The England legend discusses punditry, rugby sevens and the pride he felt while watching Joe Marler in The Traitors
Are you surprised at the complete turnaround in England’s results or did you see this coming? “I’m not at all surprised because I saw the team trending in the right direction. I was involved for the back end of the 2023 World Cup campaign and it was amazing. Then a lot of experienced heads left, but the young lads had learned so much from those boys: Courtney Lawes, Billy Vunipola, Joe Marler, Ben Youngs, Dan Coles. Then in the 2024 Six Nations we got that win against Ireland and in Paris I remember standing behind the posts watching a couple of tries, going: ‘That’s how England should play!’ That’s the blueprint. There was Ben Earl, Marcus Smith, playing quickly, physical direction, carving up the French defence. Even though we lost, I remember thinking: ‘That was my last ever game for England, annoyingly – they’re gonna do all right from now and I’m not going to be a part of it.’ But in a way, maybe I played the tiniest part in their transition. The last year has been a joy to watch.”
Do England need to win the Six Nations to be serious contenders for the Rugby World Cup next year? “They have to win it just to prove to themselves that they are that good, but not necessarily this year. It’s going to be really tough, but I believe the boys can do it. The last game’s in France: it would be quite special to do it there 10 years on from when we won a grand slam over there. It would be a brilliant feeling for them to realise what it takes. A lot of the lads starting for England at the moment experienced how close we were to reaching the 2023 World Cup final, the fine margins, and they’ll be way better players for it come 2027. Obviously I’m biased, but we’re in a nice side of a draw so I’m very hopeful England can go all the way. Eighteen months away from a World Cup, England couldn’t be in a better place.
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