Hartley makes Eddie’s stars clean dressing rooms ‘to stay grounded’

DYLAN HARTLEY may have been accused of being a dirty player in the past but the England captain has gone to extreme lengths to clean up his team’s act.

The Mail on Sunday understands he has initiated a cleaning regime where players take turns to ensure the changing rooms are left spotless after each game. The practice, which has been welcomed by the players, mirrors a regime started by world champions New Zealand in a bid to keep them grounded.

The move to copy the All Blacks is further evidence of England’s drive to topple them as the No1 side in the world. Second in the rankings, England play Italy today in the RBS Six Nations at Twickenham, looking to extend their winning run to 17, one short of New Zealand’s world record of 18.