James Haskell is keen to start what he has finished. The England flanker spent the opening two rounds of the Six Nations Championship on the bench having missed the first half of the season with a toe injury. But he made such a significant impact after coming on against France and Wales that Eddie Jones struck a synonym for super sub – “finisher” – and he is in line to start against Italy at Twickenham on Sunday 26 February.
England were losing at home against France when Haskell emerged from the sidelines after 63 minutes, having ripped off his tracksuit in record time, to help construct the winning try. He was needed earlier against Wales in Cardiff, with the home side enjoying a clear advantage in the back row, and his arrival, together with the substitution of the home No8 Ross Moriarty, marked a turning point in what became a tale of two benches.
Haskell was promoted from the bench when England played Italy at Twickenham four years ago, one of five changes to a winning side. The result was an unconvincing 18-11 victory that cost them the title the following week when Wales overtook them on points difference. Even though most of the players involved that day remain, this is a very different England team.
“We are in a very different place to 2013,” says Haskell. “When we train everyone intermingles, and with the way we use the bench I do not think changes would affect us much. We would not be in a good place if they did.
“I have enjoyed coming off the bench, but I am ready to play for 80 minutes. I had not been a replacement for a while: it is a different mindset and it is hard in an intense game even if you know you can go balls to walls for that period of time.
“Eddie’s squad is all about the 23: in the past you would be gutted if you did not get the starting shirt and, while I still am, you do not have the same disappointment because you know you still have a massive role to play.
“We want our attack to fire against Italy: Wales’s defence was up there last week and Ross Moriarty was a massive player for them – I was a bit surprised when they took him off – and they handled us well, although three or four tries went begging.”
Which is why England were pushed hard in training last Tuesday. “There was a bit of frustration after the match last week because of the opportunities we missed,” says Haskell.
“We work to a high intensity in training and finish things off. You had to be happy at winning in Cardiff against a Wales team that played better than it had for a long period of time, but everything we do is about getting better and we did not play as well as we would have liked in the first two games.”
England had an open training session at Twickenham on Friday in front of 12,000 spectators. Any Italians among them would have noticed the tempo at which it was conducted throughout, the high skills levels and the array of attacking options available to Jones.
“We are super-intense in training every time,” says Haskell. “Eddie keeps track through GPS data and goes harder the next time. It means that in a game you think clearly in the chaos. It was 20% down on Tuesday’s session. I sat out that one as the coaches managed my load following the injury; it was one of the hardest I have ever seen.
“We had bits of down time in the week, but it is the hunger to get better that drives the players and coaches. We view Italy as a big threat and I remember how narrow our victory was four years ago.”
Haskell played in the first eight games under Jones last year before sustaining injury. “I had my tendon reattached, the planter plate repaired and a small piece of bone excised,” he says. “It has left me with an angry joint and an upset toe. It shows how important your foot is: when you play sport, you do everything with it. The nature of the injury means you have good days and bad days and it has been a long road back.
“I used the time off to make sure I came back better. I tried to find the best people to work with. As a professional rugby player you are given a programme, which is great. But if you want to get anywhere you have to work outside the box, even if it means you are tied to a treadmill while running backwards. I have worked very hard on my mobility because that was where I knew I could improve. I run a fitness business and people get bogged down with the idea that I spend all the time in the gym. I never do any body-building training. All my training is focused around mobility and being a better rugby player. I move a little bit better and look less like a T-1000 [Terminator] as a wardrobe with a head.”
