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Ben Earl has called for a rethink of the Nations Championship format following England’s “brutal” tour schedule which features three Tests on three continents on consecutive weekends.
Steve Borthwick’s side completed their 25,000-mile July tour with victory over Argentina on Saturday and their two wins look to book a place in the final of the inaugural competition at the Allianz Stadium on November 29.
But Santiago del Estoro’s win against the Pumas was sealed despite the sleep-deprived players being restricted to a reduced training schedule to recover from the trip, with the time difference also a hurdle to overcome.
England’s Ellis Genge (centre) celebrates after scoring against Argentina
The schedule – the toughest any nation faced this month – was particularly challenging for England’s British and Irish Lions stars such as Earl, Ellis Genge and Ollie Chesham who faced Australia last summer.
Having taken four long hauls and four short haul flights in just four weeks, the amount of travel has become a talking point among the squad.
England’s Emmanuel Faye-Waboso scored a stunning solo goal against Argentina
Earl said: “It’s been brutal, there’s no two ways about it.
“We’ve been talking about it – why don’t we all play in one country? So you don’t just travel, you go to a country and experience that festival.
“You’re in Australia, South Africa, wherever, and there’s a lot of rugby going on. How cool would that be?
“I wasn’t paid to make those decisions but it was tough. It was tough coming to the end of a long season for most of us anyway.
England’s Tommy Freeman scores a try when tackled by Argentina’s Mateo Carreras
“It’s been over and over again, coming back to England, seeing your families and then leaving again.
“It seems a bit strange but it’s something we have to get used to because I think it’s just the beginning.”
