Disappointment, debriefs and development

When it comes to England Rugby there’s been much discussion of late about what’s happening now? What's happening after after England finished in fifth position? Is it just being parked and brushed aside? 

Well, at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday lunchtime the RFU’s Chief Executive Steve Brown made clear about what is occurring internally and also gave his perspective on the recent competition. His appointment into this role was announced on September 1 last year and he replaced Ian Richie who retired from the position. The now CEO, had been involved with the RFU since 2011 as the Chief Financial Officer and also was the Managing Director of England Rugby 2015 as they were responsible for organising Rugby World Cup 2015. 

Every month Steve Brown sits down openly with the media to provide his perspective, thoughts and opinions on various issues. These sessions cover a many topics and don’t just get put in the diary after something ‘big’ has come to light, they're ongoing.

As you’d expect at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday the focus was very much on the senior men’s recent Six Nations Championship performances and tournament. His point of view was clear and he highlighted the detail of the next steps that I mentioned earlier.

“The results in the Six Nations were not what we wanted, not what we expected and there is no attempt by us to dress this up. Everyone is deeply disappointed, we will learn from this and make it doesn’t happen again. 

“The key is, what do we do next? Eddie and his team do a thorough debrief, that's part of the routine. The debrief has started today and is part of an extensive review session. I was at the start of it this morning for the first hour or so. It's a thorough process that we do after every single tournament. It goes into some detail, including an analysis of what has gone on and what needs to happen. No stone is left unturned. 

"Eddie comes to the board after each tournament and that has been set in the diary for a while. Eddie will come to the RFU board meeting on Wednesday to give a debrief and some of that will be the content of the review today, the views, thoughts and findings. It will also help the RFU board understand what has happened and more importantly what can we do to make it better going forward.”

The Chief Executive also use the term ‘a bit of a bump’ in the road and made it very clear what now wasn’t the time for. 

“It's worth reflecting but Eddie has an 86 per cent win record with England. You don't become a bad coach or team overnight. We were motoring pretty well and things were going particularly well. We have hit a bit of a bump and now is the time to regroup and reassess and get back on track.

“Eddie and his coaches have my confidence and the measure of how good they and can be will be how they respond to these tough times. No one is patting each other on the back, they're looking for solutions to put us back to where we were before.

“We’re hugely disappointed but confident in the ability to turn this around. These are the moments when you don’t knee jerk without the evidence and data. We are not knee jerking but we are going to learn. We go again and we will bounce back.”

As you may have read from my reflective piece after England's loss at Twickenham Stadium I'm in accordance with these views. The losses against Scotland, France and Ireland and the performances in those games weren't what England's players, coaches or fans would have wanted to deliver. However, they happened and performances of that nature do in professional sport. Do sporting outfits always win? No. Do teams have challenging periods of time? Absolutely. It just so happens that when the English national side do stutter the wave of uproar is five, or ten, decibels higher than for any other side. It's worth pointing out at this moment in time that debriefs like the above occur after every competition the autumn internationals, a summer tour, a Six Nations... they're not reserved for 'bad' moments. 

Of course Eddie Jones' contract was extended in January to beyond Rugby World Cup 2019 and Steve Brown’s opinion on that move was that it remains the right, and best thing, for the team.  

“We spoke before and as you’ll recall the whole point of that [contract extension being announced now] is the two things we wanted to achieve. One of them was to secure Eddie post-World Cup based on success, so there’s a performance element in that. If Eddie is not successful, and we’re not successful, there is no contract after that so that is clear-cut. 

“The second bit, which you may argue the opposite at the moment, was to take the distraction away. We didn’t want the distraction, the debate and the deliberations and whatever else might have been on Eddie’s future, and our future, in the build-up to the World Cup. They were the two primary reasons for doing that and absolutely it was the right thing to do and we stick by it.”

Personally I see no reason to make a change - and find it difficult to get my head the perspective of those calling for a change - and even if the tour to South Africa involves a loss I can’t see England benefitting from this type of reaction now. I’ll go back to the initial point that the RFU's CEO made ‘you do not become a bad team or coach overnight’, he is right. One thing I do think that could add to this England side though would be to tap into the knowledge of a great attacking vision and mind, Ben Ryan as a clear example. From an RFU perspective because they are 'well-resourced' there is the financial support to bring in another individual to the team, whether or not that will happen will be based on the outputs of the ongoing review process and, of course, the perspective of the man at the helm Eddie Jones.

