the Australian took charge in the wake of a disastrous 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign – that defeat also coming against Ireland in Dublin last year.
Pre-tournament favourites, England finished in fifth after their worst run of Six Nations results in 12 years.
But Hartley does not believe the setback should knock England off their stride as they aim for the ultimate goal of winning next year’s World Cup in Japan.
“Even coming into this campaign, we weren’t the same team that we were in November,” said the captain.
“Selection, injuries, development – we want to kick on, we don’t want to be the same team. Whether we’re winning or losing, we want to get better.
“If we’d won the Six Nations, if we’d won the Grand Slam, we’d say we’re going to go to South Africa [in June] and we’re going to be a better team, we’re going to be a different team and we’re going to improve.
“Unfortunately we’re off the back of a loss, but I’m going to say the same thing. We’ll be a different team, we’ll keep developing, keep working.
“It keeps your feet firmly on the ground and keeps a burning hunger and desire to improve.
“We’ve experienced the highs. We’ve been on the highs of the rollercoaster and it’s bloody good fun. It’s hard work doing that.
“At the moment we’re experiencing a low and we know what it takes to get back, so we want to get back and enjoy those highs.
“When we started this journey, I think we were ranked eighth in the world and we had a rapid rise, but we earned that.
“With that comes a bit of a target on your back and everyone’s got a bit excited about playing us. Everyone’s always got excited about playing England, but other teams are getting better and we’ve got do the same.”
England will face France, Argentina, Tonga and the United States in Pool C at the 2019 World Cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
Misogynists have feelings too!
1 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
203 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
1 Go to commentsMad how this somehow contained absolutely zero information.
1 Go to commentsI’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
2 Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
10 Go to commentsWith Stuart Lancaster at the helm, Racing 92 looks more and more a mercenaries club like Toulon some years ago and they are not even performing despite all the money on offer.
4 Go to commentsCouple of things BS missed: wind was behind the Baby Blacks in the first half. Baby Boks got points from a scrum penalty in the final quarter against this ‘dominant pack’, and left three points on the park after a missed penalty.
10 Go to commentsSensible thoughts on this, Brett. Also worth considering we’ve sold 60k tickets for a game between the Rebels and the Lions next year. Got to be roughly $10m in ticket and game day revenue there.
5 Go to commentsUnsuccessful bitter ex Ulster player taking a pop shot at a side that isn't including his consistently poor mates up north
6 Go to commentsHis decision to play in France isn’t a petulant decision as this article suggests. I reckon that France is the perfect place to demonstrate that he can mix it in those battles Rassie references. It’s a good decision to try get into the squad. My personal opinion is that he wins more battles than he loses. I don’t have Rassie’s stats machine behind me, but Daymian’s is so strong moving through traffic and in the rip.
4 Go to commentsWow! Argie forward dominance is something I have not read in years….
1 Go to commentsIs the ‘snub’ really why he is leaving? He hasn’t said that has he? You don’t have to stay in SA to play for the Boks, so it’s not that he’s giving up on trying to get into the squad as the case would be in, say, England or New Zealand. Rassie made it clear that the early camps won’t feature all the players to play for the Boks this year so I can’t imagine Dayimani was too offended by being overlooked this time. It just seems like a sensationalist angle to take for a story without really knowing the player’s intentions.
4 Go to commentsWell, it is easily one of the best Irish sides, it’s just that their historical standard is very low.
6 Go to commentsThe Irish side is good. They have lost 2 games in the last 23 tests. In the last 12 months they have have a 60% win rate against the top 5 sides in the world. Over the same period south africa have a 67% win rate against the top 5 teams, and New Zealand are at 40%.
6 Go to commentsOnly 1247 days until RWC 2027 starts Bin Smuth🤣Can’t wait to see how unhinged you’re still gonna get between now & then
203 Go to commentsany chance either team will improve on their u20 world cup performances this time around? I assume both sides will be deeply disappointed with how things went.
6 Go to commentsAnother poor articles by a poor journo, nothing new from Ben, at least you are consistently bad lol, geez I will try and watch the match later, clearly Benny was only looking to one end of the pitch, hard to tell whom the Baby Blacks were playing if it wasn’t in the header 😄😄
10 Go to comments