Tindall: Let's put it right

Experienced centre issues rallying call ahead of Six Nations opener

By Joe Drabble   Last updated: 4th February 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Tindall: Let's put it right

Tindall: Point to prove

We shouldn't be thinking we are the best around at the moment because we haven't got the record to prove it.

Mike Tindall
Quotes of the week

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Mike Tindall has expressed his desire to help England back to their traditional position - as the most hated team in world rugby.

A reputation as the most feared side in the northern hemisphere has diminished in recent times, and Tindall and his England team-mates head into the latest Six Nations ranked sixth in the world.

In an attempt to return to winning ways and produce the type of form which saw England win the 2003 World Cup, manager Martin Johnson has turned to some experienced heads ahead of the opening match against Italy.

Gloucester's Tindall, Brive's Andy Goode and Sale star Mark Cueto will all pull on the red and white jersey at Twickenham on Saturday as England attempt to bounce back from crushing autumn international defeats to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

And Tindall, 30, pulled no punches as he reminded England of the task that lies ahead.

Fortress

"Teams aren't coming out now and saying: 'The one team we want to beat in the Six Nations is England'," he said.

"It is not like that anymore and we have got to understand that.

"At the moment we need complete humility and complete respect for other teams and to go and get them.

"We shouldn't be thinking we are the best around at the moment because we haven't got the record to prove it.

"We are not top of the pile, we have to get back up there and we should have the hunger to go and get it.

"This is a hard time for English rugby. For players, it is a chance to be on the team to turn it around. This is a chance to start and turn Twickenham back into a fortress.

"That should be motivation for all the players and it is certainly motivation for me.

"We have had a tough time of it. We are not in a situation you would usually expect English rugby to be in and the challenge is to get back there."

Tindall was not involved in the autumn defeats, but he suspects England, with a side packed full of newcomers, tried to run before they could walk.

X-factor

However, with more experienced faces in the England team which welcomes Italy to Twickenham on Saturday, the Gloucester back is expecting a more disciplined display this time around.

"We have still got good enough players to go out and beat teams but we haven't performed," said Tindall. "You look around, we have Phil Vickery and Steve Borthwick and Nick Easter and myself.

"We have those senior players and it is down to us, in terms of training and playing, to get the standards that are expected throughout the squad.

"International rugby in some ways is simple - sometimes if you get your basics right that is all you need to win games. You don't need that X-factor. We have missed that a little bit. We maybe tried to run before we can walk.

"It was very hard for the players in November. In the New Zealand game they put in a massive amount of effort and got very little back for it. We need to harness that effort in a better way and hopefully we will learn from those things."

Tindall's last outing at Twickenham saw him perforate his liver during the 2008 Six Nations opener against Grand Slam winners Wales.

And the England No.13 admits he can't wait to get back out in front of another packed-out home crowd on Saturday.

"I have missed playing at Twickenham. I love the big game day and there were never times I thought I wouldn't get back," he said.

"I was disappointed when I wasn't included in the autumn but there are two ways of dealing with it. I always try to deal with personal setbacks in a positive way."