THE RETURN OF BILLY THE KIDDER

NEW MAN Sarries star Billy Vunipola is vowing to enjoy his rugby again

BILLY VUNIPOLA has vowed to be smiles better for England today when the Six Nations Championship finally reaches its climax.

A year has come and gone since the big No.8 last represented his country in the World Cup Final in

Yokohama.

Twelve months in which his arm has broken and mended a fourth time,

Saracens club has been banished from the Premiership in disgrace and he has endured the pandemic with the rest of us.

The most uncertain time of his life brought about a period of soul-searching and has led to the conclusion that it is high time he chased the clouds away and lightened up.

In Rome this evening, where England hope to set a mark that title rivals France and Ireland can not match, Eddie Jones’ team are under orders to bring a smile to the nation.

Vunipola admits that for him, the process has to start closer to home. He said: “I’ve had conversations with Eddie about me being the happy-go-lucky guy.

“I got too bogged down with the pressure of the World Cup, the pressures of being the go-to guy and not focusing on my team-mates and helping them. It his sounds really cliched and I hate saying it but it’s about enjoying it. I just got too bogged down in all the detail. I play best when I’m instinctive and decisive.”

England will win the title if they beat Italy with a bonus point and France defeat Ireland – unless Fabien Galthie’s side also take maximum points and better England’s margin of victory by more than two points.

But if the Irish, whose points difference is 23 better than England, win in Paris they will take the crown, assuming the Red Rose do not better their margin of victory by 24 points.

It is a day for calculators but the instruction to England from on high is to leave the maths to others and instead focus on grinding Italy down with the intention of exploiting tired bodies and gaping holes later on.

Or, to put it simply, learn from 2015 when England last faced a ‘Super Saturday’ race to the title and lost out because in their excitement to plunder points they forgot to lock the back door.

“We let it be too frantic,” said Vunipola, recalling how England stuck 55 points on France but allowed them 35 and came up seven short to hand Ireland the spoils. “We didn’t set the foundations of playing in the right areas, making sure that we tried to wear them down. We allowed it to become a Sevens feel.”

Vunipola has spent the year since playing largely meaningless games for his already-condemned club. He describes himself as a “bit of a coiled spring” but quickly adds that he does not want to say any more about that.

“The plan is to do my talking on the pitch and not so much off it,” he said. “You’ll see a happier version of me.”