The year was 2011, Jonny Wilkinson couldn’t hit a barn door, Manu Tuilagi was never injured, and James Haskell hadn’t been on ‘I’m A Celeb’.
Seems like fake news doesn’t it?
Well not the case, in fact, it was the year of England Rugby causing more headlines off the field than on.
Mike Tindall, the stand-in captain, was fined after an infamous night out. Manu Tuilagi jumped off the top tier of a boat. James Haskell and Chris Ashton both found themselves in trouble over a hotel incident, and pure shenanigans were happening all over the gaff.
World Cups only come about once every four years, so it seems only sensible to enjoy them when they do. James Haskell and Mike Tindall have lifted the lid on the goings on behind the scenes in their infamous 2011 campaign.
Following their quarter final exit from the competition, head coach Martin Johnson announced he was stepping down. When questioned by the BBC at the time, Johnson had the following to say:
“I think it is in the best interests of both the England team and myself not to carry on. I have a choice at the moment. If I hadn’t made that decision someone may have made it for me.”
With the world cup on the horizon, it’s unlikely Eddie Jones will stand for any of these antics.
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