By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

While the rest of the nation has spent a decade recalling the glory of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph, Jonny Wilkinson has been haunted by it - until now.

Wilkinson’s Heineken Cup victory with Toulon has allowed him to finally move on from Sydney 2003, to escape a shadow he felt had been cast over his career by that achievement.

Finally, there is another winner’s medal on his mantle piece.

As he sat in the bowels of the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night, reflecting on Toulon’s staggering 16-15 victory over Clermont Auvergne, the memories of the World Cup triumph took on a different hue.

Suddenly, Wilkinson was able to celebrate twice: to enjoy his achievements with England in a way he never had done before and revel in becoming a European champion.

“It feels good,” Wilkinson said.

“The 2003 World Cup was great but afterwards it felt like something that was almost battling me every time I stepped on the field. It felt like it was trying to show me up.

“I was part of a great England team. I sat there thinking that it was the worst feeling in the world.

“Instead of thinking ‘we’ve won it, it’s done and it’s a great thing to celebrate’ - which is what I feel more about this now - at the time I almost hated it.

“I was worrying that I had topped out at 24 and that was it. I was always so worried that it was going to be the last thing.

“I said ‘I can’t let this be the last thing, I don’t want to play under the shadow of that’.

“Before the injuries I always felt I’d been building towards something. Then a new door opened at Toulon and suddenly I’m in a final and I’ve written another chapter.

“All of a sudden you can actually start to appreciate the World Cup in a way I’ve never done.

“This campaign is done and I can actually enjoy it and appreciate it. I don’t have to start to compete with it.”

Wilkinson’s contribution to Toulon’s triumph cannot be underestimated. He did not miss a kick in the knock-out stages, landing 17 from 17 in victories of Leicester, Saracens and Clermont.

Toulon lock Nick Kennedy described Wilkinson as “absolutely phenomenal” and Delon Armitage hailed him as the best fly-half in the world.

After 48 minutes at the Aviva Stadium, when Clermont had surged into a 15-6 lead with tries from Naipolioni Nalaga and Brock James, it appeared Toulon were set for heart-break.

But they refused to concede defeat. Wilkinson landed a third penalty and then converted Armitage’s breakaway try to nudge Toulon into the head.

Armitage admitted after the game he should have run around under the posts instead of showboating as he scored his try - but such is their faith in Wilkinson’s accuracy that it never occurred to him.

After that it was all hands back to the pump in defence. Toulon made a remarkable 176 tackles to Clermont’s 66 and they held on to claim a first major trophy in 21 years.

“I didn’t expect that conversion to be the last points on the board,” Wilkinson said and they nearly weren’t but Clermont lost their composure at the death.

David Skrela, under intense pressure from Wilkinson, had a late drop-goal attempt charged down and Sitiveni Sivivatu blew their last attacking chance with a forward pass into touch.

“They were clear favourites today all around Europe and I have so much respect for the boys. We showed so much heart, especially in that last five minutes,” Kennedy said.

Toulon must now turn their attention to Friday’s Top 14 semi-final against Toulouse and the chance of a possible trophy double. The domestic title, in many ways, is more important to the fans.

Wilkinson struggles with short turnarounds now. Before the Heineken Cup final he was wondering whether he had made the right decision to play on for another year.

But on the final whistle, as he lifted the trophy having finally ended a 10-year wait for a title that would put the World Cup into some context, Wilkinson knew he had made the right decision.

“I love the idea of next year,” he said.

“Before the game I’m thinking ‘I’ve got no more in me, how much more of this can I do?’

“You put so much into the build up it becomes the last game you will ever play.

“It is only now, when you’ve played, had a shower, you think ‘I can do this again.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Stuart Lancaster’s decision to rest five leading stars from England’s tour of Uruguay and Argentina is founded on a determination to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements with Manchester United.

Chris Robshaw, Chris Ashton, Danny Care, Brad Barritt and Toby Flood have all been afforded the summer off to recharge their batteries before England begin an intense two-year build-up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Tom Wood, the Northampton flanker, will captain a youthful squad featuring 11 uncapped players on the three-match tour, which includes two Tests against Argentina.

Lancaster, a student of coaching and management techniques, admires Ferguson for his longevity and his ability to keep evolving the Manchester United team while challenging consistently for titles.

In rugby terms, New Zealand have set the standards for consistency and
Lancaster is determined that England never again have to rebuild from scratch, as he had to after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The decision to rest key players has been taken partly with the 2015 World Cup in mind, with this summer being the last opportunity for those players to enjoy an extended break before the tournament on home soil.

But it also affords Lancaster the opportunity to build vital strength in the
depth which, he hopes, will allow England to keep evolving in the way Manchester United have done - and avoid the boom-and-bust cycle which followed the 2003 World Cup triumph.

“What I admire about him (Ferguson) most is his longevity and his ability to continually keep his team at the top of the performance cycle,” Lancaster said.

“What teams typically tend to do is get to the top of the clock, using the
clock analogy, and then they don’t change and they start dropping down.

“He has always managed to change and renew his team at the right time but keep the energy, the discipline and culture from within and continue to win.

“He is a model for all young coaches like me.”

Lancaster is convinced Wood will set the right tone and he has made no guarantees to Chris Robshaw that he will get the captaincy back for the autumn internationals.

Robshaw is certain of a place in the squad but Lancaster said: “The (rested players) are aware that come September there’s going to be more competition for places.”

Matt Kvesic and Tom Johnson will compete for the openside flanker position on tour while Will Fraser, currently injured, and Luke Wallace are very much on is radar, which means more competition for Robshaw.

England have been short of wing options but Christian Wade, Jonny May and Marland Yarde will give England exciting fire-power out wide on tour.

Lancaster will have the opportunity to run the rule over Bath’s Kyle Eastmond and Saracens’ Joel Tomkins in the hope of increasing his midfield options for the 2015 World Cup.

Billy Twelvetrees has the chance to make the inside centre position his own on the tour with his Gloucester team-mate Freddie Burns travelling as first-choice fly-half.

Up front, Wasps powerhouse Billy Vunipola has replaced Thomas Waldrom in the squad. The Leicester number eight is the only player to have been dropped.

