‘I’m dangling on a rope and they’ve lit the rope’ says Haskell on England future

By Adam Ellis
James Haskell admits he will have to work hard to get back into Eddie Jones’ selection plans after being omitted from England‘s recent training camp.
The Wasps flanker missed out on the 33-man list that will head to Oxford for training sessions ahead of the autumn internationals next month, but he admitted he needs to improve his club form in order to catch Jones’ eye.
“I’d say I‘m probably halfway down the cliff. Maybe holding onto a shrub. Or I‘m on a rope and they’ve lit the rope, very Indiana Jones-style,” the 32-year-old said of his international career when speaking to Reuters.
“I’ve got every confidence that I can come back and be involved. If I didn‘t, then I’d probably just retire.
“You’ve just got to keep working hard. I need more peaks than troughs in games if I’ve got any desire to fight my way back into England, which is going to be very hard.
“If he called me up today and said I wasn’t in the squad, I wouldn’t be able to say anything other than ‘ok’, and get on with it.”
Turning his attention towards his club Haskell vowed to get Wasps back to winning ways after successive defeats in the Premiership to Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs and Bath.
“I care about winning, about this club and I want to play for England more than anything else, it’s why I play rugby and it’s such a great team to be a part of.”