“If I was in the Irish system I’d have to play for Ireland so I’ll have to pick the English system, mate,” Richard Wigglesworth (no more anglicized a name can there be) musters a valid, albeit paper-thin, defence of the flogging that occurs across the water. “I’m a proud Englishman,” adds the scrumhalf promoted by Eddie Jones for the defeat to Ireland at Twickenham on St Patrick’s Day. “It is something we have to deal with in the Premiership,” he explains as matter-of-factly as the modern player has to be. Further surveys show that while the number of injuries decreased between 2014 and 2016, the severity of those injuries got worse. The conference call finishes with a leading question about McCall replacing Joe Schmidt as Ireland coach in 2019, which Wigglesworth embraces it with an affirmative quote.

Source: The Irish Times March 29, 2018 05:00 UTC