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Northampton lock Courtney Lawes is desperate to use England’s summer tour of Argentina to win the trust of head coach Stuart Lancaster and break out of a frustrating vicious circle which has left his international career on hold.

Lawes was fast-tracked into the England team under Martin Johnson but, hampered by a series of injuries, he has failed to develop as quickly as the national coaches had hoped and slipped behind Joe Launchbury in the pecking order.

All the setbacks mean that every time Lawes does get an England chance, the hard-hitting Saint feels under intense pressure to make his mark on the Test stage.

Exactly that happened when Lawes was pressed into action as a blindside flanker against France. He missed a couple of important tackles and was immediately dropped.

But Lawes is back to his best for Northampton. He delivered a man-of-the-match performance against Sale and tomorrow he faces Harlequins as Northampton look to enter the Aviva Premiership semi-finals on a winning note.

Lawes is convinced he can become the best lock in the country. The 24-year-old wants to start both Tests against the Pumas this summer and prove it.

“There was a lot of pressure on me going into the France game. I put even more pressure on myself. It took me off my game and I paid the price,” Lawes said.

“I was out injured for a year and it is hard when you haven’t played for
England for that long and you want to prove a point.

“I have been unlucky so many times with injury and I have had to rebuild and try and fight my way back into the team. The one time I didn’t have to do that was in the autumn of 2010 and I got player of the series.

“If you know you have the trust of the coaches, you have much less pressure on you.

“If you are trusted with the spot and you are given free rein from the start you can build. You know you don’t need a really good performance. You can put the foundations down and then build on it.

“I have come through a lot of adversity to be building once again.

“I know if I get to my best there shouldn’t be any problems getting in my
position in the England team. I have got confidence back in my ball carrying and I feel good.

“I feel I can definitely push way beyond what I used to be. I just need to
keep playing.”

Lawes rectified the missed tackles against France immediately and his form has helped Northampton come through a turbulent season to qualify for the Premiership semi-finals.

“Hopefully we will be able to put together the performance (against
Harlequins) we need to go into the semi-finals with some momentum (on the back of three straight wins),” Lawes said.

“It has been rocky for us. We have had ups and down. We can play awesome one week and not put it together the next but we have found some consistency late in the season.”

Northampton, Harlequins, table-toppers Saracens and Leicester have all
qualified for the semi-finals, but this weekend will determine the final
placings.

:: Courtney Lawes was speaking at the Maximuscle rugby day, part of the Protein
Project. Lawes has been helping the contestants achieve their goals. See their
results and vote for your winner at facebook.com/maximuscle

ends

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

The British and Irish Lions have been warned that Australia will be looking to beat them on and off the field Down Under by the man who coined the phrase “be bold, wear gold” during the 2001 tour.

Australia were shocked into action 12 years ago when the Lions were roared on to victory in the first Test by a sea of red as visiting supporters took over Brisbane’s Gabba.

John O’Neill, chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union at the time,
sanctioned the production of more than #60,000 worth of gold scarves and hats in an urgent bid to redress the balance.

At the 2003 World Cup, England found themselves under siege from the Australian media. One newspaper urged Wallaby fans to make a din outside England’s Manly hotel the night before the final.

O’Neill, who is now an independent Rugby World Cup director, said: “I coined the phrase ‘be bold, wear gold’ in 2001 - all the gold scarves and hats in the stadium in Melbourne cost us about A 100,000 (#66,000).

“Walking into the Gabba for that first Test to be confronted by that sea of red, and to hear everything from Swing Low Sweet Chariot to the Fields of Athenry and Flower of Scotland, we had to do something.

“It was a wonderful game but we were beaten on and off the paddock.

“Inevitably (there will be some mind games). It’s all part of the theatre and you’d be lost without it.

“You need to win the battle on the paddock and you need to win the battle off the paddock. There’s a lot at stake.”

Lions coach Warren Gatland, who is not averse to lobbing the odd verbal grenade himself, has previously described O’Neill as a master wind-up merchant and he is braced for some “psychological warfare”.

“The best thing about Australia is their desire to win,” Gatland said.

“They’re incredibly competitive and we’ve got to be prepared for anything, media-wise or anything from coaches or former players to potentially have an influence.

“John O’Neill in the past has been a master of that and has had a big
influence in the way he’s done that.

“That’s part of our job to do something about covering off every eventuality that potentially could happen, including psychological warfare in terms of the media.”

Gatland is also conscious - anxious even - that his players could be targeted by members of the public, citing the “circus” that developed around England during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

O’Neill believes the 2001 series in Australia, which the Wallabies won 2-1, “cemented the Lions tour as a permanent fixture” despite concerns over its place in the professional era.

“The scarcity factor makes it second only to the World Cup. The excitement at home is palpable,” said O’Neill, who revealed the Wallabies could use the Lions’ 2001 DVD as motivation.

“It was riveting television, behind the scenes with the Lions. It graphically
tells the story about the intensity of the series.

“Martin Johnson as the captain and Ronan O’Gara having his lights belted out by Duncan McRae, the highs and lows of the series.

“It shows Australian players just how proud the Lions players are about
wearing the jersey and how passionate they are about winning the series.

“They haven’t won a series for a while, so the stakes are high.”

ends

This is the Lions squad I think WarrenG will pick tomorrow (rather than the squad I would pick):

Leigh Halfpenny
Rob Kearney
Stuart Hogg
George North
Alex Cuthbert
Tommy Bowe
Simon Zebo

Manu Tuilagi
Brian O’Driscoll
Jonathan Davies
Jamie Roberts
Billy Twelvetrees

Jonathan Sexton
Owen Farrell

Mike Phillips
Ben Youngs
Conor Murray

Gethin Jenkins
Cian Healy
Mako Vunipola
Dan Cole
Adam Jones
Matt Stevens

Richard Hibbard (fitness permitting)
Tom Youngs
Rory Best

Paul O’Connell
Ian Evans
Alun Wyn Jones
Ritchie Gray
Geoff Parling

Tom Croft
Dan Lydiate
Kelly Brown
Sam Warburton (captain)
Justin Tipuric
Toby Faletau
Sean O’Brien

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

When Nick Evans was having his integrity questioned and his club was
“imploding”, the New Zealand fly-half doubted whether Harlequins would ever recover from the Bloodgate scandal.

