'Chirpy' English helping each other
England backline coach Andy Farrell is happy that there are plenty of 'chirps' flying around at the national team's training camp.
Speaking after the second week of training at Pennyhill Park, he felt that all the talking was helping the players as they start the build-up towards the World Cup in 70-odd days' time.
Farrell, who was part of Brian Ashton's England squad at the 2007 World Cup, said "this is the time of these players' lives".
As such, the backs and defence coach is acutely aware of how September 18 – when the tournament gets underway at Twickenham – must be etched on each man's mind.
"Everyone is very competitive," Farrell said.
"Everyone wants to gain that extra jump on the next.
"We've got 50 [players] here and before the Fiji game we need to get it down to 31.
"There are 19 really, really good players that are going to be disappointed.
"We're going to throw all sorts at them, not just fitness and skills.
"You've got to challenge them mentally and put them under pressure when they're fatigued mentally.
"That's puts them head-to-head in terms of decision-making with a rugby ball in hand.
"There are all sorts of permutations we have to go through to whittle it down. We're not there yet."
In sweltering heat, the intensity has been uncompromising as Stuart Lancaster's charges prepare for the upcoming World Cup – the vow to leave no stone unturned is certainly being kept.
Indeed, following another day of graft, Farrell seemed delighted with some tight-knit teamwork in tough conditions.
Clearly, the standards are being driven higher by a collective desire to improve.
"It's been an excellent start," he said.
"The first week was a reintegration into running and skills. We went pretty hard there and they went home pretty tired the previous Friday.
"They've come back in last Sunday and since then their application and their attitude has been first class. Guess what? We've ramped it up again and asked questions of them. They've dealt with the stress of that perfectly.
"It's about helping your mates across the line. It's about looking after one another and encouragement, making sure we suffer together. We're doing that at the minute.
"We play a lot of fitness games and do fitness in between that. We're looking for who can push it, not just in the fitness but in the games.
"It tends to be the chirpy ones, the ones who like to chat that are driving everyone on. There's a good group of them at the minute."
Source: @EnglandRugby
