Slade in top order
HENRY SLADE faces the battle of his life on the pitch – after winning a huge fight off it.
The stylish England midfielder (inset), who will be on the bench for tomorrow’s final, has conquered obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD as it is known.
“It meant stupid stuff like having to turn the light switch off in a certain way,” he said.
“If I did it differently, I felt something bad would happen.”
Slade finally decided to take risks in order to change his luck.
“As I stopped worrying about OCD my ability to park any error improved,” he said.
THE VUNIPOLA boys might be right at the forefront of England’s drive for World Cup glory, but they insist England’s entire 32man squad are a Band of Brothers.
Nine of those players were disappointed men when England announced their 23 yesterday to take on South Africa in Japan tomorrow.
But it is a mark of the bond the squad has forged at Japan 2019 that each one, including the injured Willi Heinz, will be presented with his own final match jersey tonight.
They will never get to wear the shirts in anger but they will forever have them as mementos from the journey to Yokohama.
Mako Vunipola says there have been no cracks in the white wall on the pitch because there have been no cracks off it.
“Eddie (Jones) has talked countless times about the way that we have a team of 31, a team of 32 now,” said the prop.
“A couple of years ago maybe people would have thought that would have been a little bit cringey.
“But the way those players who haven’t played have handled themselves in the last couple of weeks, they way they have trained, shows me that not only do they care about from NEIL SQUIRES in Tokyo
the team, but they are willing to set aside their egos.
“We get the chance to go out and represent them, because if not it’s an embarrassment at our end.”
Teamwork is essential for England against the Springboks, rugby’s version of a heavyduty power hammer.
If they can scent weakness, they will exploit it ruthlessly. But at this World Cup England, strengthened by their united front, do not do weakness.
Mako and younger brother Billy have the chance to emulate Bobby and Jack Charlton in becoming England World Cup winners.
“Not many people have the opportunity to play in World Cup finals and we’re very privileged to be able to share it with each other,” said Mako.
Over the next 24 hours each will get a text from their Auntie Pauline in Sydney with secret instructions on how to dismantle the Springboks.
“Most of the messages are Bible verses to keep me on my toes and keep my feet on the ground,” said Vunipola.
“But she will probably message me to say what to look out for in the scrum.
“She will say, ‘This guy goes in this way’ or something like that. She didn’t play but she had six brothers who played, so that’s enough.”
The heavyweight forward contest, as Auntie Pauline knows, will be a critical tactical and psychological pinch point.
“Whoever wins the forward battle is going to go a long way to deciding who wins,” added Vunipola. “We are aware that it is going to take a long grind but we are prepared and ready to fight it out.”
England have been one step ahead tactically during the knockout stages and, with their twin playmakers, will have more potential shots in the locker than South Africa.
Tactics only take a side so against the giant Springboks.
Half the battle will be down to attitude. And England’s attitude against the side Eddie Jones described as the most intimidating in world rugby is not to take a backward step.
“We have been able to adapt our game to the opposition and to whatever the game requires, but we are also very clear that we are at our best when we go at teams,” said Vunipola.
“Last week we understood that we couldn’t sit back and not go at the All Blacks.
“It will be no different this week against South Africa. Our mindset will be to go out there and take it to them.” far, though,