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Eurosport rugby expert Neil Back believes the England players will enjoy being back with their clubs, but also be desperate to put things right in the Six Nations.

Two crucial weekends of Heineken Cup lie ahead for the top teams in Europe and they will be relieved to have their international stars back in action.

The next two European games are likely to be make-or-break for those clubs aspiring to reach the knock-out stages. A lot of teams have got off to good starts, but if they lose one of the next two then their chances of reaching the last eight could be over.

Christmas is always a key time for any professional club and player. When I was at Leicester, what we did behind the scenes over this period was almost as important as how we prepared on the field.

We always tried to make sure that the players remained focused, which is quite a difficult balance to strike.

It's important they have a good time over Christmas, but they also need to retain their discipline. This is something Andy Key and I are now trying to install at Leeds.

The England internationals will enjoy being back in the fold of their clubs after a difficult November series, but I also suspect they will be chomping at the bit for the Six Nations and the chance to right some of the wrongs.

When speaking to Martin Johnson ahead of the autumn Tests he told me that he wanted to make the England camp an enjoyable place to be.

Despite England's disappointing results, I suspect Johnno has been successful in this aspect.

The next two months are going to be vital for Johnno. A lot of his players lacked international experience ahead of the autumn series, but now they have it. They know where they need to improve and how it is crucial they minimise mistakes.

One area they will be keen to improve is the breakdown, which did not go well against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

You need to control possession and territory at international level, and this is very difficult to do if you are being out-muscled at the breakdown. In this aspect of the game, England looked like they were coming out of pre-season.

Johnno and his coaches will review the games and make a skills analysis of the individual players to see whether they have what it takes to compete at international level.

I do not expect Johnno to make too many changes to his elite player squad in January, though I can see a place for Lewis Moody if he continues to remain injury free with Leicester.

Some people have criticised England for not being as fit as their southern hemisphere opponents, but it's not a simple matter of working the team harder.

Rugby is a team sport but to get the maximum from the players you need to look at them individually, and this is something England will be working on.

Elite athletes need to take care with their optimum body weight and body fat so they can be as efficient as possible. This requires control and sacrifice.

No one is 100 per cent perfect in this regard, and it is important to have a life away from the sport.

But the nearer an athlete gets to 100 per cent - in terms of recovery, nutrition, rest - then the better. That is something I am sure England will be striving for.

Eurosport