James Haskell has maintained that he is ‘confident’ of England’s chances at the 2023 World Cup and has supported boss Eddie Jones to perform.
Head coach Jones was heavily criticized after finishing a distant third in the Six Nations this year, before an experimental squad was badly beaten, 52-21, by the touring Barbarians.
But Haskell, who speaks exclusively to… Sports post as part of the Under the Surface mental health podcast, he insisted that the Australian is the right man for the job – before revealing his thoughts on how the sport can better combat mental health issues.
James Haskell (L) has admitted he is confident in England’s chances at the 2023 World Cup
The former England forward insisted that under fire head coach Eddie Jones is the right man for the job
Haskell spoke exclusively with Sports post as part of the Under the Surface mental health podcast, featuring menswear brand Original Penguin and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
After England’s 2-1 win over the Wallabies in July, he said: ‘It was brilliant. I always had complete faith in Eddie Jones. So did the players. This for me is hopefully a line in the sand where some of the crazier members of the rugby fan club give him a break. He’s the best man for the job.
‘Are we the finished article? No. Is it still a journey of how the team progresses with the new players? Yes. Is it the same as in 2018 (an improvement for the 2019 World Cup)? Naturally. Since Eddie doesn’t play the media game or the fan game, everyone is ready to kick him if things don’t go well.
“I’m always confident in what England do in a World Cup, especially when Eddie is in charge. Going into the 2019 World Cup, would you have said we would have played like we did, almost beating Australia, New Zealand and then South Africa in the final?
“There was a lot of criticism that 2018 was pretty bad, didn’t do so well in the Six Nations, everyone said ‘is he the right man for the job?’ and he turned it around. So you should always support a man who specializes in taking a team to a World Cup.’
However, former Wasps forward Haskell, who retired 77 caps in 2019, admitted that Ireland and ‘utterly incredible’ France are the two favorites for the tournament, before announcing his choice for the breakthrough boy in July.
The 37-year-old praised England’s 2-1 comeback in the series against the Wallabies in July as proof the squad is making progress under Australia’s Jones ahead of next year’s tournament
Haskell also labeled Leicester scrum half Jack van Poortvliet as a breakout star of the tour
He added: ‘(Leicester scrum-half) Jack van Poortvliet played absolutely very, very well, he definitely made a huge step in the mix. Henry Arundell, that cameo was brilliant, he obviously needs a little more blood and experience but he looks like an incredible player.
“Tested at another venue, Marcus Smith showed how good he can be, so I think we’re in a really good place. Van Poortvliet was probably the star of those young boys and hopefully he will become a fixture in the future.’
And the 37-year-old, who welcomed daughter Bodhi into the world with wife Chloe Madeley in August, continued his personal struggle with mental health in the later parts of his career and shortly after his retirement, before sketching a blueprint for how the sport can improve dealing with such problems.
He continued: “I’ve always talked about mental health. With my attitude, you might not think I would talk about it, but I always have been. I have been going to a psychologist since I was 17. I know how important it is, I see that taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body.
“A lot of men out there have a hard time and they think it’s harder not to talk – but it’s much harder to open up, to start seeing people who can help you and get the tools to navigate life, because life is hard enough as it is without trying to bury and manage your own problems.
The former Wasps star, who has been candid about his own mental health issues during and after his career, outlined his blueprint for how the sport can improve coping with such issues
(How can the sport improve?) ‘It just has to be the cultural responsibility. If mental health is considered normal as buying a new pair of shoes to aid in performance or taking a supplement to make you better, then we’re in the right place. At the moment that is not the case.
“You have coaches who have never done it and never talked about it, they get psychologists in the group, but because they don’t believe in it themselves, there’s always a fringe element (to their role). You can be much more successful if you address the mental health of the team by really delving into it.
“And then it’s up to the boys. Once it becomes normal to talk about it, that’s how it will move on. For me, that too is about addressing and understanding young players.’
Haskell, who admitted Jones will likely leave his role after next year’s competition, backed Crusaders coach Scott Robertson or Leicester boss Steve Borthwick to replace him – claiming the pair working together would be a ‘great combination’. to be.
He concluded, “The Under the Surface podcast with Penguin and CALM was bad because it’s an opportunity to tell stories and bond with good people and share like-minded things.”
James Haskell spoke to Sportsmail in association with the Under the Surface podcast, featuring menswear brand Original Penguin x CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
Around the . to watch second episode of series twogo to www.originalpenguin.co.uk/pages/calm-underthesurface.