Clive Talks - Henry Paul

Sir Clive Woodward
By Kath 10/2/04
February 10 2004

Clive talks to Zurich's Andrew Titheridge about preparation and Henry Paul as well as the other new players included in the team for England's opening RBS 6n game against Italy.

For immediate release: 09 February 2004
Issued on behalf of Zurich

Zurich Daily Report with Sir Clive Woodward
Speaking to www.zurichpremiership.com

Tuesday 10th February 2004

Andrew Titheridge: Clive plenty of time for preparation this week?

Clive Woodward:   Well we could have done a lot more preparation in January but we have not met up properly since the World Cup. We had one day last week but that was more to shake hands but this week has worked out well because all of the Zurich Premiership games were on a Saturday and, as we don't play Italy till Sunday we have had two more days together and that makes a huge difference.

The players give their all when they play for their clubs and it does take them a day or two to recover from the matches but we had a light walk out last night and today we will get a little more intense but we do have a lot of work to do. It is surprising when you have been away for a month or two and you bring the players back, especially as we have got new faces coming
in, the likes of Henry Paul, Olly Barkley and Chris Jones who are all on the bench. You realise how much work we have done but we have to start from scratch with these fellows. It is not easy but that is the challenge that faces all international coaches.

Andrew Titheridge:   Most of the squad played in the World Cup so they know what to expect and so will be able to get up to speed reasonably quickly?

Clive Woodward:  Yes, that was a lot my thinking in selecting the team, they were all with us in the World Cup but we did a lot of preparation going into that World Cup. I thought that playing away, and this is a difficult fixture for England, to bring someone in who is not used the calls and the way that we operate like Olly Barkley or Henry Paul or even Kingy, who has been away from the scene for quite a while, it would have been a tough call.

It is all about winning, but it is a pretty experienced team with the likes of Grayson there who is a very experienced player and a great leader we have just got to make sure that we win this game and move on. All our focus is on this Sunday and it is not really the time to experiment this weekend.

Andrew Titheridge:  A lot of players had hard bruising matches over the weekend, particularly the London Wasps and Bath players, do you have medicals every day and do you train them at a different pace from the rest?

Clive Woodward:  Yes we do have different paces, they are colour coded red, blue and green depending on the intensity of the training. The blue training is virtually a walk, you could almost do it in carpet slippers, so there is a lot that you can do in coaching which is not full on. This week we have to be very mindful, the medical team are working incredibly hard here and we certainly wouldn't want anyone to train or play unless they were fully fit.

But you just have to get the coaching right and it is all about Sunday, not having great training sessions, so we are very clear about how we train and it is not all done at one hundred miles an hour. We don't always train full on, this walking and thinking has just a good effect on the team.

Andrew Titheridge: A player like Henry Paul came over from Rugby League you put him on fairly quickly against France and he struggled but fair play to the guy he has really worked his way back.

Clive Woodward:  Yes we did pick him a couple of years ago and it was too early for him, but if you look back there was a complete spate of injuries to goal  kickers. So we had to take him off the bench, I didn't want to put him on that day but people got injured and we had to.

Yes, it was too early and it was tough for him, and I think that people do compare him to Jason Robinson who took to the game like a duck takes to water. Henry has found it a little bit more difficult but he is now playing well for his club he has found his position which is inside centre and if he comes on I will base the whole team around him and he will come on at 12 and Greenwood will move out if there is a need for change. We are very excited, we have got a lot of time for this guy, and it's the sign of a very solid character when it is not all going your way, and he has had a tough time in rugby union, but he has just battled on. I have watched him three times this season and he was very good and he is playing in a very good Gloucester team which helps him as well.

ENDS