Mike Brown has defended Eddie Jones’ training methods after figures revealed players are more likely to be severely injured during sessions conducted on his watch as England head coach.
Jones was heavily criticised last year for the number of casualties sustained in practise, igniting a row with Bath owner Bruce Craig in the wake of prop Beno Obano suffering serious knee damage at a camp in Brighton.
England’s head coach has since adjusted his approach following intervention from the Professional Game Board, but injury figures for the 2017-18 season published on Wednesday illustrate the extent of the issue.
Brown, however, sees it as the inevitable consequence of ensuring the English game’s most determined players can thrive at the highest level.
“England training is probably a bit more intense than club training, but you have to understand that as an international you’re a very competitive animal,” said Brown, speaking on behalf of Land Rover.
“You’re fighting to play for your country, so in every session you want to show what you can do.
“And it’s international rugby, so you have to prepare yourself accordingly. You need to have higher intensity. These things happen.
“The guys at England training are also the most competitive at their clubs and that’s why they’re striving to be international players. If you have 30-odd players like that in a session….”
The RFU’s injury audit for last season revealed minor reductions in concussion and the frequency of injury for Gallagher Premiership matches, English clubs playing in Europe and England internationals.
“You definitely see that increase in severity around you – the players in the changing room and the physio room in the aftermath of the game,” Brown said.
“It’s then that you see what they’ve put themselves through on the pitch and what they’re left with after a game.
“You go into the physio room after a game….knocks and bruises, but also the amount of stitching that has to be done. Knees, ankles, shoulders. Rugby is tough on the body.”
“A lot of the tackles that receive yellow and red cards are not dangerous,” Itoje said.
“It needs to be clear what a dangerous tackle is because a lot of the problem I have with this increased awareness and the way tackles are being refereed, is sometimes they are taken rugby sense out of it.”
:: Mike Brown and Maro Itoje are Land Rover ambassadors. Land Rover understands and shares the values of rugby. @LandRoverRugby
