PHONES ARE OFF THE MENU FOR EDDIE’S BOYS
Wednesday v Blues (Eden Park, Auckland) Saturday v Crusaders (Rugby League Park, Christchurch) June 13 v Highlanders (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin) June 17 v Maori All Blacks (Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua) June 20 v Chiefs (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton) June 24 1st Test v New Zealand (Eden Park, Auckland) June 27 v Hurricanes (Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington) July 1 2nd Test v New Zealand (Wellington R egional Stadium, Wellington) July 8 3rd Test v New Zealand (Eden Park, Auckland) MIKE BROWN reckons it is good to talk – but has revealed England have banned phones at meal times in camp to help the squad gel.
Eddie Jones’ side touched down in Buenos Aires yesterday for a two-Test tour of Argentina with 18 uncapped players on the plane.
As Warren Gatland’s Lions showed at the weekend, it is a tough gig to get players who don’t know each other to bond.
So Jones left it up to the old lags, like Brown, George Ford and Chris Robshaw, to make some house rules to help the squad rub along.
These include the phone ban and making sure the entire squad gets the brooms out after training to leave the gyms and pitches spick and span.
Brown said: “We let them know a few rules we have around the camp.
“If we’re sat talking to each other and getting to know each other, which is important with a lot of new people, we don’t want guys buried in their phones.
“Keeping the environment clean is another one. We’re very lucky with this set-up, so it’s a case of keeping it clean when we leave the changing room or the gym, and respecting our surroundings.”
With around 30 players with the Lions in New Zealand, injured or suspended, Jones has been forced to test the strength in depth of English rugby to the max.
Teenagers such as twins Tom and Ben Curry (both below), from Sale, Saracens lock Nick Isiekwe (third from top) and London Irish wing Joe Cokanasiga (bottom) are all on the trip.
And other rookies include Sam Underhill, just 20, Northampton’s Harry Mallinder and Exeter pair Harry Williams and Don Armand. Veterans such as Brown, Robshaw and Joe Launchbury are expected to show the new boys the way in a tough tour against the Pumas.
Brown added: “It’s down to the more experienced guys, who have been around a long time, to pitch in and help wherever we can. “The other guys have come in and put their best foot forward.
“The responsibility is on us to really show these guys how intense we need to be training, and helping them understand what it takes to play for England and the levels we expect.
“We need to talk to the younger guys as much as we can and help them feel comfortable in this environment and get that team bonding together.”