RFU: We’ll not sweep Eddie problems under carpet
SIX NATIONS SHAMBLES... THE INQUEST
EDDIE JONES’ boss has promised the review into England’s Six Nations flop will be transparent and the findings will not be swept under the carpet.
RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney is aware of the perception that Jones is a law unto himself – but rejects it.
He insists that whatever comes of the post-mortem into England’s worst championship for 45 years, the Australian will be called to account.
Sweeney admitted: “At this level of sport, performance is everything. Momentum can shift in a moment.
“You can go from one week to the next and you can start to have concerns along the lines of ‘is this a problem?’ Is this fixable? Is this a trend? Is this something that we are in control of ?
“If we had concerns and worries going through the summer, then we would act on it one way or the other.”
Sweeney knows what consistency looks like having worked closely with the All Blacks for eight years during his time with adidas.
He does not need telling that two fifth-place finishes for England in three years, following back-to-back titles, fits in the boom-and-bust category. Sweeney added: “We have very high aspirations, and if you come out the wrong end you must be able to decide if that is bad luck or if there is a reason for coming up short.
“There is no reason for us to sweep things under the carpet, no reason why we wouldn’t have a thorough and honest debrief. “We want to get better and better. We want to win World Cups. We want to win Grand Slams. We want to win consecutive Six Nations.
“Look how it feels when we don’t. It is miserable.
“You don’t sleep as well. It affects all sorts of things.
“So we want to get to the nub of it to make sure that we can be around that, what are the as successful as we possibly can.” implications going forward.”
One of the key areas of Asked if he regretted the investigation will be Jones’ treatment of Saracens, given the decision to retain the Saracens colossal impact it had on spine of his England team England’s fortunes, Sweeney following the club’s relegation said with a sigh: “Life is always a and absence of matches. lot easier with hindsight.”
Owen Farrell (left), Billy and The initial 35-point penalty Mako Vunipola, Lack of form of the was later doubled Jamie George, Maro Saracens players is to make certain Itoje and Elliot Daly a point we must the fallen were all way below discuss in debrief champions did not their best. George avoid relegation. and Daly were eventually Sweeney said: “At the time, dropped, while Mako was there was a sense in Premiership hooked at half-time in Ireland. Rugby that a really hard line
“You’re right to point out the needed to be taken for the form of the Saracens players,” credibility of the game. Sweeney accepted. “In hindsight, would it have
“That is something that we been easier for all parties if it need to dig into in the debrief. had stayed a 35-point deduction
“Clearly that will be one of the and not the 70? It’s hypothetical topics and what went with that, now. It is what it is.”