In recent years the experience of going to Twickenham for supporters has mirrored what we have seen on the pitch. It has lacked energy at times, it is not the most ferocious of crowds and it has almost taken a setback for England or a spark to ignite them. The goal has to be that the baseline level at Twickenham is fever-pitch excitement and the players and the supporters have a role to play in that.
It may be a radical suggestion but I would love one of the stands at Twickenham to become something like an England fan debenture zone. The price of tickets would be capped at around £50, you would sign up, pay a subscription fee, get early access to tickets and the result would be a concentrated area for the hardcore, diehard fans. I would love Twickenham to have that one stand to act as the catalyst. You think of all the most atmospheric grounds around the world and they all have that epicentre. I think of the Kop at Anfield, the Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund’s stadium, the single-tier South Stand at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium – they all create the atmosphere that reverberates around the ground. Rugby can be a staccato sport at times so having that kind of catalyst would make a huge difference.
I remember taking Eddie Jones to Anfield for Liverpool’s 4-0 win against Barcelona in 2019. Eddie was like a little kid during the first half, spending as much time soaking up the atmosphere around the ground, the noise, the energy, as he did the actual football. I said to him after the match that if you could create an atmosphere anything like that at Twickenham, England would never lose.
It is a symbiotic relationship between a team and their fans and as much as Saturday’s match against Wales is a challenge for a new-look England side, it is also a challenge for supporters. I remember recently, Jürgen Klopp telling Liverpool fans to “stay at home” if they didn’t have the necessary energy. England would never say that, they would say that the onus is on them to provide the catalyst but I do think supporters have a responsibility this weekend. During the World Cup, in Marseille, we saw and we heard what England support can sound like and recreating that at home is the next step.