Moody: ‘Players had to be banned at RWC’
31 Oct 2011
Retired England skipper Lewis Moody reveals in his recently released biography that his players were out of control at the World Cup, which was the main reason behind their early World Cup exit.
England were knocked out by France in the quarter-final round after a 19-12 defeat in Auckland, which ended a campaign tainted with off-field scandals – from mischief at their Dunedin hotel to vice-captain’s Mike Tinadall’s highly publicised meeting with ‘an old friend’ to Manu Tuilagi jumping off a ferry.
Moody was quick to release his book, Mad Dog: An Englishman , and extracts were published in English papers over the weekend, which described his feelings over England’s behaviour in New Zealand.
‘I had been growing concerned about the attitude in the camp, which had become apparent pretty much from the moment we arrived in Auckland,’ Moody wrote in the book.
‘We were on the other side of the world, a lot of the guys were young, well-known, wealthy and believed they were invincible. I remember thinking that some were not quite in the right mind-set.
‘If I could change one thing, knowing some of the characters we had in that squad, it would be to have banned them from going out at all.’
Moody went on to say he takes responsibility for the team’s actions, along with head coach Martin Johnson.
‘I take some of the blame. I was captain and the buck stopped with Johnno and me.’
23 Comments
31 Oct 2011, 09:17 am
mad english dragons
31 Oct 2011, 09:17 am
Drunken Dragons
31 Oct 2011, 09:17 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-1: Snap
31 Oct 2011, 09:18 am
The players knew they had no show and treated the RWC as an opportunity to enjoy themselves off field and get their end away with a few of the horde of groupies hovering about.
Scoring off the field would have been a breeze.
31 Oct 2011, 09:32 am
@Provincejoulekkading(Provincejoulekkading)-3:
touche
@Brads(Brads)-4:
does that mean we should have more, or less respect for martin johnson?
31 Oct 2011, 09:43 am
@Brads(Brads)-4:
are you saying kiwi birds are easy?
31 Oct 2011, 09:52 am
poms were a disgrace….this opportunity comes around once every 4 years and this is how the players respond?
Disgrace…..
M Johnson should have the decency to fall on his sword….otr the RFU should fire him…
31 Oct 2011, 09:58 am
@Gunther(gunther)-6:
I read a report a few weeks ago, from the NZ Gynie society, that NZ women are some of the most promiscuous in the world.
31 Oct 2011, 10:20 am
@David(David)-8:
let’s not go there.
gynaes are some of the most promiscuous doctors in the world.
I’m just trying to understand Bradley’s point.
31 Oct 2011, 10:21 am
The buck didn’t stop at all — it bowled his clean off his mountain-bike.
31 Oct 2011, 10:51 am
The minute I saw the first of those Haskellcam episodes (James Haskell videoing the team fooling around on tour) I knew these guys weren’t there to win the tournament. Arrogant rich boys.
31 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-10: Obscure, not funny and badly proofread. You can do better.
31 Oct 2011, 11:02 am
Yip, the RWC was just a big stag do for Mike Tindal.
31 Oct 2011, 11:32 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-11: the HasCam was a blast
31 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
Ja, if you’re trying to document your matric holiday so you have something to remember it by.
1 Nov 2011, 13:35 pm
Why should Johnson be blamed? If someone doesn’t want to toe the line, you cannot force them. England do not have depth, so just throwing people out is not a realistic solution where results are required. The fact of the matter is that the old England mentality of determination and old values is dead. The new generation of Englishmen are spoiled, immature, unintelligent, arrogant, conceited, aggressive gutter trash. These are the traits of the new generation, which is everything that Johnson isn’t. I think Johnson is in a very difficult position having to try and rebuild a team that does not possess the materials, things that he has been used to all his life. A culture clash and shock for him.
1 Nov 2011, 13:37 pm
@David(David)-8: You are very much correct. It goes with their surroundings, criminals and all. A good environment for raising lusty wenches.
1 Nov 2011, 13:42 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-17:
Every country had criminals as you are well aware.
But you seem to think we have the most criminals as our always on about it.
Do you live in SA?
1 Nov 2011, 18:06 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-18: Yes, I currently am in South Africa.
1 Nov 2011, 21:44 pm
They won 4 from 5 and lost to the same team NZ lost to. Too much is made of the off-field stuff where beady kiwi eyes were preying (and praying) for their downfall.
1 Nov 2011, 22:33 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-20:
Its a profeesional game/sport.
There should be no off field stuff during a RWC.
No matter what counrty your team is in, they should be professional about it.
RWC champs BH, didnt lose a game, suck it up mate and lets all move on.
2 Nov 2011, 00:03 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-21:
hell nah, you’ll be hearing about that reffing performance for the next four years just like everyone had to hear about Barnes, karma’s a bish
10 Mar 2012, 12:28 pm
Didn’t requtre any praying. Heck MU cannot even beat third div continental sides at home.
PS The All Blacks emulated the All Whites and remained the only unbeaten sides at recent WC’s. So who beat them? Not even with Barnes’ help Comrade
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