ENGLAND U2O SECOND ROW
Having landed in South Africa last Sunday, we’ve already had a memorable time on and off the pitch. This is my third tour to South Africa after two previous trips with the U18 Men’s side, and I’m always taken back by the warmth, hospitality and importance rugby takes with sports fans in the country. It’s a pleasure to be here!
Our training base is at Rondebosch Boys’ High School, and we have all been impressed with the training facilities we have on offer to us. Whilst our focus always remains on planning for the fixture ahead, our surrounding environment of Cape Town’s iconic towering landscape sets the scene perfectly for us – we’re incredibly fortunate. It demonstrates the investment and passion people have for the sport of rugby in South Africa, and it’s inspiring.
We visited and trained at Stormers’ High Performance Centre in one of our first three training days over the last week. Mixing ourselves in different elite environments only benefits us, and it was nice to have that invitation extended out to us. Our focus as a group this week has been centred around ownership. It has and will continue to be a key foundation of our work in the England Rugby pathway as we continue on through the Championships. This ranges from the starting XV, our replacements (or ‘energisers’ as our coaches say), to our wider Brotherhood and staff. No one is exempt and it’s about creating a group culture and environment where everyone takes initiative and looks out for one another.
Our group will naturally feel a bit of tiredness after such a lengthy journey, but I feel the way we have quickly adapted to our environment is a strong indication of our ownership and willingness to take the first positive step both in training and our first matchday. Away from our training drills and routines, we’ve been able to take in the culture and have our first group outing as a squad and staff. The local delicacies are always nice in South Africa, but the highlight was our trip up to Table Mountain. The views are awe-inspiring, and you can really take in the beauty of the area.
Hitting the high notes: England players sing the National Anthem
Our arrival in South Africa marks our first Test week since France, when we won the Under-20 Six Nations in March. Whilst it’s a new competition, with new faces and fresh opposition, what we strive to continue is our winning mentality and never-say-die attitude. It served us well in difficult games against France and also Ireland during that competition, and we believe sticking to our pathway principles of Speed, Attachment and Space will remain the core basis of our tournament once again.
Speaking of fresh faces, one of the highlights of the week was our traditional shirt presentation on Friday evening to those making their debuts. It’s a special moment and something I’ll cherish for the rest of my career, so I’m sure Jack [Bracken], Ollie [Allan], Cam [Miell], Lucas [Friday] and Ben [Coen] will all share the same sentiment.
It’s important to have downtime away from rugby, particularly with such an intense tournament with short turnaround between matchdays. As a group we tuned into see the final England group game against Slovenia, and whilst the result wasn’t what we hoped for, we’ll be backing the boys all the way from Cape Town!
A day later, we had an exclusive screening of the new Embedded documentary that is following the team throughout the U20 Championships. It’s been quite surreal having the Rugby-Pass team in camp with us, and it’s a good sign that people are taking more interest in age-grade rugby. We’re all conscious that our focus always remains on the rugby and we’ll stay grounded, but to tell our stories is a great privilege and we all hope fans enjoy the series. Keep an eye out for a feature interview with yours truly soon. I might regret giving Nathan and Asher too much stick…
Which leads me on to the supporters back home. On behalf of the players, management and staff, I would like to thank all of those following on back in England and leaving nice messages on social media. Your support spurs us on and gives us confidence that we have the nation behind us, just as we did for our recent Six Nations campaign. For those that have joined us out in South Africa, we’re grateful for the effort you have put in to cheer us on in person. Our aim is to make our families, coaches and supporters proud.
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