Flood calls for unity ahead of Le Crunch

TOBY FLOOD has urged his England teammates to start taking responsibility for their actions off the field and pull together on it to strengthen their bid for World Cup glory.

The Leicester fly-half was joined by Shontayne Hape in providing an insight into the disappointment some England players feel about the recent headline-grabbing controversies.

Mark Cueto yesterday launched a vehement defence of England’s conduct and blamed the media for making a “mountain out of a molehill”.

Flood sees the issue from a broader perspective, however. He believes the first responsibility lies on the shoulders of each player, while Hape admitted to the BBC that “a couple of the guys have let the squad down”.

But in an address worthy of a potential captain, Flood demanded England put all the distractions behind them and present a united front for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final clash with France.

“I think Mark’s point is valid to a degree in terms of there’s been a lot written about it. However, you’re in a World Cup,” Flood said. “There’s a lot more fuss, a lot more that goes on with it. You stand by what you do as a person. You have to be accountable for what happens in life.

“We understand that sometimes when somebody is suffering it’s an important time to rally around them and deal with it — and that’s what we have to do at the moment.

“It’s time for us to go, ‘look we are where we are now, this is important and this goes beyond anything else. As a squad we have to deal with it and unite’.”

Former international Jeremy Guscott has weighed in behind some of the critics and hit out at some of England’s players for what he feels has been “completely unacceptable” behaviour at the World Cup.

Ex-Bath and British Lions centre Guscott, who won 65 caps for England, told BBC Sport: “Martin Johnson’s got a few kids that aren’t acting as though they’re playing for England, or at a World Cup.

“It’s beyond belief, it is staggering.”

He added: “The last thing Johnson wants is to be sat at a press conference having to fire-fight questions from journalists.

“A few guys going out to let off some steam in Queenstown I can understand but you’ve got to say, ‘guys, you’re under the microscope’. You’re representing your country, you’ve got the hopes and dreams of millions of rugby supporters back home and all they’re hearing is stories of messing about and drinking. It’s completely unacceptable’.”

In some ways England’s recent issues pale in comparison to those France are going through, with the squad seemingly in disarray following their Pool A defeat to Tonga and meeting yesterday in an effort to clear the air.

“We know they are in a situation now when it looks like they are in disarray — but I have been in teams that looked in disarray and it’s a very dangerous thing,” said Flood.

“It can be very powerful tool.”

The only potential England change comes on the wing with Cueto to replace the suspended Delon Armitage and Flood is priming himself for a ferocious French onslaught.

“What we must do against France is say, ‘for 20 minutes, this is massive’. Our starts have been poor but if we get it right here then hopefully we’ll remove any resistance we’re going to have,” said Flood. “We have to understand as a side that we blitz them from minute one.”