Four years on, Harlequins have not only recovered but they are back in a Heineken Cup quarter-final, against Munster, and in a better place as a club than they were in 2009.

It was against Leinster at The Stoop that Dean Richards, then Harlequins’ director of rugby, instructed wing Tom Williams to bite on a fake blood capsule so he could engineer a late substitution.

Richards wanted to get Evans, who was struggling with knee ligament damage, back onto the field in the hope he could kick the winning points in a ferociously tight quarter-final.

Evans could not and Harlequins lost 6-5 but their ruse was rumbled and the knock-on effects of what became known as Bloodgate reached beyond rugby.

Club doctors and physios found their careers under threat. Richards was banned for three years, Harlequins’ name was tarnished and Evans had some explaining to do.

“It was really tough for me. There are two games in my career I’ve never
watched again. That is one of them and the quarter-final of the World Cup in 2007 is the other,” Evans said.

“It felt like the club was imploding. People were questioning why I play rugby and my part in it - they were questioning my integrity and I took quite a big offence at that.

“Having been involved in the whole process, I had to go the hearings and I heard the kind of things that were going on and what was going to happen to the club.

“I honestly didn’t think we would even get up to where we were before never mind where we are now.

“I remember the first game of the next season and George Robson got sent off in the first minute and I was just thinking ‘what the hell is going on here?’”

Evans is not proud of his role in the scandal but he harbours no regrets,
hinting at a general acceptance among players that using fake blood was common practice at the time.

That has now changed with the authorities much stricter on how blood and concussion injuries are dealt with.

“It is part of my career and part of the club’s history. It is not the
greatest part but no regrets. I was just doing my job,” Evans said.

“You get told to do something and as a rugby player the guys out there put their bodies on the line. We do it for the love of the club and for our
coaches.

“It was a pretty tough time, especially going back home and people asking ‘what is happening?’.

“You say ‘it’s been going on for a while and I’m sure it’s happened to a lot of other clubs as well’.

“Other clubs are coming out and saying it has never happened and it was like ‘well…’. There was a lot of explaining.

“But once people had been given the reprimands they got it was all about getting the club back on its feet.”

Twice in the four years since that day, Evans could have left Harlequins and taken the riches in France or Japan but on each occasion he pledged his future to the club.

The reason for his loyalty was a sense of unfinished business. Evans’ decision to re-sign in 2010 was key to the Harlequins rebuilding project.

John Kingston, who had been assistant coach to Richards, steadied the ship for most of the 2009-10 season until Conor O’Shea was recruited to lead the club forward.

“A lot of guys could have jumped ship. It wasn’t just me that was getting
offers. It was guys like Ugo (Monye) and Danny (Care). There were a lot of offers but we stayed together,” Evans said.

And the strides have been remarkable. Harlequins won the 2011 Amlin Challenge Cup and the Aviva Premiership in 2012.

This year they are hunting a unique quadruple, having already secured
silverware with the next generation of players in the A League and the LV= Cup.

“What we have achieved in that time is magnificent. A lot of it is down to the group of players and a lot of it has been down to Conor,” Evans said.

“We sharpened up a few things, the values and what we were as club. We put that to the forefront of the mind.

“I truthfully didn’t expect us to win a trophy that quickly. The Amlin was the big one, winning that first trophy since Bloodgate was a big thing for us.

“That was just the catalyst for the Premiership win. Hopefully, we can now take that next step.

“To win (the Heineken Cup) would be the ultimate achievement.”

ends

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Chris Ashton was called many things when he was on England duty during the RBS 6 Nations but lycanthropic - the ability of a human to gain wolf-like qualities - was not one of them.

Ashton appeared to be short of form in an England jersey and a couple of high-profile missed tackles led to questions being asked in some quarters about his defensive fortitude.

But never at Saracens, where Ashton’s defensive performance in last weekend’s victory over Wasps earned him a prized place on the ‘Wolf Board’.

Saracens’ defence coach Paul Gustard developed the ‘Wolf Pack’ theme four years ago as he looked for a way of illustrating the qualities he demanded of his players.

“I wanted to give a meaning behind it and a heartbeat and a soul,” said Gustard, who will be part of England’s coaching team on the summer tour of Argentina.

“The wolf pack idea was something different and represented our mentality - we have to hunt, we have to get people and when we get there we have to be savage.

“It epitomises everything. The wolf rating is the most sought after.”

Gustard has ratings for tackle completions and for leg tackles but the wolf rating reflects the dominance of a tackle. Against Wasps, Steve Borthwick was top and Ashton second.

“A dominant tackle is a wolf. If not, it is a tackle,” Gustard explained.

“Against Wasps, Chris made a lot of tackles and every tackle that he made was a good collision. It is an incredible accolade.

“(The one that stands out was) when Wasps moved the ball, Chris spotted it and went for Christian Wade and caught him in their 22. We got a penalty shortly after.

“It was a wolf. I know it sounds bizarre but it works.”

Gustard’s wolf system, based on statistics he collects himself, is not new but the board, on a wall half-way down a staircase at Saracens’ training ground, only went up during the Six Nations.

The theme permeates the club. They see themselves as a wolf pack, the players have branded clothing and they were joined in a team meeting a fortnight ago by two wild wolves.

“There are not many normal team meetings here,” laughed fly-half Owen Farrell, who was pictured with one of the beasts.

“We talked about the power of the wolf and why we picked our defence to be a wolf pack. The words that Guzzy said meant a lot - then suddenly he brought two wolves in!

“They are pretty fierce animals and I was a bit on edge to be fair.
Maybe I shouldn’t have picked to sit in the front row that day!”

Gustard’s methods are working. Saracens boast the meanest defence in the Premiership and he has been recruited by England boss Stuart Lancaster to deputise for Andy Farrell in Argentina this June.

“We pride ourselves on our defence and it is something we go on about a lot. It is a big part of our game. We have a points system that goes into the wolf rating,” said Farrell.

“We are a tight-knit group and we are a team that is about putting our body on the line for each other and really working hard for your mates.

