1
'Family can be a distraction. Tickets, giving you pointers on how to play rugby... my auntie is always great for that'
By Online Editors
Billy Vunipola is trying to limit family distractions as he and brother Mako prepare for the biggest game of their lives.
The Vunipola brothers have been at the heart of the England pack that has blasted its way into a first World Cup final appearance since 2007, picking off southern hemisphere rivals Argentina, Australia and now dethroned champions New Zealand after early tournament feelers versus Tonga and USA.
However, the more serious the fixtures have become, the more the interest from their family and with tickets at a premium for next Saturday’s final in Yokohama, Billy Vunipola is trying to not lose focus in any way on the bottom line of producing a performance.
"Those things are out of our control,” he said about the demand from family for match tickets. “I’ve got a massive family so I’m dealing with it first hand, but our focus is on the final and how we can best challenge South Africa and win the game.
"Family is quite a broad statement. I’m not sure. Like I said two weeks ago, my brother deals with it. I feel sorry for him sometimes. He is the admin point so if you want tickets just ask my brother. They [family] are massive but they can be a distraction as well. Tickets, giving you pointers on how to play rugby… my auntie is always great for that.
(Continue reading below...)
“She’s trying to tell me how to play No8 and giving my brother a few pointers as well. Their support is very important to us but things can also be a distraction. Like I said, we’re trying to lock in on Saturday and see how we can come out firing.”
In light of the bruising, brutal way South Africa ground out their narrow semi-final win over Wales on Sunday, there has been much talk about the physicality of the Springboks. Vunipola, though, doesn’t believe they are any more physically imposing than New Zealand.
"Is that a trick question? The All Blacks have been the best in the world forever and that physicality has helped them get to that stage. We set out wanting to be the best in the world, and we have to back up what we did last week. It can’t just be a fluke.
"The challenge has been laid out by South Africa - as you saw them taking Japan apart, and Wales, the challenge is going to be up front so we are going to have to be there, both mentally and physically.”
As captain, Owen Farrell will join Martin Johnson’s exclusive club of one if he leads England to victory next weekend and emulates the achievement of 2003, the only other time the Red Rose has tasted World Cup glory.
Farrell is regularly viewed from the outside as a divisive figure, but Vunipola has no issue whatsoever with the captaincy style of his Saracens and England team-mate.
“With Owen the biggest thing is the calmness he's brought into his game. You can probably hear him shouting on the ref mic all the time, but when there's a break in play he's a different guy. He's a very calming influence on everyone around him.
"But we also trust him to go to the refs and we leave him with that, but in terms of leaders around him they've also been great. Everyone else just goes about their job and we try to be brutal and fly into whatever needs to be flown into.”
WATCH: Former England international Neil Back sits down with RugbyPass to reflect on his country's 2003 World Cup final victory
Trending on RugbyPass
2
South Africa vs England player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
3
Ireland player ratings vs Argentina | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
4
Jake White: As England coach, I’d have been livid
5
Latest Comments
Yeah nar I pretty much agree with that sentiment, wasn't just about the lineout though.
Yeah, I think it's the future of SR, even TRC. Graham above just now posting about how good a night it was with a dbl header of ENGvSA and NZvFrance, and now I don't want to kick SA or Argentina out of TRC but it would be great if in this next of the woods 2 more top teams could come in to create more of these sort of nights (for rugby's appeal). Often Arg and SA and both travel here and you get those games but more often doesn't work out right.
Obviously a long way off but USA and Japan are the obvious two. First thing we need to do is get Eddie Jones kicked out of Japan so they can start improving again and then get a couple of US teams in SRP (even if one its just a US based and augmented Jaguares).
It will start off the whole conferences are crap debate again (which I will continue to argue vehemently against), but imagine a 6 team Pacific conference, Tokyo Sunwolves (drafted from Tokyo JRLO teams), Tokyo All Stars (made up of best remaining foreign players and overseas drafts), ALL Nihon (best of local non Tokyo based talent, inc China/Korea etc, with mainland Japan), a could of West Coast american franchises and perhaps a second self PI driven Hawai'i based team, or Jagaures. So I see a short NFL like 3 or 4 month comp as fitting best, maybe not even a full round, NZvAUSvPAC, all games taking place within a 6hr window. Model for NZ will definitely still require a competitive and funded NPC!
On the Crusaders, I liked last years ending with Grace on the bench (ovbiously form dependent but thats how it ended) and Lio-Willie at 8. I could have Blackadder trying to be a 7 but think balance will be used with him at 6 and Kellow as 7. Scott Barrett is an international 6 sized player. It is just NZ style/model that pushes him into the tight, I reckon he'd be a great loose player, and saders have Strange and Cahill as bigger players (plus that change could draw someone like Darry back). Same with Haig now, hes not grown yet but Barrett hight and been playing 6, now that the Highlanders have only chosen two locks he'll be playing lock, and that is going to change his growth trajectory massively, rather than seeing him grow like an International 6.
Go to commentsDan Carter is the leading points scorer and leading points per game person for a player with significant tests. 2s RWC winner and member of the games greatest ever team. It's not even close. The only question of GOAT for rugby is whether McCaw deserves it given Carter's numbers.
Go to comments