Stuart Lancaster: Delighted with how the training camp has gone so far in Leeds

Stuart Lancaster reflected on a “great week” after England had staged an opening training session in front of 2,500 fans.

The interim head coach and his staff continued to put the squad through their paces at the University of Leeds on Friday, with the Rugby Football Union offering free tickets to schools and clubs across Yorkshire.

“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.”Stuart Lancaster Quotes of the week

The opportunity for supporters to come and watch is an attempt by Lancaster to “reconnect with the public” after a World Cup that saw the team make more headlines off the pitch than on it.

The former Leeds boss had also invited in the likes of Gary Neville, Corporal Simon Brown and England rugby league captain Jamie Peacock to address the squad about the honour of representing their country.

“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.”

Spirit

Neville won 85 international caps but confessed to feeling unfulfilled with England because he never came close to winning anything other than at Euro 96, when Terry Venables’ side lost a semi-final penalty shoot-out to eventual champions Germany.

The former Manchester United full-back invoked the spirit of that tournament – and the national fervour that surrounded it – in a bid to highlight how powerful a nation’s support can be.

“He talked about the power of playing in Euro 96 when the country was behind them, the pressure of being an international player and the opportunity of it,” Lancaster said.

“He finished off by saying everyone is behind you, that England football want England rugby to do well.

“Jamie Peacock said the same, that England rugby league want England rugby union to do well. It was the the same from Hugh Morris, the England cricket manager.

“They will all be watching and that is a powerful thing.”

Now, however, Lancaster will focus fully on England’s defence of their RBS 6 Nations title – they begin their campaign away to Scotland next weekend.

“I have loved this week but the excitement will build towards the game and coaching is about dealing with big games,” Lancaster added.

“It will be an exciting week. Next week we will get into the real detail, get the side finalised and get organised.”