“It is about proving yourself week-in, week-out by putting everything into everything that you do. There is no other thing that shows that more than that board up there.

“I haven’t been up there yet. The board only went up while I was away but I will try to get on it this weekend.”

Saracens play Ulster on Saturday in the Heineken Cup quarter-final and Twickenham will be their lair after the match was moved from Allianz Park.

“I am sure they will bring a big crowd over and I am sure Twickenham will be rocking. That is what we like playing in, in atmospheres like that,” Farrell said.

The Wolf Board is emblazoned with the phrase: “The strength of the pack is in the wolf, the strength of the wolf is in the pack”.

Farrell added: “We have proven that in the past. We are willing to do things for our mates that other people aren’t.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport

Twelve months on from the worst moment of his life, Karl Hudspith celebrated one of the best as part of an Oxford crew who beat Cambridge to win the 159th BNY Mellon Boat Race.

It was the perfect way for Hudspith to mark his 25th birthday and to finally bury the pain and bitterness of losing last year’s race in such controversial fashion.

Hudspith was president of the 2012 Oxford crew that had rowed themselves into a strong position when the race was interrupted by a protest swimmer.

Oxford then broke a blade after the restart and Cambridge won but worse was still to come, when Dark Blue bowman Dr Alex Woods collapsed in the boat and was rushed to hospital.

Woods recovered to be part of the victorious Isis crew in today’s reserve race. Hudspith and 2013 president Alex Davidson returned to avenge their defeat in the blue boat.

Hudspith said: “A year ago I was carrying my friend’s body on a stretcher thinking a few moments ago he had died. That was pretty much the worst moment of my life.

“You can sit around in bitterness and anger or put it past you and get back to work. That was a real Boat Race.

“That was a really epic race. That was the race I have been waiting for these last couple of years. This is a very different feeling.”

The official line from Oxford was that revenge was not on the menu but Hudspith and Davidson were not alone in being fuelled by the events of last year.

Oxford, who won the toss and opted for the Surrey station, started strongly to open a lead of two-thirds of a length but they could not drop Cambridge.

The Light Blues were on the outside but stayed with Oxford almost all the way around the long Surrey bend. This time it was they who looked in the strongest position.

But just before the river turned into Cambridge’s favour, Oxford put in the decisive push to open up clear water and claim the racing line.

“Inevitably (revenge) was in our minds,” said Oxford’s Constantine Louloudis, who missed the 2012 race to focus on the Olympics.

“It was not against any individuals but against what happened last year, wanting to put it right. It was especially the guys who were in both races but also the rest of us who really felt for those guys last year.

“It was a hell of a race. It is fair to say we fancied our chances going into the race but Cambridge made it bloody difficult.”

Louloudis, who won bronze in the Great Britain eight at London 2012, credited Oxford’s cox Oskar Zorrilla with driving the crew on around the “attritional” middle section.

Zorrilla put the victory down to Oxford’s “indestructible, devastating rhythm” before he was thrown, in the traditional manner, into the Thames.

In contrast, Cambridge coach Steve Trapmore spoke of the devastation felt by his crew following defeat by a length and a half, a small margin over four and a quarter miles.

“The whole campaign is geared up towards this moment and to not achieve your target is hard,” said Trapmore, an Olympic champion in 2000.

“The guys produced a really valiant effort. We knew were up against a physically strong Oxford boat. We showed tenacity and grit in the race and never gave up so I am really proud of them.

“We knew we had to stay in touch around the Surrey bend and we just couldn’t respond to all the moves Oxford were putting in down that section.”

Cambridge president George Nash, a good friend of Louloudis from their time together in the British squad, tasted defeat for the second time in three races.

The 23-year-old, also an Olympic bronze medallist from London 2012, graduates in engineering at the end of this academic year and will have no opportunity to make up for it.

“Eventually they put in one too many moves, they asked too many questions and we were just unable to come up with the goods,” said Nash. told the BBC.

“It is something that will replay in my head for the rest of my life. This is my final Boat Race.”

Davidson revealed before the race that his sporting icon was Ayrton Senna, for the Brazilian driver’s ability to rise above the raging politics of Formula One and prove he was the best.

Davidson, Hudspith and Oxford could not overcome the dramas of the 2012 Boat Race - but the Dark Blue president sensed on the start line that the 2013 crew would live up to their billing of favourites.

“I sat on the stakeboat and I said to Karl ‘this is going to be our day’,” Davidson said.

“We didn’t let it not be our day.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Wasps number eight Billy Vunipola is bracing himself for an “awkward” weekend as he prepares to play against his elder brother, the Saracens and England prop Mako, for the first time in anger.

The only other occasion they have found themselves on the opposite sides of a ruck was in a trial match of three periods for Bristol, when Billy was still at Castle School.

On that day, Billy did his best to avoid any direct confrontation with Mako and he has admitted the same will be the case at Adams Park on Saturday.

“In the last period of that trial, Mako and I were put up against each other. We ran into a ruck together and he told me to go and stand on the opposite side of the pitch so we could avoid each other,” Vunipola told Press Association Sport.

“Being the younger brother I did it. Even though I was playing back row I spent most of my time on the wing.

“It is a weird feeling coming up against your older sibling. It is hard to say this but when he runs at me I don’t think I will try and hit him as hard as I will hit other people.

“If he runs at me I will do a job for my team and I will try and stop him but there is something deep inside that just says it is not right to go out and hurt my brother.

“It will be pretty awkward for me and for my family.”

Awkward is a word that crops up a great deal in conversation with Vunipola, much of it down to the culture clash between his Tongan upbringing and life as an English professional player.

On Saturday, Vunipola will be anxious to preserve familial harmony but also desperate to prove to Wasps how grateful he is for giving him a start in professional rugby.

That family-versus-club dichotomy goes right to the heart of Vunipola’s decision to leave Wasps at the end of the season and join Mako at Saracens.

It was an agonising call for Vunipola, who felt he was betraying the club who had developed him from an overweight teenager to the brink of England honours.

Ultimately, Vunipola’s family ties - so important in the Tongan culture from which he descends - proved too strong. It was his family’s wish and so he acceded.

