Calder in screen test for England Coach focuses on skill shortage of iPhone era
squad will be involved. “The main priority will be to make sure the players’ skill levels are absolutely immaculate,” she said. “We will be working really hard on awareness because awareness makes you make effective decisions under pressure.
“We don’t only train the eye movements, the ability to judge and the ability to recognise early, we also train the brain, which is really a muscle. We can train at a level way higher than you experience on the field.
“It is the same as if a player needs strength. You aren’t just going to do drills on the field, you are going to go into the gym and use that strength on the field. We believe that if we upskill every player, he’ll be able to handle whatever is thrown at him on the field.
“Different players improve at different levels but we can make the good ones better as well. You can feel it pretty quickly. They will feel it in time for the Six Nations.”
England will be sharing Calder’s expertise with golfer Ernie Els, who has re-hired her after having her in his corner when he won the 2012 Open Championship, and new Mercedes Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas.
“We’ve created a training programme for him where, an hour before he gets in the car, he gets ready to perform,” said Calder.
“We prepare the rest of the body to perform, but the eyes and the brain, the response and decision-making system, we just put by the side. In F1, you can imagine how crucial that is.”
The action unfolds more slowly on a rugby pitch but Jones, who employed Calder in Japan during his spell coaching Suntory, clearly feels he has pulled a fast one on England’s Six Nations rivals in hiring from left field again.
Opening opponents France have called up Toulon’s monster centre Mathieu Bastareaud, who was last capped at the 2015 World Cup, and club-mate Xavier Chiocci.
Ireland have named uncapped brothers Niall and Rory Scannell in their 40-man squad for the championship.
We prepare the rest of the body, so why not the eyes and the brain?