Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has called for a significant improvement in England's on-field discipline, stating that the team's performance drops dramatically when they are reduced to 14 or fewer players.
During the recent Six Nations campaign, England accumulated eight yellow cards and one red card across five matches, resulting in considerable time spent playing with a numerical disadvantage. Sweeney noted that while England is considered the second-best team in the world when at full strength, their ranking falls to eighth or ninth when they have players in the sin-bin.
"It has been a big internal discussion," Sweeney told BBC Sport. "[Head coach] Steve [Borthwick]'s very conscious of that and he's working really hard with the players to improve that aspect."
England faces Australia on Sunday as part of their November fixtures. The team is also preparing for matches against Japan and New Zealand, followed by a Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham. This new biennial event aims to provide a clearer narrative in the international Test calendar outside of Rugby World Cups and British and Irish Lions tours.
Sweeney also addressed challenges in ticket sales for the upcoming Nations Championship finals weekend, particularly for Friday's fixtures. "It's uncharted waters," he admitted, acknowledging that fan understanding of the new tournament format needs further development. While ticket sales for Saturday and Sunday are strong, Friday remains a concern, though Sweeney expressed confidence in an eventual increase in sales.
The organizers, a joint venture between Six Nations and Rugby Championship organizers Sanzaar, have established a dedicated team to manage and accelerate the development of the Nations Championship. Discussions are also underway regarding the hosting of future finals weekends, with potential locations including Spain and other Middle Eastern countries being considered as alternatives to previous plans for Qatar and the USA. Sweeney suggested that a return to London or hosting in France could also be viable options, balancing commercial return with fan accessibility.