Mike Ruddock England Quotations

We've had a tendency to hit a couple of flat spots in the games against England and Italy, ... We've got away with it so far, but against a side like France we could be in trouble.

England have stated this is a massive game for them, their biggest since the World Cup final. Perhaps that puts them under a bit more pressure now to deliver.

England have obviously gone a different route because they have a tremendous physical team. With Wales we couldn't do the same sort of thing so we reacted differently. I guess it was the input of so many foreign heads. They imported a sort of Super 12 philosophy.

England are lying in wait for us and we will build towards that game through our performances in the autumn. This is not a team that is breaking up. I think we can improve.

It's an element of the modern game that is under-used, but - as England also showed against Australia - if you've got a formidable set piece you have to use it.