Friday 5 February 2016 18:38, UK
England flanker James Haskell has called for calm ahead of the opening match of the Six Nations against Scotland on Saturday.
New coach Eddie Jones' arrival has sparked excitement throughout English rugby and the squad will attempt to match the high expectations at Murrayfield as they bid to put their World Cup failings behind them.
"It's all been very positive so far, but it's only been two weeks and we haven't played a game so let's not get too excited," said Wasps captain Haskell.
"You can prepare and focus however you want, but you don't know what course the game will take. We're playing a very good Scotland side in a hostile environment and no doubt there will be bad weather and a difficult pitch.
"But we're prepared for that kind of battle and the most important thing is that we get the win to get the ball rolling.
"The World Cup is done and dusted, we've got nothing to lose and we want to make sure we give a good account of ourselves."
And Haskell stresses the new regime should not mean a complete change of style and tactics for England, insisting winning matches is the ultimate goal.
"A lot of people want the new broom to sweep clean, but a lot of those people have no concept of what international rugby is actually like," he added.
"I've never been part of an England team that hasn't wanted to play an expansive or entertaining game. You're limited by factors such as the opposition, weather, the field, the mood in the camp.
"We're trying to play a brand of rugby that we can be proud of and that will get us the win. But ultimately all I care about is winning."