As I've stated already England's Six Nations campaign wasn't what anyone expected or any player, coach or fan wanted. However let's not forget some of the factors that were at play including a number of England's players that had been on the British & Irish Lions tour going into the competition without any form of prolonged rest. Lessons must, and will be learned, and rightly so in my opinion there won't be any knee-jerk reactions taken by the RFU's Chief Executive right now. 

England Rugby - Post Ireland Perspective

Three losses on the bounce and Ireland securing a Grand Slam at Twickenham Stadium was not what Eddie Jones and his side wanted to contemplate before kick-off. However, it was the reality that met them after the full-time whistle on Saturday afternoon. 

This Six Nations campaign has been far from a walk in the park for England and instead it's seen them finish with fifth position next to their name. Following the full-time whistle their head coach first praised Ireland's performance and his side's effort before focusing on the period that they find themselves in:

"Our team played with plenty of character and stuck at it but we just weren’t good enough and the other team was too good. We gave them penalties that were avoidable which has been a trait for us during the Six Nations and allowed them to skip away too far at half-time. Then, we were chasing our tail for the whole game. 

"You have these runs and I’ve coached long enough to know that you have them. Sometimes you get out of them quickly and sometimes it takes a bit longer. At the moment we’re in a position where it’s gone on for three games. It’s not nice but it’s part of the process of being a better team."

England's coach is right and if you’ve ever been part of a sports team striving to be the best then you’ll know that the road there isn’t easy. It isn’t plain-sailing and it doesn’t run smoothly. I know this from personal experience having progressed up the ranks to the national level as a netball player. 

In sport there are days, matches, tournaments and championships when things go astray. Performances are put on the park, or on the court in my case, that you know just don't reflect your personal capability or your team’s capabilities. Injuries occur, players are missed, confidence is knocked and as a result losses happen. One loss or even two or three arrive. It's sport and that's the reality of it. 

Confidence is something that can play a major part in runs like these, be them good or bad runs, and Eddie Jones discussed this his post-match assessment. 

"I’ve coached over 150 Tests and you have these runs. Everything is going well then you lose a game, you lose a little bit of confidence and you start losing those 50/50 decisions. Then you get some injuries and it just becomes a bit of a cycle that you need to break. 

"Sometimes you break it through a bit of luck, sometimes you break it through an individual player, sometimes you break it because the opposition aren’t as good on that day. You’ve just got to keep at it, wait for the opportunity and make sure that people stick together and keep believing in the process. If you do that then you get out of it."

Up until this point the Australian's England side have shown themselves to be an all-encompassing outfit. By that I mean a side that was able to dominate others or in separate instants grind out results during indifferent occasions. However right now, that skill of grinding out results, has gone missing and it’s linked to confidence. 

"It’s funny isn’t it? Because up until now that’s what we have been exceptionally good at [finding a way to win] and as I said you lose one and that little bit of confidence ebbs away. You don’t get the bounce of the ball, you don’t get the 50/50s and than you don’t find a way to win. How do you get it back? No-one knows you just have to keep at it."

As I mentioned in my pre-match thoughts there are fundamental elements to England's game right now that aren't perfect - their breakdown work and their creativity moving forwards in particular. However when their confidence returning, the latter in particular will start moving back on an upwards trajectory. When George Ford arrived onto the pitch on Saturday and Owen Farrell moved back to 12 England started to show more. The Leicester Tiger is an individual who I would have in my side every day of the week and as a duo I remain of the belief that together they are a key partnership to helping this side to spark when they couple fresh ideas with confidence. 

Will Eddie Jones bring in a new coach specifically to add an extra element to England's attack? Who knows? If he does that may be a productive move and one that helps to accelerate the re-emergence of their confidence. Why? Well, when you're attacking with conviction and flair and delivering moves that other sides can't cope with then that breeds positive feelings. That ability in turn energises the whole group and can be the catalyst to turning around a run of this ilk. 

On Sunday morning shots will be fired, metaphorically of course, at Eddie Jones and his England outfit. The number five will be shouted from the rooftops and their current flaws discussed at length. However, I personally would urge a spot of perspective to be delivered and consideration given to the fact that no side in the world runs white hot constantly. 

