Player in the Pod - Nick Easter

We spoke with Nick Easter at the the launch of EA SPORTS UFC 2, to get his thoughts on England’s Grand Slam, the arrival of Eddie Jones, his plans for the future and some new training techniques.

After a disappointing World Cup, England have bounced back to win the Grand Slam. Have you spoken with any of the England players or Quins contingent yet?

Not yet, they probably had their heads in a bucket of ice recovering for a few days! It was a great achievement given everything that happened and it will be nice to have them back in the squad now, as it’s a crucial eight weeks for us at Quins. They’ll have a spring in their step, coming from a confident winning environment and hopefully we can carry that on.

What was the difference in this Six Nations this year and why were England so good?

England got the foundations right, in particular a great set piece, line out & scrum as well as a very strong defense that’s not conceding many tries. I think we played some great rugby in last year’s Six Nations too, especially in attack. We beat Wales away and put a huge score on France and beat Scotland and Italy. We lost away from home against Ireland but ultimately we were only a try away from winning the championship. We lost our way in the World Cup, but this campaign has seen us get back on track.

The confrontational image of the England squad under Eddie Jones is very different to the humble one portrayed under Lancaster. Which do you prefer?

I prefer the image Eddie Jones is building. Stuart was rebuilding the squad after 2011, and a lot was made of a night out that got caught in camera, but there was no less pride or passion or will to win in the white shirt than there was before or since. No matter what you try to make England, they will always be disliked, everyone always wants to beat them. It doesn’t matter how humble you think you are, they really want to beat you. Eddie Jones knows that and it’s a breath of fresh air for him to admit it. Why are you pretending to be something you’re not? Get your identity straight. Eddie has also been very smart in how he’s approached it, he’s taken a lot of pressure off the players with his barbs and comments in press conferences. If players see their coach acting with that type of confidence, it rubs off on them

In terms of standout performers, who impressed you?

Maro Itoje was outstanding. On the floor at the breakdown, where England have really struggled recently, he gives them another dimension. He has great flexibility, gets his hands on the ball and is a real handful. He’s exactly what England were missing. Billy has been brilliant for the past three six nations. People are talking him up this season because he had a few man of the match awards, but he was just as effective last year and is a fantastic player.

In terms of your own involvement, you’ve been known to make a comeback. Would you like to be part of the upcoming tour to Australia?

No, to be honest, I’ve told Eddie my time with England is done. I’ve had a great run and got back in the team last year and really enjoyed it, but I’m not selfish or vain about it. There’s plenty of great young talent out there so it’s time to move on for me.

You’ve played and won in Australia, how do you see the tour going?

Australia will be a blockbuster three test series. It will be great to see how they get on. For a few reasons, I’ll hedge my bets with Australia. It’s a tough place to go, in particular given the lack of rest bite for the English players since the World Cup. The Aussies have had more time off, especially given schedule of European competitions, Six Nations, Premiership, then travel over, so it will be tough. Australia will be itching to get back in the green and gold. If England are to stand a chance, they have to win the first test. That’s their best chance. Win that and pressure is all on Australia. We’ll also have a young side though, playing with no fear. The younger players are a ball of energy so hopefully they can recover quickly.

What are your personal goals going forward?

I’ve got a burning desire to make the top four with Quins. I’m signed up for another season with Quins and I’m getting my coaching badges too. I’m training an amateur side on Tuesday and Thursday and I love that side of the game, so would like to go into that side of things. It’s a wonderful place to be, to do something you love so long may it continue. I’m also enjoying new forms of training and UFC is just great. These guys are some of the most highly conditioned athletes around, so I’m using it as alternative training. For someone like me who’s been around for a long time, it’s a nice alternative.

Fred Culazzo - writing on behalf of The Rugby Pod - www.TheRugbyPod.com

Nick Easter took on the Finish the Fight Challenge to mark the launch of EA SPORTS UFC 2. EA SPORTS UFC 2 is out now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Find out more at easports.com/uk/ufc