SIR CLIVE’S SIX NATIONS AUDIT
Our World Cup-winning columnist puts his business head on to appraise the assets, liabilities and risks facing the contenders
ENGLAND TALENT COMPANY ALONE MOTTO: IS NOT ENOUGH
COMPANY REPORT:
Cosmetically, all appears well after reaching the Word Cup final with that brilliant semi-final win over New Zealand — and yet they were so disappointing and off the pace a week later against South Africa. And they were only middling in last year’s Six Nations, losing to Wales and somehow blowing a 31-point lead to draw 38-38 at home to Scotland. There is also a slightly unhealthy, volatile feel to the domestic scene at present over Saracens’ salary-cap breach.
CHALLENGES:
Can England learn the correct lessons from the World Cup final? Does there need to be a significant change of personnel? Do they need to refocus on basics and start selecting scrummaging props again rather than ball-handling running props? How do Owen Farrell (below) and his team avoid any possible World Cup hangover? England must find the answers to these questions and improve significantly because the 2023 World Cup will be of a much higher standard than 2019.
BUSINESS PLAN:
Now more than ever it is about selecting a team to win the next game — it’s nothing to do with building for the next World Cup, nothing. England must use their strength in depth to pick ferocious, formidable sides at all times and to win the Six Nations. Since the expansion of the Championship in 2000, England have won it only six times and we won three of those in the first four years. Two Grand Slams in 20 years is not enough.
CRUNCH DECISION:
Some say it’s whether Eddie Jones extends his contract beyond 2021 but I am sanguine either way. It doesn’t necessarily take long to prepare a World Cup-winning team. Rassie Erasmus took 18 months to transform the Springboks, Kitch Christie about the same in 1995. It can come together very quickly for the superpower nations. Eddie is still well in credit despite the unexplained World Cup final non-performance but difficult player selections loom against France in Paris next week. I wish England had followed Wales’ lead and recruited two or three respected recent legends to be part of the backroom team. It baffles me there are so many fine English coaches at the heart of other Six Nations squads.
RISK ASSESSMENT:
High. Any mystique the side had was blown apart by South Africa. Both France and Scotland will really fancy their chances in the opening rounds. The main risk is that England regress as a team. I’ve bumped into a few of the World Cup squad recently and some were still in a state of shock. I can fully understand that; it could haunt them for a long time. The question is can, this England side still do it? Or was that New Zealand win a spectacular one-off, rendered irrelevant in the greater scheme of things? Do players and coaches still want it more than anything or are their minds still in Japan?