Mapletoft: We're in a brutal pool this time

ENGLAND may be heading to Italy with the number one target on their backs, but for head coach Mark Mapletoft, this year’s World Championship is a fresh canvas.

- BEN JAYCOCK

Mapletoft’s side endured a disappointing end to their Six Nations, going four from four before losing their final match in Wales and subsequently losing the title to France.

However, England’s culture is something Mapletoft holds dear, believing it’s one of the squad's defining features and a major reason they continue to churn out talent for the senior game, and he is proud of how his squad have bounced back from their Six Nations short comings.

He told The Rugby Paper: “One of the players we've got, he made his Premiership debut this season. But when I asked him about his highlight of the year, he said it was losing to Wales. That loss made him realise what he needed to improve. That's a brilliant answer. It shows maturity. That’s what we want, players who learn, reflect, and grow.”

The defending champions will open their campaign later this month with the weight of expectation and a difficult pool-stage draw of Scotland, South Africa, and Australia, but Mapletoft is eager to make one thing clear: this is not a title defence.

He said: “We know going into a tournament as defending champions puts a bit of a marker on you but this group of players aren’t defending anything— many weren’t part of it last year. That’s what makes this level unique. We don’t carry through the same squad year to year. Last year’s lads made history, yes, but this group has to go out and carve their own story.”

England have warmed up for the tournament with victories over Wales and Georgia in recent weeks, while the tournament’s shift to Italy does at least remove one logistical headache. Unlike South Africa last year, players can now be flown in swiftly if injuries strike, and that’s no small mercy considering England’s ongoing fitness issues.