Woodward’s coaching skill blasted

ONE of Clive Woodward’s former players has claimed the former England boss wasn’t all that good when it came to coaching the finer points of the game.

Woodward is best known for guiding England to World Cup glory in 2003 and equally famous for the disappointing Lions tour that he headed up two years later.

But before all that, he cut his teeth at London Irish as he honed his craft.

It is where his paths crossed with ex-ireland international Niall Woods, who talked up Woodward’s man management and motivational skills, but insisted his actual coaching was ‘rubbish’.

Speaking on Off the Ball, Woods recalled: “He was absolutely rubbish (as a coach). Clive was an amazing individual, he is an unbelievable motivator, great talker.

“But technically as a rugby coach he wouldn’t have been very good at the time.

“I had come from Eddie O’sullivan in Blackrock in the AIL days, who at that stage was way ahead of his time.”