“If I play for England then all of the credit goes to Wasps. I can’t emphasise how much this club has done for me and how much it means to me,” Vunipola said.

“I am not here for much longer. I am just trying my best for everyone at the club.

“There are other reasons why I am leaving. It is for my family. I tried to fight it but it is how we are brought up. It is what felt right for everyone around at home.

“We are really close. It is going to be so awkward on Saturday and that is the biggest thing, the split of who to support. Playing with my brother would help my family out in ways Wasps couldn’t.”

Uniting the brothers at Saracens was the wish of their father Fe’a, the former Tongan captain who brought his family to the UK in 1999 when he signed for Pontypool.

Wasps were angry with the way the family handled the move. A deal was done with Saracens while Wasps were still under the impression Vunipola was staying with them.

“When it came up, I felt really awkward around here at Wasps. I couldn’t really look the boys in the eye,” Vunipola said.

“It felt like I had let my friends down, the whole team. It took about a week before everything died down.

“My Dad suggested it. I knew if I stayed at Wasps then it would be awkward at home for a while.

“In Tonga it is still the old-fashioned culture of what the parents say goes. It is tough to maybe think about it in today’s culture, where people can do what they want when they are 18.

“Back home, religion is still number one and your parents are the boss. My brother and I firmly believe that.

“It was disciplined and hard at times when your friends are out and you have to stay in and do your homework and do the chores.

“But we were lucky we had rugby. That was so big for us. It was an outlet.”

Vunipola played four years above his age-group when he was at school in Bristol and he was recruited by Wasps after winning a sports scholarship to Harrow School.

After playing an influential role in Wasps’ survival last season, Vunipola made a sensational start to this campaign and he was fast-tracked into the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations.

Even that was an awkward experience, initially, because he turned up to camp unable to train having injured his ankle playing for Wasps.

“I imagined the others saying ‘here’s the new guy and he’s not even training, he’s just here for the free food’,” Vunipola laughed.

England badly missed the presence of a dynamic, ball-carrying number eight after Ben Morgan was injured but a different ankle problem denied Vunipola the chance of a Test debut against France.

That will surely now come on the summer tour of Argentina. England head coach Stuart Lancaster is desperate to get Vunipola involved at Test level.

“It wasn’t my time,” said Vunipola, who has seen Mako flourish since making his own Test debut in the autumn.

“Mako has had a taste of the big time with England and he wants more of it. He is pushing himself and it is showing in his performances.

“He’s doing awesome.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Stuart Lancaster warned England will have to play right to the very edge of their mental and physical limits if they are to end a decade-long quest and beat Ireland in the hostile surrounds of the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.

It is 10 years since England last tasted RBS 6 Nations success in Dublin’s fair city and while that history will have little bearing on this match, there are key lessons for Lancaster to draw from an era of misery and frustration.

In 2009, England lost their discipline and Danny Care’s late sin-binning for a petulant shove on Marcus Horan cost them any chance of a victory at Croke Park.

Two years ago, England were caught out by Ireland’s intensity and their Grand Slam ambitions were destroyed by a humbling 24-8 defeat.

Lancaster has steeled England for another Irish onslaught and reminded them of the brutal lessons they learned on last summer’s tour of South Africa.

The Springboks stormed into a 22-3 lead in the first 20 minutes of the Johannesburg Test and, although England fought back valiantly, the damage had been done.

Ireland did exactly the same to Wales last week, dominating the first half to secure them a victory at the Millennium Stadium.

Lancaster said: “What we can’t afford is to be caught out.

“South Africa and the intensity of those first 20 minutes was a great learning experience. It prepares you for (Dublin) as best you can.

“You have got to hit the balance between being on the edge emotionally to match the Irish in those physical areas such as the breakdown and not so over the that so you become ill-disciplined and you lose sense of your game plan.

“That is the art of coaching - trying to get the players in a state of mind so they are at that tipping point so they can maintain it for 80 minutes.

“If you are not up for it enough, as you saw two years ago, it is all over. If you are too much up for it then, well then it’s all over.”

As expected, Lancaster made just one change to the side that beat Scotland 38-18 last weekend, with James Haskell starting at blindside flanker and Tom Wood shifting across to number eight in place of the injured Ben Morgan.

Lancaster resisted the temptation to start with Manu Tuilagi in midfield and has instead primed him to make a game-changing impact off the bench, a seat he will occupy for the first time in a Test match alongside the likes of Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes.

“I am sure Manu will be highly motivated,” Lancaster said.

“He is not match fit yet and it became apparent to me the most effective way of using Manu would be off the bench and I’m sure he will come on and be a ball-carrier for us.

“And not just him. Look at the quality of the people on the bench.

“There is no doubt it will make a big difference. To have Manu, Dylan and Courtney is hopefully going to be a point of difference for us.”

With Tuilagi benched, the direct challenge of facing down midfield magician Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, the world’s most experienced centre partnership, falls to Billy Twelvetrees and Brad Barritt.

Barritt is England’s defensive leader and he will line up opposite O’Driscoll in the outside centre channel with Twelvetrees given the chance to continue after an eye-catching debut.

“O’Driscoll is undoubtedly a key player. The quality of his performance last week and what he brings to the Irish side is incredible really,” Lancaster said.

“They have quality running throughout the spine of their team and O’Driscoll heads it.”

Morgan and Tuilagi are England’s most effective ball-carriers and their presence will be missed in Dublin but Haskell made a powerful impact off the bench last week and Twelvetrees impressed on debut.

“We didnt have Manu last week and we managed to get across the gain line OK,” Lancaster said.

“I thought James Haskell did well and Tom Youngs and Brad Barritt got across the gainline. If you build your game around one or two players only who can carry the ball, you will be an easy team to defend against.

“Billy was gave our attack a different dimension (against Scotland).

“When you have combinations training and playing together, with a good understanding of the plays and timing that goes with it, you sometimes have to reward the lads who have played well.

“Everyone has an understanding you have to earn the right to get in the team.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Tom Wood is geared up for another Twickenham battle royal as England go from being the hunters to the hunted in today’s Calcutta Cup showdown with Scotland.

