Haskell: We’ll be up for the cup challenge

WASPS star James Haskell has voiced a pragmatic response to England’s Rugby World Cup draw for Japan 2019.

Eddie Jones’ side have been placed in the toughest qualifying pool for the second successive tournament having been placed in pool C alongside France and Argentina.

Two years ago, England became the first tournament hosts since the competition’s inception in 1987 to fail to reach the knock-out stages after defeats by Australia and Wales. This triggered the removal of Stuart Lancaster’s coaching team, and the arrival of Jones.

Haskell has played a prominent part in this run, which has included two Six Nations wins and a series success Down Under.

And he now believes Jones’ new England can take the challenge posed by the fastimproving French and three-time semi-finalists Argentina in their stride. “If you want to be the best team in the world then you’ve got to beat all the best teams,” he says. “I’d love to see the simplest pool in the world, but it never works out that way – you’ve just got to beat whoever’s in front of you on the day. Eddie Jones’ team out there will literally just look at the first game.

“I’m also a believer that the form going into a tournament doesn’t really matter because what counts is what you do once you get there. Eddie Jones will be very matter of fact, he wants us to be the best team in the world. For the World Cup his mind is already on that, doing that in the right way.

“HE’S already coming up with weird and wonderful ways to make us fitter and fitter.He tells us that a World Cup is a lifedefining moment.”

Haskell will be 34 by the time Japan 2019 arrives, but has made no secret of his desire to extend his career to then.

A number of younger Wasps, including Elliot Daly, Dan Robson, Tommy Taylor and Joe Launchbury will be in their prime at this point and hoping to be part of a tournament for which England are currently second favourites behind two-time winners New Zealand.