Joseph’s ready for World Cup inferno
TO WIN a World Cup requires not only a special team but special individuals within that team. Trace the history of all seven World Cupwinning sides and there are players who jump off the page.
From New Zealand’s John Kirwan and Wayne Shelford in 1987 to Australia’s David Campese in 1991. From South Africa’s Joost van der Westhuizen in 1995 to Australia’s John Eales in 1999. From Martin Johnson and Jonny Wilkinson in 2003, on to Fourie du Preez and Victor Matfi eld in 2007 and then Richie McCaw in 2011. No side have won the tournament without world- class players.
Pick a World XV ahead of the upcoming tournament and few, if any, of the current England team would be in it. So for England to make the leap, potential must prove itself on the grandest stage.
This is the moment for Courtney Lawes, George Ford and Jonathan Joseph to announce themselves globally. They have it within their power to do so even if, for the latter pair, they are still relatively new to Test rugby.
A year ago, Joseph was not even in England’s 46- man squad for the New Zealand tour but a high- class Six Nations contribution has confi rmed to the most important person of all – himself – that he is capable of standing out at any level.
“We’ve just got to stay focused and not let this moment slip by. It’s a great opportunity, a home World Cup, so I want to make sure I make the most of it,” said Joseph.
“I have trained as hard as I can and prepared as well as possible, working alongside the other players and coaches, to be up to speed with everything.
“That New Zealand tour does feel like an awful long time ago. I’ve learnt a lot since then and feel I’ve developed as a player. I’m ready to take on whatever comes at me at this World Cup.”
Joseph’s Rolls- Royce form at the end of last season is likely to increase the level of surveillance upon him in the England midfi eld particularly if he is paired with Brad Barritt. The stoic Saracen does not attract opposition eyes in the same way as the more explosive Luther Burrell might have done, meaning there will be extra attention on the Bath hot- stepper.
“As a player, if that ever becomes the case, you have to recognise it and if you do have a certain amount of heat on you, you have to use it to your advantage,” he said. “There will be space elsewhere for others, so you have to be unselfi sh and make the right decision.
“It’s a case of always looking at different areas, of how you can break down defences and always stay one step ahead of the opposition. That’s what I’m putting a lot of time and effort into doing.”
Joseph is a different animal from the uncertain one fi rst capped in South Africa in 2012. Now he feels he belongs and his try in England’s last game in France a fortnight ago was his fi fth in his last six Tests. But it was too little, too late as far as the outcome was concerned – a defeat which heightens the importance of England winning their last warm- up match this weekend against Ireland.
“We are very confi dent with the 31 that we have here and are just excited to push on now,” said Joseph. “Our fi rst task is Ireland and putting in a good performance , which will move us on nicely for the World Cup.
“They have a great kicking game and very good aerial players, so we have to work those areas , making them a strength of ours as opposed to a strength of theirs.
“We have great aerial players ourselves – our back three is very strong and we also have very talented kickers – so we’ve looked at them but also at what we can do and how we can impose our game on them. That has been a massive focus for us.”