Poms shamed after leaked reports
23 Nov 2011
England’s shambolic World Cup campaign suffered another blow after confidential RFU reports were leaked.
England’s run at the tournament was highly criticized for actions made on and off the field. While they suffered a quater-final exit against France, there were numerous reports about the players’ poor behaviour and the substandard management done by former head coach Martin Johnson and his assistants.
The RFU recently did a review on the team’s World Cup campaign, and the confidential information collected was accidentally leaked. The details criticized the management team, several senior players and the focus on earnings.
The RFU’s leaked information:
– Attack coach Brian Smith is described as ‘indecisive, out of his depth, difficult to talk to and simply not good enough’. He was also accused of looking to the Romania team for ideas. ‘When you start copying Romanian moves you know you’re in trouble,’ said one player.
- One player suggested defence coach Mike Ford ‘hasn’t moved on since 2007. In fact he’s regressed’.
- Forwards coach John Wells ‘missed serious detail in lineout play. There must be 20 coaches in the Premiership who’d be better’, said one player.
- Johnson, who resigned last week, was attacked for failing to deal properly with the fallout from the drunken night in Queenstown, which saw Mike Tindall belatedly fined for his conduct. The players union’ report said there was ‘a lack of action which reflected his inexperience. Therefore primarily he must bear considerable responsibility for these failures’. One of the players added: ‘I suppose we just wanted Johnno to have the bollocks to take action, especially after the Tindall night. He was too loyal and that was his downfall.’
- Skipper Lewis Moody, who has retired from test rugby, was criticised heavily for dealing with his agent during the tournament. ‘There was too much contact with agents, who could be distracting,’ a player said. ‘Moodos was the worst. Players should have waited until after the games/the tournament, not be discussing deals a day or two before a match. Moodos might be able to separate commercial stuff and playing, but it distracts other players and isn’t the right example to set.’
- A complaint by one player about a colleague’s reaction in the dressing room after the quarterfinal loss to France. ‘There’s £35,000 just gone down the toilet’ was the offending phrase. The complainant said the response ‘made me sick. Money shouldn’t even come into a player’s mind.’
- Accusations that senior colleagues indulged in drinking games and poked fun at those who committed wholeheartedly to training.
- Complaints from players about a lack of tight security. ‘It was a mistake not to have any security people like in 2003 and 2007,’ said one senior player. ‘This time we had two old fellas and one guy who was rumoured to have told someone the night out incident in Queenstown involving Tindall would be worth £100 000 from a newspaper.’
18 Comments
23 Nov 2011, 09:59 am
For the record: Johnno is not Jonny Wilkinson. It is a reference to Martin Johnson.
23 Nov 2011, 10:04 am
whoa *cue the excuses from Big Hit*
23 Nov 2011, 10:26 am
What a joke.
Serious disciplinarian needed!
23 Nov 2011, 10:33 am
Arrogance of the Poms.
They had a fill in coach for 2007 who took them to the final and assumed it would be another walk in the park this time round.
Blaming individuals for their poor performance is a joke.
Their entire structure and mind set was a disgrace.
23 Nov 2011, 11:13 am
Johnno? Moodos?
Why must they turn all their names into stupid teenage slang?
Anyway, when I started seeing those HaskelCam videos of them fcking around on tour, I knew these palookas were going to blow it.
23 Nov 2011, 11:56 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-5:
C’mon Katto, boys will be boys.
23 Nov 2011, 12:21 pm
And no mention still of Rob Andrews in all this…
23 Nov 2011, 13:24 pm
Bunch of prima donas by the sounds of things…. the England players are taking a leaf out of their soccer counterparts – personally i would cancel all contracts of players who cant behave , what role models for young kids
23 Nov 2011, 13:40 pm
The SA management team is hardly a better example. At least England has accountability.
23 Nov 2011, 13:48 pm
@7 Andrew is looking for scapegoats,to cover his own ar*e.
All of the other teams were tucked away in bed by 8.30pm with a cup of coco and not a drop of achohol tuched their lips
Haskell and co,go bungy jumping 7 days before their next game and the press batter them. The Welsh go tearing around on quad bikes the day before a semi final,no problem. The near revolt in the French camp.They made it to the final,so sweep that under the carpet. I sure a couple of the AB’s woyld have copped it had NZ failed to win the final violation of team rules. Samoans, Italians ,and Argies, were fined over the mouthguard BS yet the UK gutter press single out Tuilangi.
Italian get 3 month ban for contact to the eye’s and French player banned for tripping let’s not say anything. Instead we’ll call Courtney Lawes a thug a late hit. Isn’t the bouncer who sold the Tindall vid,on a charge for theft or misuse of data?
Now the RWC is over, stories are now coming out about players and coaches from other countries.
23 Nov 2011, 15:04 pm
England have been poor for years and with Martin Johnson in charge they had no hope.
At international level you need a coach with experience. Johnson was too close to the team having played alongside a few of them during his career. I can’t imagine any Bok or Kiwi players using monikers like Johnno when referring to the coach.
Thats the problem right there, they are a bunch of schoolkids who never quite grew up.
23 Nov 2011, 15:34 pm
bloody disgrace…..bloody hell….
PDV and the Fat Boys club….the soutie version
23 Nov 2011, 15:39 pm
@grant10(grant10)-12: Give it a rest. Our boys played with pride. The pommies on the other hand…. HUGE different. It’s an insult to our guys to equate them.
Something tells me we’ll have Meyer as the next Bok coach.
23 Nov 2011, 15:43 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-2:
lol
We will read this after a stint at the pub, with a belly full he will try and dismiss this and blame NZ for his bad team. Then he will try and change subject, like bring in the refs of the RWC, a few clowns on here will fall for it and let the Poms bad behavior off the hook.
Seen it all before, but he might play the dissapearing card like he does and dont say nothing until its all calmed down.
Very predictable is our BH.
23 Nov 2011, 15:44 pm
@grant10(grant10)-12:
give it a rest.
Wernt you guys leading the QF when Smit came off?
23 Nov 2011, 15:48 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-14: or the latest one that seems to work for everything happening @ Twickenham…
this is Rob Andrew’s fault
23 Nov 2011, 15:52 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-16:
lol
classic
24 Nov 2011, 10:09 am
Jeez, grant give it a break dude, you like a friggn whinging school girl on the rags
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