The Bath boys who sparked England’s backline into life

Speak to people close to Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson or George Ford and they all talk of ‘wow moments’.

For Bath first-team coach Neal Hatley it was when 14-year-old Watson demonstrated his footwork in an Academy training game.

For England U18 coach John Fletcher it was when Joseph lit up a tournament in Cornwall, playing a weekend of ‘superlative’ rugby.

And for Peter Stringer it was when George Ford – who seven years previously he had taken for ice-cream while babysitting the youngster during an Ireland training camp – made his professional debut for Leicester at just 16 years and 237 days old.

Now they are England’s present, and their future. The three Bath men will line up at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow knowing they could each win the Grand Slam at the first attempt.

They have sparked England’s backline into life, a monochrome division suddenly bursting into glorious technicolour. England have scored eight tries in two games, running 880 metres with ball in hand, and making 12 clean breaks.

Stuart Lancaster has imported Bath’s attacking template, and so far it is working. All three come from rugby families. Ford’s father, Mike, was Ireland’s defence coach between 2002 and 2006, and is now Bath’s Director of Rugby.

Watson’s father and grandfather played for Saracens and Wasps respectively, while Joseph’s father, Ivan, was fly-half for Northampton.

Yet, while they all come from good stock their personalities are very different.

“Anthony is a very emotional person,” says Hatley, who brought Watson and Joseph through at London Irish before taking them to Bath when he and Toby Booth moved to The Rec. “He is extremely dogmatic and unbelievably hard on himself. I called him after England’s win in Wales, and the first thing he said was ‘I can’t believe I dropped that ball’. The one error he made. He has always been unbelievably driven.

“JJ (Joseph) is more laid-back, but you mustn’t mistake that for not having steel. In his first year at the London Irish Academy I don’t think he appreciated what it took to make it as a professional. The move to Bath was brilliant for him and the penny has dropped in the last 14 months. The two of them have a good balance. JJ has a slightly more relaxed approach, which rubs off on Ant.

“As for George, he is very tough to please. He has complete faith in his own ability and I have never seen anyone work as hard as him.”

Despite their tender ages – Joseph is 23, Ford and Watson both 21 – no-one is doubting they have the temperament to succeed in Dublin. After all, they announced themselves in Cardiff in Round One, bringing a new dimension to England’s game.

“They are all very confident players,” says Stringer, who now plays with all three of them at The Rec after a stellar career with Ireland.

“I’m not surprised how well they’ve done as they have such natural ability. There is something special in them, and they can create something from nothing.

“Ireland will have a plan to deal with the forwards and England’s driving game, but they need to stop the midfield and the likes of JJ getting over the gainline.

“With Anthony, if you give him a yard he will turn you inside out. I saw his footwork in training and realised I was seeing something special. With JJ it’s his footwork, his distribution, and being able to see that outside break, to swerve and show that turn of pace. He is a flamboyant player who thrives on confidence. They are two special guys and we have only seen a fraction of what they have to offer.”

While Joseph, in particular, has taken the plaudits so far, it is likely to be Ford who has the greater influence this weekend – particularly if the weather is foul.

That Stringer does not discount him getting the better of Johnny Sexton is instructive; particularly as he is (jokingly) still smarting from the latest re-telling of the time he took nine-year-old Ford to get an ice-cream during an Ireland training camp.

“That story has reared its ugly head again, showing our vast difference in years,” laughs Stringer. “I just remember him as a keen kid, wanting to be involved. I gave him a shirt after an international at Twickenham as I remembered being a kid hanging around Cork Con hoping to get a match-worn sock, or shirt or anything. It’s always nice to get some memorabilia for a game you watch avidly as a youngster.

“But he was barely up to my waist one minute, then the next he was aged 16 and playing in the Premiership. He is such a talented footballer. He’s seems small by international standards, but he is powerful and quick. Over the next few years he will improve to become an absolute world-class player. Sexton is the number one fly-half in the northern hemisphere but George can challenge him for that title.

“Everyone forgets how young he is. It’s going to be a really close game on Sunday, dictated by the two 10s. That will decide the game.”

Hatley agrees.

“Nothing will faze George. He will approach Dublin the same way as a pre-season friendly or a game against Toulouse. He doesn’t know any other way.

“Being involved in the cauldron of Cardiff will stand them all in good stead. George won’t let the hype get to him, and JJ is so laid back nothing stresses him.

“These guys love being involved in games of this magnitude.

“England have tried to change the way they play, and if you want the ball in hand I can’t think of three better blokes to have in your team.”

There could be more ‘wow moments’ tomorrow.