RUNNING ONEMPTY
It’s been a year since England played in front of a full house and Ewels insists the lack of crowds has hurt their title bid
CHARLIE EWELS has revealed the personal challenge facing England players in trying to dig themselves out of a Six Nations hole.
The highly-anticipated visit of France completes a full 12 months since England played in front of a full house at Twickenham.
It was March 7 last year when 82,000 fans roared them to victory over Wales, shortly before lockdown, in the fourth round of a championship they won.
Now England arrive at the same round in the same stadium with their title defence over and not a soul in the stands to lift them.
Lock forward Ewels said: “We play a confrontational sport so emotion always comes into it. It’s not so much about who the opposition is. It’s about the honour and opportunity of representing your country and all the emotion that brings.
“Normally I’m reminded about all those things at the anthems, with my family standing in front of me – all the reasons why I play the game become clear to me.
“But at the minute they’re not there and it’s hard to replicate those emotions.
“When all you’ve known is playing in front of a crowd, whether you’re aware of it or not, that’s part of your preparation – how you get ready for a match.”
Eddie Jones put England’s poor start to the Six Nations down to a problem with their “arousal level”, saying last month that playing behind closed doors his team lacked its “normal aggression and go-at-them” game.
Since then they have lost to Wales and another defeat would mean losing three of the first four rounds in a Six Nations for the first time since 2005 – ironically the last time France won at Twickenham in the championship.
Ewels admits not having a crowd means England “have lost a massive driver” emotionally, and that he and his team-mates have had to find alternative ways of achieving the same high.
“I know for me personally I have to put more effort into making sure those things are internal,” he said.
“Making sure I still get to that place knowing I’m not going to see my mum and dad during the anthem, I’m not going to run out to 80,000 people and that big wall of noise.”
When a small amount of fans were allowed back for the Autumn Nations Cup final in December, England beat France 22-19 in front of just 2,000 at Twickenham.
England legend Jeremy Guscott reckons today’s players are operating in the “strangest of circumstances” with the “real-life rugby experience” taken away.
“I can’t put myself in their position,” he conceded. “It’s unimaginable.”
But Ewels said: “It’s been a year. We had five months sat at home losing our minds and the rest of the time we have been playing rugby, so we are used to it.”
Put another way, it’s time England summon a performance from within.
The armchair-watching nation expects.