Foden eager to avoid a Saturday haunting

In a land of fresh starts, who better to shed some light on the transformation of the England rugby team than new father, Ben Foden?

He may have professed that Ireland are ‘haunting his life’ as he waited for fiancée Una Healy of The Saturdays to give birth to their baby girl, as she did on Tuesday, but life has been transformed for the full-back and his team.

To be honest, it could hardly have got any worse for England. Dumped out of the World Cup in disgrace, the departure of management and senior players from the international scene was followed by public blood-letting as reports were leaked and heads rolled. The reputation of English rugby was being trampled in the dirt.