Was Eddie’s new deal too cosy?
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD HAS SOME BIG QUESTIONS FOR ENGLISH RUGBY
ThEsE are difficult times for all sports but I believe such moments create an opportunity for organisations to stand tall and demonstrate they are in touch with the world around them.
With this in mind, I’ve been uneasy at some of the things the RFU have been doing — and their entire modus operandi — for a while. If I could meet chief executive Bill sweeney (below), there are some questions I would like to ask him.
1 WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND ANNOUNCING EDDIE JONES’ CONTRACT EXTENSION LAST WEEK?
IT CaME just as the coronavirus crisis was kicking in and the financial implications for grassroots rugby were becoming apparent. It did not sit at all well.
With the game in lockdown, I don’t understand the timing. announcing that Eddie is to become the best-paid coach in history while other nations and clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy seemed insensitive, at best. It is not that I begrudge any coach or player earning as much as they or their agent can get, but the salary did not need to be published.
That was a story that didn’t play out well in the current climate. There is going to be real hardship and rugby nations such as Fiji, samoa and Tonga are struggling. I didn’t understand the need to pay top dollar. australia, New Zealand, south africa, Wales, Ireland, France and Japan all have their new head coaching jobs sewn up, so it’s an employers’ market. There are almost no jobs for the top coaches, so there was no need to go over the top.
2 WHAT WAS THE APPRAISAL PROCESS PRIOR TO THE DECISION?
FolloWINg the announcement, Eddie said he wanted to be sure he was prepared and motivated to continue until the 2023 World Cup. But what was the RFU’s thought process and reasoning? Everything seemed rushed and cosy to me, especially as Eddie was contracted to the end of next season anyway. There should have been more questioning. Eddie has spearheaded a tremendous turnaround since England failed to get out of their 2015 World Cup pool, so to finish runners-up four years later demonstrates progress. he masterminded six Nations triumphs in 2016 and 2017, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing. In 2018, they were second bottom and when it mattered most in Japan last year, they misfired badly.
England lost focus in the week of the final. Was there analysis at the RFU as to why they played so poorly in the final or why they went to Japan with only two scrum-halves and five props?
Why was Joe Marler (right) allowed to make a mockery of the press conference I attended in that final week? Who were the rugby celebrities coming and going from the camp and why did the team arrive at the stadium just 40 minutes before kick-off?
Eddie remains a top coach and his extension may prove to be the right call. But what scrutiny has there been to affirm his decision since the end of the World Cup. and has the recent six Nations provided enough evidence to take this step?
3 EVEN THE BEST COACHES MUST BE QUESTIONED, SO WHO AT THE RFU WILL CHALLENGE EDDIE?
JohN MITChEll is Eddie’s second in command and Matt Proudfoot is organising the forwards. and, under the radar last autumn, Conor o’shea was brought in as director of performance rugby, which is a role I don’t understand. Does Eddie answer to him in any way? Does o’shea have any input on playing matters? Do these guys challenge Eddie’s thinking in the way a top coach needs to have his thinking examined to sharpen his thought process?
There needs to be somebody at the RFU scrutinising Eddie’s rugby calls and, at the very least, acting as an experienced sounding board. Is there nobody who can eyeball Eddie and test his selections and tactics in private?
4 ARE THE RUMOURS OF RING-FENCING PAYMENTS TO ENGLAND PLAYERS TRUE?
I hoPE not. Rugby must be in line with the rest of the country. If the game — and the RFU in particular — are as stretched financially as they insist, there needs to be a rethink on how we approach the salaries of players and coaches and that process must be hand in hand with the clubs.
This is why the announcement of a whopping new contract for Eddie has not played out well at grassroots level. Before the coronavirus crisis, rugby was making headlines for the wrong reasons on this topic. It is a problem that will not go away and, unless resolved, it will drive a wedge between players, clubs and the RFU. Ultimately, those losing out will be fans and the junior game that support the rugby pyramid.
The key is reacquainting yourself with what is important in our game and re-setting for a stronger and more stable future. The RFU should lead the way on this.
5 WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
IT has never been the main role of the secondtier Championship to produce England players, which seemed to be the overriding complaint when the RFU announced cuts before coronavirus dis - rupted everything. That said, the Championship has proved a good nursery for England players such as Chris Robshaw and Mike Brown, and for academy players getting valuable game time on loan. Chris ashton learned how to play in the Championship when he came from rugby league.
The Championship should not be judged on its input to the England team. That is simply a product of its primary role, which is to be a vibrant second division and provide the halfway house between the amateur game and the professional Premiership.
England have more players than most nations and need to make that work for them with a strong second division.
Apologies to Richie McCaw for listing him as a candidate for the england job. i was referring, of course, to Mark McCall. However, i don’t doubt that if Richie decided to go down the coaching route he would be in huge demand!