Stuart Lancaster claims England heading in right direction

STUART Lancaster believes the England show is “back on the road” after rounding off the squad’s RBS Six Nations training camp with an open session in front of 2,500 fans.

Lancaster’s plan when he was appointed as interim head coach was to “reconnect” the England team with the public, to build bridges following the failed World Cup campaign.

After training had finished on the University of Leeds’ 1st XV pitch, and while the players were mobbed for autographs, Lancaster reflected on mission accomplished.

The make-up of his team to face Scotland at Murrayfield a week tomorrow is coming together and the England captain will be announced on Monday.

“When I got the job and thought about what I’d do for the camp there were a number of objectives,” Lancaster said. “To reconnect with the public, to engage with the media, to train in conditions that are similar to Scotland, to listen to people from outside the sport. But mainly it was about building a culture and getting people on the same page from a technical and tactical point of view.

“We have gone a long way to achieving that. The players have been fantastic. They are hungry, they want to work hard and they want to get the show back on the road and it has been a great week.

“But it is a 10-stage process and next week we have to narrow down our focus and get into the technical and tactical detail for what is a massive game for us.”