Wood was man of the match when England’s back row outplayed the much-vaunted New Zealand loose trio and set the platform for a record 38-21 home win against the world champions in December.

But Scotland are marching on Twickenham with an army of powerful and abrasive forwards, led by captain Kelly Brown, with ambitions of turning the tables on England.

Wood is relishing the challenge and is confident England can reproduce the intensity that accounted for the All Blacks.

“It sounds big and physical. It looks as if we are expecting wet conditions
and a real battle up front. We’re quite happy with that,” Wood said.

“We will need some brawlers in there who will get on the floor, get dirty and put their head where it hurts.

“If Scotland come out full of fire and determined to put pressure on you, they can get in amongst you and knock you off your game.

“That’s what we did to New Zealand. We’ve gone from targeting New Zealand to being the target. So we have to deal with that.

“The challenge for us to reproduce that (intensity from the All Blacks game) regardless of the opposition or occasion. That’s our benchmark and that’s where got to get back to.

“That’s in all aspects of our game, not just the breakdown. We could do with being more clinical out wide and what not, getting more variety in our game.”

Consistency of performance, handling expectations and dealing with being favourites has been a theme of England’s preparations for the RBS 6 Nations.

Andrew Strauss was invited by head coach Stuart Lancaster to address the squad on how England’s cricket team built a side that rose from fifth to first in the world.

Jessica Ennis’ coach Toni Minichiello gave an insight into how the London 2012 poster girl handled the expectation and still delivered at the Olympic Games.

England face a similar challenge at Twickenham on Saturday. Scotland have not won there in 30 years and were beaten by Tonga on their last outing. England, meanwhile, thumped the All Blacks.

The expectation will be for a home win but England refuse to under-estimate Scotland. The two sides have not been separated by more than a converted try in four matches.

“Scotland have already stated that they like nothing better than coming to Twickenham to spoil our party,” Wood said.

“Performing with consistency like the All Blacks is something that’s ingrained in your culture and that’s something Stuart (Lancaster) set up right from the start. No matter who you’re playing.

“Just because we beat the All Blacks and did so convincingly, running in some tries, that doesn’t mean it’s just going to happen again.

“Scotland are a different opponent, present a different challenge and we need to govern ourselves in that respect.

“We’re about working hard, going about your processes, doing your analysis, no one game is more important that the other.”

The England side includes a debut for Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees in place of the injured Manu Tuilagi.

England are a substantially more dangerous side with Tuilagi in midfield,
averaging nearly twice as many points scored when the destructive Leicester midfielder plays.

But Twelvetrees is rated as the complete package by Gloucester boss Nigel Davies, and Brad Barritt is confident they can strike up an immediate rapport in midfield.

“Manu is a fantastic player and he is an asset to any team - but no team is reliant on one person,” Barritt said.

“We have known for a couple of weeks he wouldn’t be involved.

“That has allowed us to build the partnerships and I think people will be
straight up to the mark straight away.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

A year ago this weekend, Stuart Lancaster’s new England team took their first defiant steps “out of the gutter” with a victory over Scotland at
Murrayfield.

Tomorrow, England tackle the auld enemy for the Calcutta Cup once again but now their sights are trained on the stars, having beaten world champions New Zealand at the start of December.

Phase one of England’s rebuilding plan is complete. The foundations of
Lancaster’s team have been laid, the identity of the team forged in the furnace of Test rugby.

England finished 2012 with a record of six wins, five defeats and a draw but the progress from the wreckage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup was clear.

The challenge which begins for England tomorrow is to build on those
foundations. The long-term goal is to be ranked in the top two by the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

“I am pleased how the last year has gone but I want more,” said assistant coach Graham Rowntree.

“We have a settled coaching group, a core of players and a core leadership group. What has pleased me most is the players we have blooded in key positions.

“We have developed that over the past year. We have got a good culture and one of our bedrock statements is we have to be hard to beat.

“We will challenge teams in every area of the field. We have built on that but we are nowhere near where we can be. No-one knows that more than us.

“We did beat the world champions but we stripped that performance down: so many areas were good and so many areas we have got to improve on.

“We know where we are in terms of our group, our experience and what we have to get better at. That’s what drives us on, that (quest for) perfection.”

It was Rowntree who credited Lancaster with dragging English rugby out of the gutter in March and the Rugby Football Union soon agreed, installing him as permanent head coach.

Lancaster’s rise through the ranks of the RFU has been rapid. Two years ago he applied for the role of performance director, which was scrapped in a managerial meltdown at Twickenham.

But the latest reshuffle instituted this week has seen Lancaster placed in
charge of all elite rugby, a role which encompasses both the head coach and performance director duties.

“It was never my intention two years ago to get the England head coach or this extra responsibility. That is not the way I thought,” Lancaster said.

“Last year I was the interim coach. There is a different feel this year.
Expectations have risen and this time last year people were looking at us as an unknown force. Now they know.

“The trick is to win consistently, even when you are the target. That is what the All Blacks do. That is what we have to strive towards.

“We have to be one step ahead, not one step behind.”

Scotland have not won at Twickenham in 30 years and they head south on the back of a defeat to Tonga which cost Andy Robinson his job as head coach.

That only serves to heighten the expectation on England, but Rowntree, angered by accusations of arrogance aimed at his team, insisted there is no danger of complacency.

England have won the last three fixtures against Scotland but the margin has not been bigger than a converted try.

“There is nothing more daunting to me than a team coming here with nothing to lose,” Rowntree said.

“They are always tight games given the competition between the two countries. I am on edge about the game.

“We have spoken a lot about recreating the intensity we showed against New Zealand. That has to be our benchmark going forward.”

In tight encounters such as that which England expect tomorrow, Lancaster talks about the players who offer a point of difference as being critical.

England have lost one in the injured Manu Tuilagi but hope to have found another in Billy Twelvetrees, who will make his debut at inside centre and is seen by many as the complete package.

Tom Youngs’ form through the autumn earned him the hooker’s jersey despite the return to fitness of Dylan Hartley while Ben Youngs edged the scrum-half debate from Danny Care.

Owen Farrell is arguably in the form of his life and he will continue at
fly-half, having taken his goal-kicking to world-class standards since the
autumn.