England's Six Nations campaign has been a tough one for the players involved and one that they would not have envisioned ahead of their opening game. However, as long as it's build on and learnt from that's what counts. Right now, would England win Rugby World Cup 2019 in their current form? No but that doesn't mean that they're down and out or that it's time for loud calls of 'Eddie out'. 

England v Ireland - Super Saturday 2018

England’s encounter with Ireland is a fascinating one isn’t it?

The final weekend of the Six Nations Championship, England coming into it off the back of two losses, Ireland with a Grand Slam on the line and week that has been far from quiet off the field too.

Of course we could have had a straight shoot-out for a Grand Slam and what a prospect that would have been however I personally am fascinated by this encounter. The more people I have spoken to about this game, the more I’ve heard the same sentiments and the words ‘I’m just not sure I can call it’.

Now I realise that to some reading this article that sounds absurd. However, allow me to explain my perspective and why I cannot wait to watch the action unfold on Saturday afternoon.

When it comes to this match the unknowns are greater than usual, on both sides of the fence. For England the fact that Eddie Jones has decided to twist his personnel and make seven changes does bring the first element of the unknown.

Yes tried and tested partnerships are being placed into the Test arena – Richard Wigglesworth and Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and George Kruis – however  as a collective will England, in this formulation and this guise, be able to deliver off the back of two potentially confident-knocking losses?

The second unknown from an English perspective is whether or not they can fix the fundamental issues that they have been exhibiting during the past two Test matches. The breakdown being the most obvious alongside their tardy pace of adapting. With Ireland in their faces and well aware of their current ‘fragilities’ do they have the personnel and courage of convictions to lift themselves to victory at home?

From an Irish perspective the first focal point is the weight of expectation and the weight of pressure that comes with having a Grand Slam on the line.

This Irish side are an established team and a team full of players that have cut it at the highest level, be that for their clubs in the European Cup or as individuals in the British and Irish Lions. Yet, most have not shouldered the burden that comes with this particular situation – a Grand Slam opportunity. Will they thrive? Will they romp to victory like we saw England do against Ireland back in 2003 in Dublin? Or will they find it too much no matter how much they prepare not to?

In this game, more than any other during the Championship, both side’s emotional levels, and their control over them, will be pivotal. This was an area that Eddie Jones focused on during the week and openly admitted that England had got it wrong against Scotland and France.

"You don't understand what the Six Nations is until you're really in it. The emotional part of the game is enormous in the Six Nations," England’s head coach said.

"It's probably more than any other tournament I've experienced about your ability to not get over-aroused, not to be under-aroused, to be at the right arousal level. Looking back at Scotland we were probably over-aroused and sometimes it looks like lethargy and again that was my responsibility, I got it wrong.”

England are going into this game with ample pressure of their own, not when it comes to things regarding the Championship but when it comes to the criticism being levelled at them from all sides. In the space of a few short weeks it has ramped up considerably. Of course there are elements that aren’t there and their performances have exposed key weaknesses however from my perspective the intensity has been a touch severe. These periods happen in the development of sporting outfits, it’s how professional teams grow and develop. The famous class of 2003 that I just mentioned didn’t always have it all their own way, look at the path that Saracens have been on this season too as an example.

"This is going to be good for us,” said Eddie Jones, honestly, on Thursday at England’s training base in Bagshot.

"I love it. This is what we get paid for as coaches. It's the best time in rugby, when you are under the pump and you have got to produce it. And the team feels the same way.

"It is a fantastic test for us. It is the first time that we have been tested like this. It is better off happening now than later on."

Toeing the party line? Saying it for the sake of it? No. We all know that the Australian isn’t just delivering these messages because they’re the right thing to say during challenging times.  He means them and his team will too as they approach the considerable challenge that is being laid at their door this weekend.

On paper, even with the weight of a Grand Slam expectation on them, Ireland’s noses are in front. Yet, if England in this formation click and if they iron out even just 90% of their issues from their previous two games then we’re in for one hell of a ride.

Passions will run high, the odd tear or two will be shed by fans and even perhaps players either way and the competition that runs with title of ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ will live up to its name. Roll on 2.45pm.

