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Video: 'You don't need to be motivated too much for this one'
By Nick Heath
George Kruis will earn his thirtieth cap for England as he faces Wales for a fourth time in the Guinness 6 Nations. Speaking to RugbyPass ahead of his second trip to the Principality Stadium, it’s clear he’s not struggling to get in the zone.
Kruis said, “You don’t need to be motivated too much for this one, it’s a huge game and one we’re looking forward to. I played down there a couple of years ago, definitely a highlight game. For us it’s our next game so obviously it’s our biggest game. We’ve trained well and prepared well.”
Kruis has won on three of his last five England appearances and with Maro Itoje on the sidelines, is enjoying a stay of execution in one the most competitive areas of Eddie Jones’ side. On Saturday he’ll be up against Alun Wyn Jones alongside whom he started the first Lions’ test in New Zealand.
On the Welsh skipper, Kruis said, “He’s been around for a while and for a reason, he’s a good player and a good leader. It’s something we’ve looked at. You look at his strengths and try and pick apart any weaknesses. He’s a top quality player. He leads very well and does the basics of a tight five very well.”
However, Kruis talked down any suggestion that he might exchange any pleasantries with his opposite number during the game, commenting, “You’re pretty in the zone, so those sort of things pass by.”
At the team announcement, head coach Eddie Jones said that England are not yet happy with their performances. So what does Kruis see as needing improvement?
He said, “Be more consistent. We’re looking for an eighty minute game. We can take confidence from large patches in the games we have played but no game is perfect, there’s stuff we look to learn from every one. We can take a lot of good confidence from it but we’ll see what’s happening this weekend.”
Wales’ record at the lineout is the poorest in the 2019 Championship having lost 35% of their own. Kruis will be looking forward to quietening the Cardiff crowd if he and Lawes can have an afternoon to remember.
Watch: Eddie Jones talks to RugbyPass ahead of Wales
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Latest Comments
I think Italy were always targetting this match and intended to win. They needed to exorcise the 2023 RWC. I think they could have done with a bit more help from other 6Ns particularly from Ireland to knock more holes in NZ and their confidence.
Mentioned before the Italy Argentina match was a virus that ripped through the Italy camp early that week. In general play Italy were competitive albeit with a high error count and crucial missed tackles.
Ive said it before the era of NZ turning up unprepared for all comers and triumphing is definitively over. If a Tier1 team target NZ and NZ do not prepare accordingly they are in with a major chance of losing. It used to occur the odd time in RWCs against France, now it can occur v any Tier1. The competition has improved. NZ can still be at the top but their talents must be deployed sufficiently into dismantling teams as with their attack then allowed to exploit.
They dismantled Ireland pretty well in Dublin which went largely unnoticed. That allowed them scoreboard advantage and attacking opportunities of which one was enough.
That Italian team beat Wales and significantly Scotland last year. They used the loss to NZ in the most positive way possible. No doubt NZ prepared but I would assume it was similar to versus Argentina: 3/4 arsed at best. These test matches are rare and this was another chance to practice dismantling a determined and prepared opponent which was lost. If Italy had scored a 7 pointer at 17-6....an Italian win was on.
Go to commentsGB = England, Scotland, Wales. UK = England, Wales, Scotland, NI
Nothing to stew son.
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