Farrell made his Test debut in the Murrayfield encounter a year ago, which ended with Chris Robshaw lifting the Calcutta Cup.

The England captain is confident his men can rise to the new challenge and launch phase two of Lancaster’s project just as they launched phase one - with a victory over Scotland.

“We spoke in the week about the honour of playing in the oldest international rugby fixture in history,” Robshaw said.

“Both sides will be fully aware of what the game means and the history and rivalry between the two countries.

“This is a new challenge. It is about rising to that challenge. I have a very
talented and great group around me.

“Every time we go out there we are going out to work hard for the nation, for the fans who have come to watch us and hopefully perform well for them.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport England Rugby Union Correspondent

Perched awkwardly on the arm of a chair and speaking in his quiet tones, Joe Launchbury inadvertently dismantled any remaining credibility to the claims of arrogance levelled against the England team.

Launchbury was not addressing Jim Telfer’s spicy comments directly. That had been taken care of by England’s bristling head coach Stuart Lancaster, who said adamantly: “It is not in our culture”.

The 21-year-old lock, England’s player of the QBE autumn series, was explaining why he had decided to donate his prize money to the Matt Hampson Foundation for injured rugby players.

Hampson was left paralysed when a scrum collapsed during an England Under-21 training session in 2005. His spirit is inspiring and his foundation helps others in the same unenviable position.

For every fit and active player, both amateur and professional, the sense of ‘there by the grace of God go I’ is inescapable.

Launchbury’s gratitude for being an England international, for having achieved so much so quickly, is the polar opposite to the picture painted by Telfer of a “condescending” team carried away with their own success.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to give the money to. They do some great work for injured players,” said Launchbury, who will make only his third England start against Scotland tomorrow.

“This is a tough sport and anything can happen. Unfortunately, these guys have been there. The rugby community is a small one and it is a tight one. You never wish that on anyone.

“I understand I am in a privileged position and one I need to make the most of. I am out there every day working as hard as I can to try to become a better player.

“I have had a few messages from Matt thanking me for the donation and he said the money would go to great use. It was just a small amount to help.”

Launchbury’s route to the top appeared to have halted when, just four years ago, he was informed by Harlequins academy manager Tony Diprose that he would not be offered a professional contract.

Launchbury was dejected but he decided not to quit the game altogether, an attitude of determination which marked him out as a player with potential from an early age.

Diprose knew it but there was no room for Launchbury, who returned to Sussex and played for Worthing while stacking Sainsbury shelves.

Andy Turner, the rugby coach at Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham, had seen it when Launchbury was pupil, first XV rugby captain, goalkeeper and wicketkeeper.

Turner had organised for Launchbury to join Worthing, who were coached by the former Wasps prop Will Green. It took one game, against Barnes, for Green to phone his old club with a recommendation.

“The unconventional route I have had to get here has made me very grateful and the inspiration I have had from outside has made me very grateful,” Launchbury said.

Launchbury’s rugby is infused by his wider sporting experience at school. He is agile, dynamic and powerful with good hands and he established himself in the Wasps team last season.

Although injury cost him a place on England’s summer tour, Launchbury made such an impact during the autumn series that he is now considered a British and Irish Lion in waiting.

The Six Nations will heavily influence the selection thinking of Lions coach Warren Gatland and tomorrow Launchbury will be up against the imposing pair of Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton.

“Every team we play in the British Isles will have second rows who are
challenging for those honours and we are no different. It is the pinnacle of British rugby and something all players want to be part of,” Launchbury said.

“It is dangerous to look at one on one battles, especially this weekend when you are coming up against such a big pack. It will be up to us as a collective eight to take them on.

“We know where we are as a pack. We know where we stand. We are growing in experience and Graham Rowntree has done some great work with us.

“In the autumn it went well for us up front and we don’t want to let that drop off now.

“England against Scotland is a great rivalry with great history behind it. I
have watched it on television for years and now I can’t wait to play my part in it.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport Rugby Union Reporter

Warren Gatland’s appointment as the 2013 British and Irish Lions coach, which was belatedly confirmed in London today, was about as sure a thing as a bet on Frankel.

The Lions committee made their decision after Gatland had led Wales to the semi-finals of the World Cup and then to a second Six Nations Grand Slam in four years.

Sir Ian McGeechan, the Lion king who took Gatland to South Africa as part of his management squad in 2009, had backed the New Zealander’s claims.

When Gatland’s record with Wasps was also taken into account - three Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup - there really was no coach in the northern hemisphere to match him.

Lions manager Andy Irvine had no qualms appointing a Kiwi to the top job, arguing Gatland had earned his “badge of honour” as part of the 2009 coaching team in South Africa.

And Gatland believes he brings something unique. His playing days may have been in New Zealand but his coaching career has, almost exclusively, been based in Britain and Ireland.

“It’s a massive honour,” Gatland said.

“I’m well aware of the potential criticism; that it should have been someone who is British or Irish, and I understand that. But I see myself as being a bit different to that.

“Graham (Henry) had only been here for a short period, then he got appointed for the 2001 Lions tour.

“I’ve been coaching in the northern hemisphere for 23 years - on and off since 1989.

“I’ve lived and coached in Ireland, I’ve lived and coached in London, in England, and now I’m living and working in Wales.

“That has given me a great insight, culturally and an understanding.

“New Zealand is still claiming me as a New Zealand coach, but all my coaching has been done in the northern hemisphere.

“I’ve learned a huge amount here. My playing days were primarily in New Zealand but it’s given me a massive amount of experience and balance playing there, being coached there and playing for the All Blacks, but also coming up to the northern hemisphere and learning a huge amount here too.

“I’d like to think that’s given me a very rounded experience.”

Gatland played a record 140 times for Waikato, leading his province to a victory over Wales and, in 1993, he lined up against the Lions in Hamilton.

“We were bouncing off the walls,” he recalled.

Gatland made 17 appearances for his country at hooker although he never won a Test cap, his path blocked by the All Blacks captain Shaun Fitzpatrick.

But his coaching instincts were evident early on, when he introduced a game based on Australian Rules and Gaelic football into New Zealand squad’s training routine.

