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Ben Earl has called for a change to the Nations Championship format after England’s “brutal” schedule in the summer leg of the inaugural competition.<\/b><\/p>\n
England had to play three Tests in three different continents on successive weekends and accumulated 25,000 miles of travel.<\/p>\n
Victory over Argentina on Saturday keeps Steve Borthwick’s team in the hunt for a place in the final on 29 November at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.<\/p>\n
However, four long haul and four short haul flights in the past four weeks have contributed to players losing sleep and a reduced training schedule.<\/p>\n
“It’s been brutal, there’s no two ways about it,” England number 8 Earl said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been speaking about it \u2013 why would we not all be playing in one country? So you just don’t travel, you go to one nation and have that festival feel.<\/p>\n
“I’m not paid to make those decisions but it has been tough. It’s been tough coming at the end of what’s been quite a long season anyway for most of us.<\/p>\n
“It’s been back and forth, coming back to England, seeing your families and then going away again.<\/p>\n
“It has seemed a bit weird but it’s just something we’re going to have to get used to because I think it’s just the beginning.”<\/p>\n
The competition resumes later in the year for the autumn leg with England next in action against Australia on 8 November.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n