Stick with coaches, Dallaglio urges RFU
LAWRENCE Dallaglio hopes the RFU have learned their lesson and will no longer jettison coaches too soon.
The World Cup winner insists it is time to stop using the England coaching post as a “graduate programme” and show some more loyalty when things go badly.
Andy Farrell, Stuart Lancaster, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt have all gone on to prove themselves outstanding top level coaches since being released from Twickenham following the failed 2015 home World Cup campaign.
Farrell has just led Ireland to backto-back Six Nations titles, assisted by Mike Catt, while Stuart Lancaster is now boss at Racing after a successful spell at Leisnter, and Graham Rowntree is in charge of URC champions Munster. Dallaglio, below, said: “What we seem to do in England is treat the coaching job as a graduate programme. You get the job when you haven’t had much coaching experience. You make lots of mistakes, get released and go on to become a very good head coach for another country. That’s basically what’s happened since 2003.
“Anyone who thinks any different needs to look back at the appointments and realise this. Had the RFU had a bit of patience they may have recognised there was a really good coach in there who has gone on to become a fantastic coach. As has Mike Catt and Stuart Lancaster!
“When they first took the England roles they were fairly new to coaching and will probably admit themselves they made a lot of mistakes. But that’s the way it seems to work with England. They are happy to appoint people who don’t necessarily have the track record for success, and then let them go when things don’t go right.” Dallaglio feels current boss Steve Borthwick, left, is starting to prove he was the correct choice to build a new Enknow gland team capable of challenging for the World Cup in in three years time.
The attacking, much more adventurous and creative displays during the Six Nations also gave Dallaglio renewed optimism the team is definitely evolving and will provide a real challenge for the All Blacks in the two summer Tests over there in July.
He says: “The way they played against Ireland and France was a good sign that they can go over to New Zealand and give a good account of themselves. To get anything from that tour you will need to play an attacking, expansive game plus be able to be clinical.
“You will need to score tries to beat the All Blacks, and England scored more tries against Ireland and France. I was worried about that part of their game before the Six Nations because they had been devoid of any real attacking threat.”