FLUTEY: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
England rounded off their Six Nations campaign with a flourish, defeating Scotland 26-12 at Twickenham. But despite earning three victories, scoring the most tries (16) and finishing second to grand slam winners Ireland, centre Riki Flutey believes that there is plenty of room for improvement – especially with the team’s fitness.
The 29-year-old, who will move from London Wasps to French club Brive in the summer, crossed for his fourth try of the championship on Saturday and finished as equal top try scorer with Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll.
Harlequins wing Ugo Monye notched his first try for England and there was a late score for replacement Mathew (sic) Tait, while fly half Toby Flood kicked eight points and Danny Care laced a drop-goal. Scottish full back Chris Paterson booted four penalties in reply, but it was not enough to hold on to the Calcutta Cup.
And while Maori-born Flutey was pleased, he warned that he and his team-mates must work much harder on their fitness if they are to improve further. “The Six Nations has been fantastic for us,” he said. “In the autumn there was something there and it is really starting to come together now.
“We have definitely kicked on but there are still a lot of things we need to work on. There is a lot of room from improvement in the team right across the board. Our fitness can definitely be improved so we can push on right through and play the way we want to play for 80 minutes.
“You need your fitness, strength and power – there is always room for improvement because I was out on the field against Scotland I got a couple of knocks and the old lungs were pumping a little bit. When you get in that position you wonder: ‘Am I doing a lot of work or is it maybe because I need a bit more fitness under my belt?’”
England rounded off their Six Nations campaign with a flourish, defeating Scotland 26-12 at Twickenham. But despite earning three victories, scoring the most tries (16) and finishing second to grand slam winners Ireland, centre Riki Flutey believes that there is plenty of room for improvement – especially with the team’s fitness.
The 29-year-old, who will move from London Wasps to French club Brive in the summer, crossed for his fourth try of the championship on Saturday and finished as equal top try scorer with Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll.
Harlequins wing Ugo Monye notched his first try for England and there was a late score for replacement Mathew (sic) Tait, while fly half Toby Flood kicked eight points and Danny Care laced a drop-goal. Scottish full back Chris Paterson booted four penalties in reply, but it was not enough to hold on to the Calcutta Cup.
And while Maori-born Flutey was pleased, he warned that he and his team-mates must work much harder on their fitness if they are to improve further. “The Six Nations has been fantastic for us,” he said. “In the autumn there was something there and it is really starting to come together now.
“We have definitely kicked on but there are still a lot of things we need to work on. There is a lot of room from improvement in the team right across the board. Our fitness can definitely be improved so we can push on right through and play the way we want to play for 80 minutes.
“You need your fitness, strength and power – there is always room for improvement because I was out on the field against Scotland I got a couple of knocks and the old lungs were pumping a little bit. When you get in that position you wonder: ‘Am I doing a lot of work or is it maybe because I need a bit more fitness under my belt?’”
Labels: England, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations, Riki Flutey, Scotland
