Andy gets flak from Fitzy
21 May 2006
England coach Andy Robinson would have been sacked by now had he been New Zealand boss, according to former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
Robinson survived the axe in the Rugby Football Union’s shake-up that followed England’s poor Six Nations campaign. But Fitzpatrick told the BBC: “It’s fair to say Robinson would not have lasted in the position if he was All Blacks coach.”
“The RFU has had the opportunity to get rid of him and they haven’t, and they’re not going to now.” Brian Ashton, John Wells and Mike Ford are expected to be unveiled as England’s back-up coaching team next week.
Fitzpatrick believes they and Robinson need to follow the example of New Zealand to get them out of their current rut.
All Blacks boss Graham Henry has former Wales coach Steve Hansen and ex-Northampton coach Wayne Smith advising him.
“I think Graham Henry has shown the way. He is very experienced and isn’t worried about people challenging him,” said Fitzpatrick.
“He now has two very good technical coaches with him, and as long as Robinson can somehow do something similar with his team – and has the right people around him – things could improve.”
18 Comments
21 May 2006, 19:08 pm
Ja Fitzy really ‘slammed’ Robinson with those comments…..eh Andrew?
21 May 2006, 19:09 pm
Leave Robinson their till the end of the year, so we can give the poms two hidings! Then they can sack him
21 May 2006, 19:09 pm
Very true. NZ are serious with their rugby and one wrong move could cost you your job, but in england anything is acceptable. Useless English!
21 May 2006, 19:12 pm
Blok,
What would you call? Just trying to make a hard headline…
21 May 2006, 19:19 pm
I would give it the following headline: Fitzy thinks Robinsons a po€s….
21 May 2006, 19:20 pm
Spot on, Herm, someone should tell Fitzy he should be singing R’sons praises! Reverse psychology works really well on children and poms!
21 May 2006, 19:25 pm
Blok,
Like the new one. Besdies it clashed with Jake’s headline.
But it seems averyone is grumpy this evening, ‘cept Tana of course.
But yes, Fitzy probably did say that!!
21 May 2006, 19:31 pm
Yeah thats cool, not as good as mine, but a definite improvement ;-9
Whose grumpy tonight? Must be Bulls supporters. Can’t blame them though I spose.
21 May 2006, 20:02 pm
Apparently he’s a good coach.Just a rubbish tactician.He trained the world cup winning side but Woodward planned it all.
21 May 2006, 20:54 pm
He only needs to perform with aplomb in Paris 2007. By that measure its far to early to judge him.
Rugby has pretty much stood still since 2003. The World over. The Aussies have gone backwards, France eratic as ever and the Boks still mired in no-man’s land. We saw the heralded ABs at HQ this year. The best they’ve ever been we were told. Well they struggled to beat a half titled English team.
It seems there is little competition out there. 2007 is warming up nicely.
21 May 2006, 22:42 pm
StM,
When England finishes in the top three of the Six Nations you might get excited. Until then, your vaunted English team has its work cut out for it. I know you think the Premiership is the best league in the world but one team in the Heineken Cup semis is not worth crowing about. Let’s see what happens over the next six weeks. As for NZ, it’s 0-3 since the World Cup so why you continue to be delusional despite the evidence is beyond me. England can’t talk the talk until it walks the walk.
22 May 2006, 00:04 am
Sounds like Straeuli’s “judge me at the WC”, St. M. ROFLMAO!
22 May 2006, 01:56 am
If both hemisphere mimic the football (soccer) seasons and run their season at the same time, their will be no more complaining of too much rigby by one side compared to fresh players just starting their season on the other. Football in North and Southern Hemisphere run at the same time to accomodate the international friendlies and also other business alternatives that will not confuse FIFA.
Robinson is lucky to have kept the top job in English rugby, but I also believe that its a good move to keep him, especially with the RWC just around the corner, bringing in a new coach and a new set of ideas will take a while for the poms to get use to.
22 May 2006, 02:15 am
It shows that StMichael know very little about winning Rugby Teams just look at your Record. NZ has won one RWC out of the Five RWCs which is still in its infant stage compared to Soccer World Cups, this is not great for AB supporters but NZ rugby overall know better how to WIN yearly Rugby Competitions which has a better record than any country in the World. The cheek about making comment about a 12 man AB side not being impressive beating the so called World Champions shows your depth on what a Champion side should really be.But keep basing your rugby hope on your poor rugby history which the Aussies do as well.Maybe someday you will understand what winning Rugby really is…..
22 May 2006, 04:45 am
No matter what has happened and is yet to happen, those of you who poke fun at England rugby first have to swallow very hard as you accept these unassailable facts:
One: England are the reigning rugby world champions.
Two: England has won just as many Webb-Ellis RWC’s as what the All Blacks and the Springboks have.
Three: The Springboks have not beaten England at any time since the dim and distant previous century, and have suffered a massive fifty-pointer clobbering at the hands of the Poms some three years ago.
As I see it, the Boks currently have pretty much ZERO serious bragging rights when stacked up against the Poms.
22 May 2006, 07:12 am
That’s 100% correct Tickler…
I’m expecting, not hoping, that changes this year!
NO positives will be taken out of a loss to the Poms!
22 May 2006, 07:45 am
Tackles make a mistake? log in as the wrong user?
Tackler=StMichel you last post is textbook StM and no self respecting kiwi would defend English rugby let alone give England a compliment.
22 May 2006, 10:40 am
Can’t duck the truth.
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