Sometimes it takes a big setback to bring out the very best in players

I think the England squad are showing the beginnings of a very strong mental attitude. And i think it's based around a few players who have overcome significant adversity and are playing the best rugby of their careers. Players either never recover from these things, or show inspiring determination and come back better than ever. Happily it appears to be mostly the latter.

Danny Care and Dylan Hartley going through a rejuvenation after their well-publicised issues. Courtney Lawes is a similar case (not disciplinary per se, but quite a lot of bad, late hits) with his mental control and responsibility calling lineouts.

I would also argue that Mike Brown is cut from the same cloth - after being played on the wing and failing to cement a place in the England squad for a couple of seasons, he was dropped and may well never have played in white again. Yet he has stuck in there, was man-of-the-AIs and MoM in Englands last 2 games. What mental strength and determination.

I'm sure all national sides have their team icons or resilience, perserverance and mental strength, but it's unusual for england to have so many at the same time in my recollection.

Other great rejuvenation favourites from the past...

Dallaglio (lost captaincy after cocaine-gate)
Di Canio pushing over the ref in wendyball
Cantona's two footed tackle on mouthy fan
Ian Botham's play against Australia in the Ashes immediately after losing the captaincy to Brearley
George Foreman winning heavyweight title at 45 years old and 250 lbs

They show ominous signs of becoming a very good team indeed to me and they will also have learnt a painful lesson in France.

Lancaster has built a team that know what it is doing, built a gameplan to suit and ensured a large squad has experience. Most importantly they are a team - not a collection of individuals like France or Scotland

Dracula rising from his grave with the slightest taste of Hammer buxom female blood....
Garth Brooks back on the road with an extra truck for his gut
Wales back to being the 'Heineken' (Probably the Best) Team of the World after their victory against the French
Ron Burgundy back in front of the camera
Botox injections rejuvenating the faces of Dead Golden Age moviestars.
The return of yet another Love triangle to Eastenders???? -  Is there?  I don't watch it but surely February is a good time to rejuvenate one???  There's always gotta be one cooking somewhere.  There's gotta be a reason for them whispering pub people to talk under their breath to each other with snarls and frowns.

So, yeah...the list of rejuvenations is endless.

Thought this was an article about Wales

The difference in performances against Ireland and France of Lydiate, Warburton, Hibbard, Jenkins and Jones was as night and day....and the knock on effect on the likes of Charteris and Ball and Webb on full debut was obvious.

Watching England though, they are looking stronger game by game and i wonder if the defeat against France served as the same catalyst that Wales loss to Ireland did last season.

England never looked rejuvenated after that 30-3 setback to be quite honest with you. BTW, did I mention Wales also just beat France 27-6? That's a lot of luck with the refs!

The Saint wrote:England never looked rejuvenated after that 30-3 setback to be quite honest with you. BTW, did I mention Wales also just beat France 27-6? That's a lot of luck with the refs!

Serioulsy, what is wrong with you?

SecretFly wrote:Dracula rising from his grave with the slightest taste of Hammer buxom female blood....
Garth Brooks back on the road with an extra truck for his gut
Wales back to being the 'Heineken' (Probably the Best) Team of the World after their victory against the French
Ron Burgundy back in front of the camera
Botox injections rejuvenating the faces of Dead Golden Age moviestars.
The return of yet another Love triangle to Eastenders???? -  Is there?  I don't watch it but surely February is a good time to rejuvenate one???  There's always gotta be one cooking somewhere.  There's gotta be a reason for them whispering pub people to talk under their breath to each other with snarls and frowns.

So, yeah...the list of rejuvenations is endless.

It is Carlsberg that is advertised as "probably the best". It isn't of course, like Heineken, it is pish! Appropriate then for Welsh Rugby.