Leadership the key to an England revival

Mar 12 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

WALES, having retained the Triple Crown after beating Ireland at Croke Park, have the chance to take the Grand Slam if they can beat France at the Millenium Stadium on Saturday.

It is a situation that has probably left Caldy head coach Tony Atherton wishing he had put his mortgage on his pre-Six Nations prediction.

While other coaches’ pre-tournament favourites have fallen by the wayside, the man from Caldy ploughs ahead.

Atherton said: “I did not really see the England game as we were playing but for me it’s quite simple, leadership!

“Both England and Wales have quality players but in Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards they have true leaders.

“In Edwards’ case, England’s loss has certainly been Wales’ gain. They were together at Wasps, did a fantastic job and now they are doing the same for Wales.

“Gatland chose Edwards and I do not see how you can appoint a head coach and not allow him to appoint his own back up team. It is a recipe for conflict right from the start. Wales for once have got it right.”

Chris Chudleigh, head coach at West Park who also missed the game, agreed.

“England have no cohesion; winning away in Paris, then losing to a very mediocre Scotland it just does not add up,” he said.

“There is obviously something wrong in the coaching set up as there seems to be no strategy nor leadership on the field.”

However looking forward to the Wales v France game on Saturday he added: “I hope Wales can do it. For me they have played the best rugby and deserve to win on that basis alone.”

At Murrayfield, Scotland were poor, England were just plain dreadful. Brian Ashton is under threat and defeat against Ireland could see him deposed at least as head coach. South African World Cup-winning coach Jake White is already tipped to take over.

But before anyone starts pointing the finger at Ashton, and he was right to discipline Danny Cipriani, games are won and lost up front and after Saturday’s performance, whether or not Ashton is given the boot, is it not time that forwards coaches John Wells and Graham Rowntree were pensioned off?

And all Rob Andrew has had to say in recent weeks is that he sees no place for Shaun Edwards in the England coaching set up. How that comment has rebounded on him! As director of elite rugby he should be visibly supporting his coaching staff, and Ashton in particular.

When and if heads roll rest assured Andrew’s will not be one of them.

No, the failure of England cannot just be heaped on Ashton’s shoulders alone, others are equally culpable!

That’s a viewpoint shared by LSH director of rugby Paul Woodward.

“When Clive Woodward was head coach he was in total charge and appointed everyone , even the bag man,” he said. “Ashton has had no such freedom and has been tied down by previous appointments and the fact that he is in effect only on a year by year contract.

“He is in an impossible position and will probably be ‘hung out to dry’ by the blazers at Twickenham. Unless the set up is changed, if I were Jake White I wouldn’t touch the job with a bargepole.”