Gatland pursued his coaching career in Europe, taking charge of Connacht for two years before he was appointed Brian Ashton’s successor as Ireland head coach.

Ireland had been struggling for a number of years and Gatland succeeded in planting the green shoots of recovery before he was sacked in 2001 and replaced by his assistant Eddie O’Sullivan.

How much credit he can take for the Triple Crown and Grand Slam successes that followed for Ireland depend on whether you are in the Gatland or O’Sullivan camp.

Gatland moved on to Wasps where he recruited defence coach Shaun Edwards into rugby union and led the club to a hat-trick of Premiership crowns and Heineken Cup glory.

On limited resources, Gatland and Edwards turned Wasps into the best side in Europe. He is a hard-nosed coach who does not take fools gladly.

“He’s a guy who I have the utmost respect for,” said Phil Vickery, who played under Gatland for Wasps and the Lions.

“He’s a typical Kiwi. He’s honest, sometimes brutally, but you can be honest back.

“He gets the guys together and gets the best out of people.”

In 2006, Gatland moved back to New Zealand and led Waikato to the national title before Wales came calling after they had crashed out in the pool stages of the World Cup.

Gatland recruited Edwards again and their impact was immediate, guiding Wales to the first of two Grand Slam triumphs in the space of four years.

Ever since he had watched the Lions beat the All Blacks in 1971, the touring team from the British Isles had held a mythical status.

In 2009 Gatland learned from the inside what it meant to be a Lion.

Next summer, he will aim to carve out his own piece of history as the Lions target their first Test series win in 16 years.

“I remember as a boy when the 1971 Lions came to New Zealand. Teams weren’t supposed to beat the All Blacks, so that had a big impact on me psychologically, mentally,” he said.

“Then to think the Lions did it again in South Africa in 1974. It’s about to getting back to that - making the Lions successful again.”

end

By Alex Lowe, Press Association Sport Rugby Union Reporter

Warren Gatland is determined there will be no repeat of England’s World Cup disciplinary disaster when he leads the British and Irish Lions on next year’s tour of Australia.

Gatland’s players will be encouraged to extend the 125-year traditions of the Lions, to be open and accessible to the public, to visit schools and hospitals. To leave a positive mark on the country.

In 2009, the players did all those things and the tour of South Africa, led by Sir Ian McGeechan, was praised for restoring the very ethos of the Lions despite a 2-1 Test series defeat.

But England’s World Cup campaign, book-ended by a drunken squad night out in Queenstown and Manu Tuilagi’s alcohol-fuelled leap from a ferry, has left its scar on the professional game.

That scar serves as a warning to Lions tour manager Andy Irvine, who expects the touring players to be targeted by members of the public when they are in Australia.

Inevitably, that leaves the Lions having to tread a fine line between upholding the best of their traditions while also being on their guard.

“Discipline and character are massively important things,” Gatland said.

“We are all aware what happened in the World Cup and the issues that arose from that.

“Our conduct on and particularly off the field will be paramount.

“It is important we address that and make sure we try not to get ourselves into any trouble off the field.”

While England sloped home in disgrace from the 2011 World Cup, Gatland’s Wales squad reached the semi-finals and were praised for their conduct and professionalism.

Irvine believes Gatland, who enjoyed mixing with Lions supporters in the hotel bars on the 2009 tour, is the perfect man to strike the right balance.

“In the good old amateur days, some of the antics players got up to were probably worse than what happens now,” Irvine admitted.

“But it is a different ball game now. These players are professionals, they have their reputations at stake, the reputations of their clubs, their countries and the Lions.

“They have a huge responsibility. We also know that some of them will be targeted. It is something we are very conscious of.

“It is something Warren is to be congratulated on. Wales have had one or two interesting moments in years gone by but they have had an exemplary record in the last two years.

“Warren is a well-balanced man. He understands what teamship and camaraderie
is all about.”

Gatland was selected as head coach by the Lions committee after leading Wales to the semi-finals of the World Cup and a 2012 Six Nations Grand Slam.

The official appointment was delayed after Gatland broke both heels falling from a ladder at his Waikato home, as the Lions had to be certain he would be fit to lead the tour.

Gatland will coach Wales in their autumn internationals against Australia and New Zealand but otherwise he has been seconded to the Lions full-time. Rob Howley takes over the reins with Wales.

“This is the highest honour, to be selected as the Lions coach,” said Gatland, who was forwards coach in South Africa three years ago.

“It’s a massive responsibility to the players and coaches that have gone before me and to 125 years of Lions history.”

Gatland wants to appoint his coaching team before the autumn internationals. He is looking for continuity from 2009, which points to the likes of Graham Rowntree and Shaun Edwards, but he also plans to introduce some fresh faces.

Sam Warburton, Chris Robshaw, Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll all feature in Gatland’s early captaincy short-list, although he stressed much can change over the next 10 months.

The squad will be no bigger than 35 players and Gatland is excited by the depth of talent at his disposal as the Lions aim for their first Test series win since 1997.

“Wales pushed Australia really close in the summer,” Gatland said.

“If you’re able to pick the best of the best from the other countries, then how much stronger potentially is a Lions squad going to be?

“That’s why I’m really excited.”

There are logistical and selection hurdles Gatland has to overcome. The Lions leave for Hong Kong together on May 27, just two days after the Aviva Premiership and RaboDirect Pro12 finals.

Gatland will bring those players not in finals action into camp early to begin preparations but he is resigned to being without half his squad until 24 hours before departure.

The Lions have the additional problem of some leading players - Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins and James Hook, for example - being based in France.

The Top 14 final is not until June 1, the same day the Lions play the Barbarians, and Gatland will not countenance late arrivals on tour.

His first mission will be to fly to France tomorrow and hold talks with potential tourists and their clubs over release for the Lions.

“You don’t want to cut your nose off to spite your face in terms of making those players unavailable if they are really, really important to you,” Gatland said.

“But if it means making a really, really tough call to say someone is not available then we might have to make that call.

“It might be the best thing for the squad. We’re not going to make a hard-and-fast rule, but we are capable of making tough decisions if that’s what is right for the squad.”

end