Manu Tuilagi's offensive ability isn't really questioned, but he's also part of a pathetic defensive squad. Photo: CameraSport/Bob Bradford
So England lost to Fiji for the first time in their history on Saturday at Twickenham. As if that wasn't enough, they missed three more attempts, and in a manner that shows the kind of sloppiness you don't accept in a junior team, let alone a national team that's been around for about 10 weeks and has gone through the previous three prep stages. games.
After the match, England manager Steve Borthwick said he was in the split teams that failed, but this England team was not one of them. George Ford stressed that the England players were trying to bring the leadership's vision to the pitch. He also attached great importance to the unity within the team. There remains one question lurking under the surface that neither Borthwick nor Ford mentioned, but which is obvious to outsiders: where is the fairness and accountability between players, and between players, management and coaches? This is part of a team sport, especially in teams that claim to be solid.
I remember one of the «clean air» sessions we had after losing the Scottish Grand Slam in 1990. Savage didn't even come close. There were two chairs standing back to back. One stood facing the wall, and the other faced the semicircle where the squad sat. Each player took turns sitting facing the wall, and then the squad members took turns sitting on the other chair and told you whatever they wanted, and you weren't allowed to answer. It's damn inconvenient, and a lot of domestic truths have been said.
I hated the experience, especially because most of the comments contained elements of truth, but when I left the session, I had reason to reflect on the comments. If you are a professional and it has nothing to do with whether you get paid, you should be honest enough to accept criticism, even if it is not constructive, although deep down you know that you deserve it. Then you will have to make a decision and do your best to never again be in a position where such criticism can be voiced again.
England have the most experienced World Cup team in history. Many of the players have long been colleagues and friends. This closeness should then make it possible to make the sharpest observations without fear of quarreling with each other. This is a feature of truly cohesive units; they are not afraid to say what needs to be said.
I'm not talking about scolding a player for dropping an extra ball, especially in difficult conditions like last Saturday. I'm talking about mistakes like the farcical defense of Vinaya Habosi's attempt. Three defenders decided to defend on the short side, leaving no one to cover the open side of the break. Haboshi was the only player on the short side and was allowed to simply retrieve the ball from the back of the ruck and run past all three defenders.
England's defensive line was not very visible when Vinay Habosi fled in his attempt. Photo: GETTY IMAGES/Clive Mason Likewise, who decided not to jump into the Fijian lineout when England were eight points behind and only two minutes left on the clock? Which player then converted the penalty, aggravating error after error.
These are such elementary mistakes that most junior clubs will not accept them. When it comes to England's most experienced team ever, this is unforgivable. Not only should defensive coach Kevin Sinfield be critical of this, but the players themselves should punish those responsible. I know that modern sports psychology focuses on the positive, but there are times when harsh words are appropriate.
The present plight of England is so bad that if they do not change the situation in France, even Borthwick's position will be in jeopardy. If we could see gradual and confident steps towards creating a decent team, this would not be a problem. When we see that England is indeed regressing under the present regime, these kinds of questions need to be asked.
I've said this many times before, but I firmly believe that the England management team should either have a manager from the southern hemisphere or someone with significant southern hemisphere coaching experience. A view from the traditionally strongest region in world rugby will not only provide a different point of view; it can also challenge the status quo. The Roses of England are lucky enough to have John Mitchell on hand to knock on the door if there is an explosion in England in the next two months.
What England needs right now is brutal honesty and maturity. It's time for less fist shaking, high fives, and more finger pointing, even if it's figurative and private.
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