England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach, Sir Clive Woodward, has hit out at the composition of the RFU’s five-man review panel, saying that the chief executive, Ian Ritchie, “should not be allowed anywhere near” it.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Woodward, who many former players believe should have been a part of the group reviewing England’s premature World Cup exit, suggested the Guardian columnist Dean Ryan ought to have been considered before those named by the RFU.
“As a stakeholder in the shirt, I was staggered,” wrote Woodward of the make-up of the panel. “Ritchie has overseen England’s worst World Cup ever and over the last four years has got far too close to the team for a man with zero rugby experience or knowledge, culminating in awarding six-year contracts to [Stuart] Lancaster and his coaching team.
“He should not be allowed anywhere near the review, let alone leading it and choosing the panel. There is a total conflict of interest. Three of the five people on the panel have no experience in international rugby. There is no input or representation from the 12 Premiership clubs.
“Ben Kay is an entirely suitable member of the review but elsewhere I would have asked Worcester director of rugby Dean Ryan to represent the clubs and [Dave] Reddin to analyse the conditioning programme. Like Kay, Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Greenwood would be great candidates.”
Woodward also refused to offer his support to Lancaster in the article, saying that comparisons with his own failure at the 1999 World Cup were “wide of the mark” as he had been in the job for only a year at the time, not four as the embattled England coach has been.
The 59-year-old also dismissed suggestions that the RFU and England must emulate New Zealand if they are to be successful.
“I felt England’s conditioning was markedly inferior at this World Cup to some of the other home nations, let alone New Zealand,” he said.
“It must never be about trying to slavishly copy New Zealand. Otherwise we might as well create our own haka — it will be about as much use. What works for them, will not necessarily work for us, and by the time we do it as well as them, they will be on to the next thing.
“When Australia beat England, they were playing like Australia should.”
