Vickery rallies his troops

Phil Vickery has called on his England players to take “ownership and responsibility” for their performances when they tackle Six Nations title favourites France on Saturday.

Phil Vickery has called on his England players to take “ownership and responsibility” for their performances when they tackle Six Nations title favourites France on Saturday.

England captain Vickery also wants an end to the finger-pointing that followed second-half struggles against opening Six Nations opponents Wales and Italy.

The World Cup finalists blew a 13-point lead to Wales, suffering their first Twickenham defeat in the fixture for 20 years.

Then eight days later, they almost sacrificed a 14-point advantage at Stadio Flaminio before hanging on for an unimpressive 23-19 success.

The jury remains undecided on Vickery's England.

Are they no better than those results suggest? Or are they about to stun the French and batter Les Bleus in their own back-yard?

Either way, Vickery knows the talking must stop and England have to deliver, or a fifth successive Six Nations campaign looks destined to end without silverware.

“I am under no illusions about what lies ahead for us, but I am really positive about it,” said Wasps prop Vickery, back to full fitness after a stomach bug sidelined him in Rome.

“We have to improve, go out and perhaps show a level to our game we haven't seen yet. If we don't, then it is going to be a very difficult proposition.

“It's France against England in the Six Nations in Paris. For me, it is the biggest game in the championship.

“We are going to be coming up against a team on the weekend who, four months ago, were knocked out of the semi-finals of the World Cup in their home country in front of their home support (by England).

“It is going to take an heroic effort to beat these guys, but we must stop talking about what's happening and ultimately go out and put it on the paddock.

“We all have to stop pointing fingers at people and look at our own individual performance and work-rate.

“It is about taking ownership and responsibility. Every small detail makes a difference, and we have just been getting too many things wrong collectively in the second half of games.

“You have got to be careful not to look too much into it, because you can end up trying to find things that perhaps aren't there.

“But at the same time, they need to be addressed and be quite hard on each other – which we have been – to put things right.

“The response from the players has been great.”

England head coach Brian Ashton has axed 2003 World Cup-winner Andy Gomarsall for the Paris clash, and he issued a veiled threat that other positions will come under close scrutiny if his players get it wrong this weekend.

Vickery believes Ashton has “made a statement” to everyone in the squad that he is prepared to be ruthless, should circumstances demand it.

“At the end of the day, we've got to take responsibility for our own actions,” said Vickery.

“There is only so much a coach can say at half-time – and to be honest, there is nothing a coach can say then that you probably don't already know as a player.

“If we don't perform for 80 minutes, we are going to be staring down the barrel of a gun again – and I don't want that.

“We can all blame coaches and patterns of play and dress it up as much as you like, but it is fairly simple.

“You have to make sure you are at the right level when you go out and perform. I don't think we, as a group, have played at the right level for long enough periods of time during the first two games.

“That's not coaches, that's players.”

England have the ability to put things right, though, according to their captain.

“I don't think we are far away from being a very good team,” he said.

“If everyone shows the level of commitment they have shown in training this week, we won't be far away.

“We are not going to go to Paris and expect to win by defending, defending and defending. We have got to show them what we are going to do.

“If anyone needs any motivation for this weekend, then they need a good kick up the backside.

“The level we have been playing at is not acceptable, and we have to do something about it. That is an individual thing.

“Against the French in France, if you don't get things right you are in a lot of trouble.”

England headed to the French capital on Thursday, with no apparent injury concerns.

After the injury traumas post-Wales and pre-Italy, that in itself represents a significant victory.