England: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Te'o, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 James Haskell, 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Don Armand, 21 Danny Care, 22 George Ford, 23 Mike Brown.

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 James Ryan, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Dan Leavy, 8 CJ Stander. Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Jordan Larmour.

Eddie Jones on...

“To sum it up; he is no-nonsense and just gets on with it. He knows what he wants to do, he knows what the team needs to do and he is quite direct in communicating that. He expects high standards. He has been super-loyal to Dylan and to the team.”

Eddie Jones’ words as he started to discuss why England inside centre has been selected to lead the national side this weekend in the absence of Dylan Hartley. He followed them up with ‘it was an easy option for me to take because we want someone in the same mould as Dylan’. 

Of course the Saracen has captained England on a number of occasions under his head coach however not from the outset nor for a full match. On Thursday at Pennyhill Park the 26-year-old was his usual calm, measured and focused self. He worked his way around all of his broadcast interviews, sit down one-to-one interviews and the larger press conference  quietly and diligently. There’s no doubt that behind closed doors he's immensely proud about leading his country out at the Stade de France but as you’d expect in public he's taking it all in his stride and just getting on with it. There's no fanfare or show. Yes, his heart will be beating a little faster when he wakes up on Saturday morning and when the bus drives into the Stade de France and when he lines up in the tunnel ready to run out but right now it's business as usual. 

'Super-loyal to Dylan' were Eddie Jones' words and he elaborated further on their meaning a short time after. 

“Loyalty in a team sport is one of the number one qualities you want. When you get an international team who has stars in their own team [club] – all of our guys are stars for their teams – the ability of them to work together and be loyal to each other is vital. 

"Perhaps with past English teams, it has not been the case. I think we’ve got guys now who work for each other and understand that one person has a “C” next to their name and you’ve got to give them everything you’ve got.”

England’s head coach always leaves Dylan Hartley to own the latter part of the week and the build into game day. With the hooker still being in camp it's up to Dylan and Owen to will ‘work it out between them’ as to how they manage this dynamic. When it comes to the team’s development you’d expect that the back would take the lead now. Why, when Dylan is still around? Well, because if the Northampton Saint wasn’t available at any point in the future, god forbid due to a more serious injury, then the team would need to know how to function - fully - without his voice, his presence and his leadership there. 

One other point that England’s head coach made about his captain this week is that when it came to ‘that’ incident in the tunnel in Scotland he believe that his back simply ‘did what was right for the team’. He concluded that it was his expectation that his players do what is right for the team and left it there. My perspective on that incident, is that it was one of those things that was blown out of proportion. At the end of the day words are set and tempers flair... it happens!

When it comes to Le Crunch itself, England’s head coach has tasked his side with being ‘brutal and aggressive on the gain line' and playing with great 'tactical discipline’. In short having the physical intensity that you need to counter France whilst showing the agility and smarts to adapt on the hoof. Both are areas that I expect to see from his men early on at the Stade de France. I'm fascinated to see England's back-three combine and clicking quickly as a trio will be key for them. Whilst in the midfield Ben Te'o has been charged with letting Mathieu Bastareaud know that he's there and shutting him down:

“He [Bastareaud] is a bit of an icon player for them. Read all the press: he’s been built up as the guy who’s going to regenerate French rugby. So it’s important that, early in the game, we let him know he’s going to have a tough day in the office. The other key position for any French team is the 9 – he’s been playing in a dinner suit. We want to put a bit of heat on him.

Turning the spotlight from Mathieu Bastareaud to France as a whole then Eddie Jones has always believed that they had the potential to come good in this competition. Indeed he highlighted that at the tournament launch and so far in this competition they haven't surprised him. 

“No, as I said at the start of the tournament I always thought they would be a much better team. They have an experienced coach in place who knows what international rugby is about, who knows how to select well and he’s a disciplined coach and they’re starting to play like that so it hasn’t surprised me at all.”

Finally he had a word on his counter-part Jacques Brunel and the longevity that he has shown in world rugby. 

“Anyone who can last the distance, go 15 rounds against Muhammad Ali… if you coach professionally for 20 years you are doing a lot of things right. He’s a good selector, he’s got a certain style of play, always picks big physical teams, they always play like that and if they’re good enough they win.”