England vs Australia: James Haskell admits ‘I hit myself three times in the face before matches because I don’t want to be caught cold’
Red Rose back-row reveals his crazy pre-match ritual as Eddie Jones' men prepare to take on old rivals Aussies at Twickenham
IT'S game time. I’m standing in the tunnel at Twickenham and absorbing the tension and excitement spilling out from the crowd.
You feel the heat on your face from the flame cannons as you run out for the anthems.
I’m buzzing from head to toe as I stand arm in arm with my mates who I’ve grafted with all week in an effort to get ready for battle.
You roar out the anthem, you're prouder than you have ever been in your life and you know this is the reason why you sacrifice a normal life and your physical well-being week in week out.
I’m nearly ready, but I need one kick before the battle.
I always give myself three short jabs to the face. I don’t want to be caught cold. I want to be fully prepared for contact.
Rugby is a tough physical sport, people get injured. After a match I’m generally battered and bruised.
I will have cuts all over my face and body. I’m in what feels like a bottomless pit of absolute agony.
But the worst is still to come: Two days after playing for England I am so broken that even my girlfriend, Chloe, could wrestle me to the ground and pin me there.
At 18 and a half stone and 6ft 3ins tall I’m twice the size of her.
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I can’t walk properly. I could probably just about sit on the floor, but I wouldn’t be able to get back up. I would be like a turtle flipped on its back.
My shoulders ache and my neck is stiff and creaking. My back is twisted and tight from all the collisions.
My England and Wasps teammate Matt Mullan’s favorite party trick is to push me over as I’m doing my laces up and then sit on top of me. I can’t get him off so end up laughing and pleading with him to get me up.
Why do we do it? It’s simple you want to do yourself justice, you want to win, and you want to earn you team-mates respect.
Another reason is Eddie Jones instills so much belief in you as a player you want to fulfill your potential.
He has created such a competitive atmosphere that you want to constantly be part of it, you become addicted to putting your body on the line in that England shirt.
And again for the lads out there, it’s going to be a hugely physical encounter against Australia on Saturday.
The battle of the gain line in both attack and defence is going to be massive. But the battle of the forwards will decide the game.
The physicality starts long before game day. Tuesday training is all guns blazing and flying into each other in often full-contact sessions.
It's also about who goes home and who stays for the rest of the week, so it’s competitive and heated. Players want to prove a point to the coaches. Fists can fly and strong words are exchanged.
Then game day starts off pretty relaxed. Back in the day you could have your missus with you, so it would be similar to waking up at home, but that’s changed under Eddie.
I get up early, but some, like my Wasps team-mate Elliot Daly, would sleep until five-minutes before kick-off if he could get away with it. Some of us clearly need more beauty sleep.
The first big meet-up as a team on the Saturday won’t be until around 11am and that’s when the buzz starts.
You go through you moves. It’s very low key but mentally intense. Then I will always go back to my room and chill out.
I like to tidy my room before setting off for the stadium. I’m not there in an apron and a pair of marigolds scrubbing away - but just getting things in order and organised.
Folding clothes, throwing out empty water bottles, double-checking my match bag.
I clear my mind by making notes of what needs done in the week after the match. Just doing mundane things works for me.
It’s all about conserving energy and not letting the tension get to you too early. You think about everything but the game.
The bus to Twickenham is a sea of headphones. I used to listen to music on the journey to the stadium, but I always associate that with getting my game head on now, so I’ve gone down a different route.
I’ll watch some Alan Partridge, Yes Minister or Blackadder re-runs to keep my thoughts off the game and to not get too pumped-up too early.
I usually sit at the back of the bus in the second to last row.
Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Danny Care occupy the last row. Everyone is in their own little bubble; it’s the real calm before the storm.
There’s no laughter or chat and everyone’s getting focused.
The craziest thing that ever happened to me on the way to a game was in Cardiff, on my debut. A Wales fan nutted the bus and cracked his head open. It was insane.
You don't get that at Twickenham, but when you arrive and snake through that crazy crowd - it’s time to switch fully into game mode. Alan Partridge off, specialist play list on.
I used to go for Coldplay and power ballads, but now it’s house and techno.
It’s one of the unique experiences at Twickenham, getting to walk through the crowd into the ground. It’s an amazing feeling to be surrounded by fans cheering and going bonkers.
Then it’s on to strapping - shoulders, ankles, thumb-tape etc.
The nearer you get to kick off the more you start to focus on your pre-match nutrition. Things like caffeine gum are the weapon of choice along with your standard energy drinks and water.
Nobody wants to be a Train like Tarzan play like Jane kind of player. So gone are the days of any physical madness pre game.
More often than not the time for big speeches from the coaches have past, instead they will filter around the changing room going through key messages with individuals or small groups.
You’re so in tune with your roles by now – it’s about going out there and executing the plan. My role was to tackle anything that moved.
The last part of my pre game check list is to go over a few key notes. Things I need to deliver, such as physicality and presence at the breakdown.
There’s a lot of pain and pressure before you go get out on that pitch and smash seven bells out of each other. . . but boy is it worth it - especially if you beat the Aussies.
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