Hard knocks won’t worry wily Wood

TOM WOOD is adamant he will not be overawed by the occasion as England chase the Grand Slam at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

And the ambitious flanker says he is sick of being told about the challenge of coming up against the likes of Jamie Heaslip, and believes opponents will start talking about him in reverential tones in the future.

The 24-year-old has effortlessly made the step-up to Test rugby during the Six Nations, filling in superbly for injured England captain Lewis Moody in the victories over Wales, Italy, France and Scotland.

That has left Martin Johnson’s men on the verge of their first Grand Slam in eight years, and the Northampton Saint insists he can cope with the pressure and will enhance his own burgeoning reputation.

“It would be great to win the Grand Slam, and that is our ambition,” said Wood. “And personally, I will always back myself, because I know how hard I am willing to work.

“Before the game it is always built up, and the media hype will go on and say: ‘You’re coming up against Heaslip this week’. But to me it’s exactly the same in the Heineken Cup or the Premiership every single week, when we have those battles every single game.

“And the more games you play like that then the more you become one of those names and the more people target you. It is an everlasting cycle.

“The idea is that people will say: ‘I’m coming up against Tom Wood’. That only happens with time. It is me against all the big names at the moment but all I do is graft.

“This has been a huge learning curve for me, but once I put my head in that first ruck on the weekend it will be just like another game to me.”

And Ben Youngs admits he and half-back partner Toby Flood expect to be targeted by Ireland this weekend and says he needs to stay one step ahead of the game.

The scrum-half has not matched his stunning performances from last year’s Autumn internationals, but says that is due to teams trying to avoid playing any attacking rugby against England.

“You are fully aware that teams are going to try and target you, and stop myself and Floody from getting too much space,” he said. “It’s not really surprising but at the same time I’ve got to work hard to keep developing my game so I am always a step ahead.

“And Scotland kept slowing the ball down, whereas Ireland will have a different approach in terms of the style that they play. Hopefully we’ll have two teams trying to play with ambition and flair and things should open up.”

Meanwhile, James Haskell has dismissed taunts from the Ireland camp that the rest of the rugby world will be behind their bid to ruin England’s Grand Slam party on Saturday.

England-baiting has been a theme of the tournament, with Wales coach Warren Gatland criticised Dylan Hartley while France boss Marc Lievremont claimed: “We all don’t like the English.” Ireland wing Tommy Bowe stirred the pot by declaring “all the different countries will be backing us” to stop England from winning their first Grand Slam since 2003.

Wales are the only side that can mathematically deny England the title and they will certainly be rooting for an Ireland victory at the Aviva Stadium. But Haskell insisted Ireland’s attempt at a war of words will also fail.

“Does all the pomp and circumstance of a week like this affect us while we are in camp? No it doesn’t,” Haskell said. “Unless they firebomb the bus or come storming the hotel with placards it is an irrelevance for us.”