Do not be mistaken. When you go home in the international rugby, the host team will do what they can to interrupt your preparation.
All kinds of fun business continue. I saw him as many times in my time as a chief coach of England and I have no doubt that it still takes place today.
I have always said that the brand of a good international team is whether it can win in Bloemfontein, Melbourne and Wellington. I say that because at the test level, certainly in my training time, those were the three most difficult places to go play.
The victories in those places were rare and special. They were hard and hard places to travel. The atmospheres would be febriles and the quality of the opposition was first class.
The England team that I trained won in all three places. That made me realize the quality of the side I was working with.
Everything is very well winning regularly at home. But trying the victory on the road in difficult places is something else. If you can do that, the trust you can give to a team is huge.
My England team celebrates overcome New Zealand 15-13 in Wellington in 2003
Mike Catt and Martin Johnson hug after hitting South Africa there in 2000
Win in Melbourne in 2003, only five months before winning the low World Cup
That is the challenge for the 2025 class of England this weekend when they travel to Cardiff for their end of the six nations with Wales.
For any team in England, Wales Away is a special but discouraging element. However, the Principality stadium is a wonderful place to play. Without a doubt, it is one of the best stadiums in the world rugby, if not the best. England must be prepared for anything that the Welshman brought. And that is inside and out of the field.
When I talk about fun businesses, I remember that one year we went to Cardiff and we arrived at the main usery for the team's race before the game.
When we entered the locker room, there were cardboard cuts from all Wales players and their coach Sir Graham Henry. They had all 10 feet high. Graham was 5 feet and 6 inches on the fingers of the foot in real life, so seeing it in the middle of our costumes now 10 inches was hilarious.
I think it was a way to try to intimidate us, but I'm not sure what they expected to do. Maybe crush them? In the end, I remember Mike Tindall and Greenwood just laugh at the head and took photos. Apparently, they are there for visitors to bring more life to the changing rooms and forget to eliminate them.
We had a great record in Cardiff, accumulating some Cricket scores over the years. Wales was always a special game for me because I could have played for them.
I went to school in northern Wales and went to the evidence of the Welsh schools. Absolutely he would have played for them if selected. At that time, my rugby heroes were Welsh, like Barry John. But Gareth Davies and Terry Holmes were chosen as a medium support in front of me and that was all!
I am partially, obviously, but I will always keep that side. A year later, I ended up playing against Davies and Holmes for the Colts of England on Twickenham.
Going to play Wales in Cardiff is always difficult for any side of England
There is very little that Wales supporters love more than putting England's nose in it
Martin Johnson refused to exchange sides for the clash of the six 2003 nations in Dublin after an Irish maniac hit the door of our locker room
Cardiff also has a bad memory because it was the place for my worst game as an England player. We were winning closely with minutes to the end. I was shouting my teammates not to grant any penalty.
But the Welsh Half Brynmor Williams threw a great doll. I bought it and was caught offside. Wales penalty. We lose the game. Nightmare. It is one that I will never forget. If I had been training, I would have assured me that I never played again for England after that, fortunately, my coaches were more friendly than me!
I can honestly say in my time as England coach, I never put any tricks in the opposition. But it happened to us all the time, maybe because of how good we had.
Everyone remembers the 2003 Grand Slam game in Ireland and the fury about the alignment for the hymns, when Martin Johnson refused to move the sides to accommodate the Irish team, leaving the presentation party to get muddy shoes when they were forced to leave the carpet.
But the real reason it happened was because before the beginning, an Irish maniac hammered the door of our locker room demanding that we go out to the field. I almost hit him and hit the door on him, telling him in uncertain terms that we would only enter the tunnel when the referee asked us. I still don't know who that guy was.
It caused all the problems that day! It was the same guy who asked Martin to move through the field for hymns. Martin told him where to go. If the guy had asked well and did not destroy our costume door, we would probably moved. But due to their mischief, the players remained firm.
The Scots are the worst. They must have a complete committee on how the English can end.
A year in Edinburgh, we were in Murrayfield's locker room 10 minutes before the start and I was doing my last talk in the team. Suddenly, this music from the highlands began to fly through the speakers in the changing rooms.
Scottish must have a complete committee dedicated to finishing the English
My England teams never had many problems dealing with Murrayfield's atmosphere
Martin had the perfect mantra to deal with a hostile visitor environment
On another occasion, I remember telling the referee that we would only enter the field if the Scots followed him immediately. He promised me that would happen. He did not. I left and took my seat in the box and the team left after me. Without Scots.
I went absolutely crazy and returned to the tunnel to see what was happening, just to be received by 100 pipers!
We still hit Scotland that day. And here is the key.
When you go to discouraging places away from home and everything is stacked against you, there is one thing to remember. It is a very simple message, but one that I love. Johnson used to take it home repeatedly: if everyone does their job, we won the game.
It may sound simple, but it is one of my favorite and also powerful quotes. England must pay attention this weekend.
The reason it is so powerful is because as a player you do not want to be the one who disappoints the team. Wales could have lost 16 tests in a row, but they will come to England.
The atmosphere will be intense. Wales has shown spirit in his last two games, enough to ensure that a fired Widowed Crowd arranged by his young side for discomfort.
But, the reality is that England has the best team. Then, if they execute their play plan, play at the rhythm, get their right basic concepts and everyone does their job, they should win.
Wales will not be an easy game, but if all England players do their job, they should win
If I were a coach, my approach would be in the first 10 minutes: start quickly and silence the crowd
If I were a coach, my entire focus this week would be in the first 10 minutes. Start fast and silence the crowd. That is what France did in Dublin last weekend. That is what made his victory over Ireland so impressive.
A Victoria in Cardiff on Saturday would be another step forward for this team in England. It may not be enough to win the six nations. But a victory is essential. The defeat would represent a significant step back after a progress championship.
Before the 2003 World Cup, I demanded that the England team that I trained won in Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. I wanted to get those results to show that we could win the World Cup that year away from Twickenham's luxury. That is exactly what we did and those experiences undoubtedly helped when the moments of great pressure arrived.
It can be the same with this team in England. They have to take Cardiff's atmosphere on board and prosper in it.
Do your job. Silence the crowd. Win the game. That applies to both the coach and the players. The Steve Borthwick selection will be key.
For high pressure games, I always wondered if I could trust the players I chose to do their job under maximum pressure and not lose calm or do anything silly.
I will not name names, but some of the most talented England players did not make my team for the biggest games away from home, predominantly because I could not trust them so as not to make a big mistake how to grant a penalty or receive a yellow or red card.
Professional sport is brilliant but to the same horrible and brutal. But that's what it is about. You have to make great calls like this to succeed.
England must silence the multitude of Wales to stay fresh in the midst of the pressure in Cardiff
England's team has to take the Cardiff's atmosphere on board and prosper in it
Before the big games outside, you want your players to stay well in the midst of pressure. You cannot work too early, certainly not the day before or even in the morning of the game.
I think England has great heads. For example, Smith end in NO 10 seems to me the type of type that will prosper and will not be intimidated by the atmosphere of the Principality stadium.
These types of games are the ones you want to get involved. They are the reason you play or train at the highest level. If everyone does their job correctly, England wins this weekend.
I hope Borthwick and his players do not have giant cardboard cuts to wait for them this year!