Billy Twelvetrees: It’s my fault if England drop me
But while it is his club’s misfiring front-five that have copped plenty of criticism this season, Twelvetrees is adamant that he will have only himself to blame should his worst fears be realised.
Tenth in the Premiership, Nigel Davies’ men have struggled to replicate the blistering form that carried them to the verge of a play-off place last campaign.
The pack’s shortcomings are making the headlines in the West Country, and the capture this week of Ulster prop John Afoa and the probable arrival of Welsh Lion Richard Hibbard prove those concerns are not ill-founded.
But, according to Twelvetrees, it is he and Freddie Burns as the team’s key decision makers who should be blamed for their struggles.
“If we’re honest we haven’t performed as best we can as a backline or a team,” he said. “As callers on the field, the 9, 10, and 12, we probably haven’t put ourselves in the best positions to execute.
“To only criticise the Gloucester pack is rubbish. The game is 1-15, and the way the game’s played now everyone is doing pretty much the same job on the field, with the exception of the set-piece.
“There is a fear factor with Gloucester’s form, you start to think about the ‘what-ifs’?
“There is the fear of not doing that well, that if you are not playing in Europe and in the big games then you get dropped by England.
“But that is the reality of where we are and we need to get back to where the team were last season.
“Results have not gone our way but they have been close of late and I’m still quietly confident.”
Twelvetrees enjoyed a mixed autumn on the international scene, bounced by Matt Toomua for Australia’s try, his place appeared under threat – most notably from Northampton’s Luther Burrell.
But Lancaster kept faith and Twelvetrees, 25, rewarded him with fine showings against the Pumas and All Blacks. And with centres thin on the ground for England come the Six Nations he knows a chance is there to make the No.12 shirt his own.
“I knew better than anyone that I played poorly against the Wallabies,” he added. “Luckily Stuart said that I had to put it to bed and learn from where I went wrong. But he also told me I’d be starting against Argentina, that was nice of him to do that and it made me feel a lot more calm in that I did not have to worry about selection and that enabled me to focus on my job.
“There is a possibility there in the Six Nations to cement a shirt.
“I feel I’m a much more confident player than the one who made his debut against Scotland, and much more knowledgeable.
“It’s about applying that in the game because your perception changes week-in, week-out and all those experiences help me.
“Stuart hammers everyone in the team every week to be loud and vocal, to be leaders and create opportunities for your teammates and the great thing is everyone wants to do it.”
“The Six Nations could be a good chance for me to continue that with the injuries but of course there are a lot of other centres in the country who are going to be thinking the same thing.”
One England centre who will not be thinking that is Leicester‘s Manu Tuilagi with a torn pectoral muscle likely to rule him out of the entire tournament.
Twelvetrees and Tuilagi appear to be the centre pairing that Lancaster is grooming with 2015 in mind, although Brad Barritt, out so far this season with a foot complaint, may have his own thoughts about that. The natural pairing of a ball-player and a tackle-buster, not seen convincingly since Will Greenwood and Mikle Tindall, carries potential.
But while injuries and Lions tours have conspired to prevent the two taking the field together for England this year, the possible pairing has inspired Twelvetrees.
“I know Manu well from our days at Leicester together, we’re good friends,” he said.
“I love playing with him, I mean who wouldn’t when you see what he has to offer?
“He’s a great option for every team to have, he attracts defenders and can make line breaks which is just what you want in a centre partner.
“If I can get that chance to play with him then it would be awesome.”
CHARLIE TALBOT-SMITH
