England joke continues...
The stars donned protective clothing and carried shields as they came under 'attack' from mock rioters hurling wooden bricks in the simulated urban flare-up, the Press Association reported Sunday.
Unfortunately the day at the Metropolitan Police training centre in July could not stop England becoming the first World Cup hosts to exit the tournament before the knockout stages.
Some players developed blisters as a result of wearing brand new military boots and the exercise was so intense that squad training the following day was delayed.
An England Rugby Football Union spokesman justified the event, saying: "The exercise was valuable in getting the players to organise and communicate under pressure and they worked well together in testing and unfamiliar circumstances.
A statement released by the Metropolitan Police, the force which serves London, confirmed the anti-riot training at its Metropolitan Police Service specialist centre in Gravesend.
"The training, which tests teamwork and resilience, included an exercise where, dressed in full protective equipment, a street disorder situation was played out."
England thrashed minnows Uruguay 60-3 in Manchester on Saturday in their final Pool A match. But they had already crashed out of the tournament following defeats at their Twickenham 'fortress' by Wales [25-28] and Australia [13-33].
Confirmation of the riot training came a day after it emerged that England backroom staff – but not coach Stuart Lancaster or his assistants – had taken part in an exercise that involved leading horses round a field.
The Daily Mail said the plan, devised by England's head of athletic performance Matt Parker – who in a previous role as head of "marginal gains" at British Cycling worked with several Olympic champions – had led to "grumbles of derision" from the staff.
According to the newspaper each staff member was filmed leading a horse through routines so it could be analysed to see how well they "dominated their interactions with the horses and gained their trust."
The group were then rewarded with a champagne dinner.
England's Billy Vunipola suggested the squad may have been better off using a more traditional rugby bonding exercise than the riot squad.
"The best way to bond is when you go out to the pub, have a drink and break down barriers," Vunipola told a broadcaster on Sunday.
"I say that because when we play at Saracens that's what we do. It might look like a fun, jolly time but we build our memories together, we build bonds and bridges," added the back row forward, who missed England's final World Cup matches against Australia and Uruguay with a knee injury.
"That's something we could have done a little bit better, but I had a great time with the team."
He added: I'm a very emotional player and I like to know who my teammate is on a deeper level than just who his name is and who he plays for."
Given the flak England have faced since bowing out of the World Cup, the riot training may yet come in useful.
Agence France-Presse
