The clubs, of course, are well compensated for lending their players to England, and if you rent a property or a car, despite your best efforts accidents happen. However, I think it’s valid to ask questions about the frequency with which these things occur.
When he was asked about this, John Mitchell commented that “the demands of this level of rugby require you to train and stress the players at a level that is equivalent to the game or above the game. It’s part and parcel of the preparation”. On the face of it that sounds acceptable, but is it?
The rugby world has changed immeasurably in recent years and the hoary old chestnut about there being a step up from club rugby to international level looks less and less true. If England were preparing to take on the World Cup winners or the All Blacks, there might be some validity to it, but they weren’t. Because of Covid, the major rugby powers haven’t travelled, and we’re left with comparative minnows as the opposition.
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