George Kruis interview – Don’t panic! It would be madness to boot Eddie

PAUL REES TALKS TO GEORGE KRUIS ABOUT ENGLAND'S SIX NATIONS FAILURE, JAPAN AND THE LIONS

George Kruis has a one word reply when asked about the prospect of next month's review by Twickenham into England's Six Nations campaign, which saw the champions slip to fifth place and lose to all three of their fellow home unions for the first time since 1976, resulting in the dismissal of head coach Eddie Jones: “Madness.”

The 46-cap second row, whose last appearance for England came against Wales at Twickenham last year just before the first lockdown, watched the Six Nations from Japan where he is in the first of a two-year stint with the Panasonic Wild Knights and he has been in regular contact with a number of the squad.

“I know they are disappointed and want to give a better account of themselves going forward,” said Kruis, who made 185 appearances for Saracens after joining the club in 2009. “The Six Nations is a decent competition with some really good players and countries involved. Nothing is set in stone and there are always periods of transition.

“A lot of the problems stemmed from discipline issues, things that can be changed fairly quickly. They showed glimpses of what they are capable of against France, but when you concede 14 penalties a match you make it tough for yourself.

“It would be madness to panic. Eddie is a ridiculously good coach who has the full respect of the team. At the end of the day, that is what matters the most. The media as a group do a good job of really hyping up a situation, making it look a lot worse than it is, but the review will have perspective.

“Eddie is a coach who always wants to keep learning and you can see that in his work rate and appetite. You also look at the number of people he will be in touch with, from coaches to psychologists, all parts of many different sports. He is on a constant drive to improve and, in my opinion, it would be madness to chop him.”

England went into the Six Nations campaign with one coach, Matt Proudfoot, being treated for Covid-19, another, Jason Ryles, stuck in Australia and Jones having to isolate. In addition, the Saracens players in the squad had not played since the beginning of December, but Kruis said they would not be snatching at excuses to explain the same decline he experienced in 2018 when England crashed from first to fifth.

“Knowing the players and coaches as I do, they will not be looking for excuses,” said Kruis. “There are always variables in international rugby and stuff that goes wrong. It is about taking control of every situation and they all know that they needed to play better on the day.”

England's failure to make an impact in the Six Nations will shape the Lions squad for the tour to South Africa, which is being announced next month. The management team named last week was made up of Welsh and Scottish coaches, although Robin McBryde's day job with Leinster gives Ireland an influence.

England's players have no one with direct knowledge of them on selection, apart from those who toured New Zealand with Gatland's 2017 Lions. They include Kruis, who appeared in one Test, which may put him in contention for a tour which will be unlike any other because of the need to operate in a Covid-secure environment that will require the players to spend their time in a bubble and see little of the country beyond their hotels and training grounds.

There will be none of the missionary work associated with the Lions, who regularly visited schools and townships on their last tour to South Africa in 2009, and the socialising side, so essential to help players from four different nations bond, will be diluted because of restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Players who know what it takes, and means, to be a Lion will be at an advantage, but Kruis will wait for the squad's announcement in hope rather than expectation.

“I do not think I am playing well enough at the moment,” he said. “The Top League has entered the knock-out stage and I have plenty in the tank that I am hoping to burn up. I have had to get used to the systems and coaches at the club and I need to push myself. I would love to go on the tour but I understand that by taking myself to Japan I have distanced myself a bit.

“I would jump at the opportunity, but it will come down to the type of team Warren wants to build. Everyone knows the type of game South Africa will play, big forwards, set-pieces and a 6-2 split on the bench, and I am sure the Lions' squad will reflect that. All I can do is wait and see. The restrictions will certainly make it tough, but lessons will have been learned from the Six Nations and that will give them an advantage because the South African players will be coming together fresh, not having played a Test since the World Cup. The Lions will know what works and what doesn't.”

Kruis was an England regular when he decided to leave Saracens and join the Wild Knights having turned 30. The one-club man wanted to take himself out of his comfort zone and experience something completely different, not just in rugby but in his life which he had spent living in and around London.

“It has rained five times since I have been here,” said Kruis. “At home, it comes down five times a week. That makes a difference when it comes to style of play: they like to play a wide game here compared to the Premiership, which is tighter. There is a big focus on detail and the attacking plan is at the forefront of everything. It is more Super Rugby than the Premiership and I have had to lose a bit of weight in adapting.

“Japan is attractive to players for a number of reasons: its rate of growth in terms of players, the competition itself, the intensity and the quality. There is an unbelievably good base of Japanese players which, supplemented with high level coaches and a top end of experience from other countries, gives them a nice bal-ance.”

Kruis's final appearance for Saracens was against Racing 92 in the Heineken Champions Cup at the beginning of January last year when they won to qualify for the quarter-finals. By the time the competition resumed after lockdown, his contract was up and he was preparing for his new life in Japan while Sarries were readying themselves for a stint in the Championship as punishment for breaching salary cap regulations.

“The area in which club rugby here does really well is the way they manage players by marrying up professional rugby with a background of work,” he said. “You do not get that in other countries but it gives players a comfort blanket in the long run, allowing them to push themselves. That needs to be adopted elsewhere because when people retire, the vast majority drop off the edge, unprepared for the future and not knowing what to do.”

Saracens got into trouble partly because they tried to ensure players had something to fall back on when they retired. “I have a lot of love for Sarries,” said Kruis. “They stepped over the boundaries but ultimately when you look at what they have done for players, helping them through university and setting up businesses, they have left a lot of people in better positions for the rest of their lives rather then treating them like a piece of meat and getting as many games out of them as they could. They were highly considerate and a lot of the stuff they did was decent. The intentions were good and they have made a big difference to a huge number of people.”

Kruis has his future mapped out and the decision he will face next year when his contract with the Wild Knights ends is whether to continue his career or to devote himself full time to the wellness company fourfive he has set up with his former second row partner at Saracens, Dominic Day.

“I am really excited about the business and I want to be in a position next year where I love my rugby and fourfive is going really well and I will have the option of either or,” said Kruis. “That is a prime position I think athletes should be working towards so you do not play the final years of your career when your body or mind is giving up. Panasonic have been hugely supportive, allowing me to use the club's stadium for filming. They are really good at being inclusive and making sure that things are well for you off the field. It is what a top league should be all about.”