Clive Woodward’s recent statement beggars belief: “it is an own goal that has handed the Lions a trump card and just emphasises again how modern coaching – aligned with this obsession with `team ethic’ – has sidelined the more maverick characters.”
He should read his own book Winning, and reconsider his objection to a “team ethic” being at the core of a successful team.
Clive, start with page 263. You claim that the turning point in building the English squad to win the 2003 World Cup came at the beginning of 2000 when you saw the wisdom of the Royal Marines advice that you needed “energisers” and couldn’t even afford one “energy sapper”.
When Quade Cooper made his “toxic” statement last year, he was being true to himself.
He was one of the toxic “energy sapping” elements in the Wallabies squad. He had plenty of support from similarly “energy sapping”, “negative” rugby followers in Australia.
For years the Wallabies and Robbie Deans have been subjected to a tirade of criticism from the press and so-called knowledgeable rugby fans on sites such as this.
Even when the Wallabies were reduced by injury to a combination of second and third level players last season, the criticism didn’t let up.
Woodward knows what that feels like, as he led a second string English team on what he calls “The Tour from Hell” and a 76-nil loss to the Wallabies in 1998.
What Deans and the third string Wallabies achieved in the last three games of last year’s Four Nations was proof that a team can succeed when there are no “negative” players left in the squad and they are playing for themselves and each other.
They certainly weren’t playing for the Australian public or media who had written them off and were only waiting for another opportunity to dump on them.
Hopefully the positive culture, the “team ethic” that Clive scorns, remained at the end of the season and has been adopted by each of the Wallabies who returned from injury this season.
If this squad has bought into this positive “team ethic” we should see some exciting rugby in the near future.
Archer
Guest
lol compared to what's been going on re Quade Cooper and Carlos Spencer I'm an amatuer. But how is temprament suitable in a life or death combat situation even remotely similar to a rugby game. Do we really expect the Wallabies to win or come back home on their shields.
johnson
Guest
sorry bull, that is a not so brilliant point you have made. He wasn't fit, then he spends another week in camp then he is. Maybe he just wasn't fit and then with another weeks training he was. If that's your best argument to make out deans floors, then sorry pal, I don't think you have much
goldenbull
Guest
Ok Johnson and in this case you know what Im talking about, so Deans doesnt select Cooper for belidisloe 1 saying he isnt match fit then after cooper doesnt play any more rugby he gets selected for game 2 at the same ground in NZ, face it Deans is a clown and will be gone soon!
Hurl
Guest
All he needs now is a laptop
handles
Guest
Equal amount of errors? Christ, you guys never cease to amaze. He missed touch once, and he didn't get a runner for a simple wrap that he called, once. He handled the ball more than any player on the field, and he ran for further than any Red except Luke Morahan.
s.t.rine
Guest
Yes, but Woodward received a Knighthood...........so he MUST be brilliant, right? S T
AdamS
Roar Guru
One day he will write a book and we will find out the inside story. It won't be a big book, probably have a lot of pictures and not too many big words. Maybe some of the pictures will pop up! But we will find out. And it will rush off bookshelves because Quade sells...
johnson
Guest
Goldenbull, your dead on the money, a successful and competent coach does: 1) not select a player for one game; and then 2) select that player for a later game. Once a player is not selected for the wallabies under no circumstances is that player ever to be selected again for their country. I am glad you pointed out that vital point for the rest of us roarers.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
That's some superbly imaginative revisionism going on right there!
goldenbull
Guest
he had the bottle to drop quade in the first place then select him again after bledisloe 1 in brisbane, what a fail! the coach is a fail!
Archer
Guest
good article? Woodward's 2003 WC team managed to win in the second period of extra time against an Australian team coached by Eddie Jones! A team which had just lost its best scrummaging forward to injury and also played without an injured Larkham at 10. Maybe Woodward wasn't all that accurate in picking the right combo ;) I don't recall that team of his doing much after their WC win. Woodward's ideas didn't seem to work well for his Lions side. But I guess it all sells books.
johnson
Guest
you do seem to have a little issue with deans not selecting quade, my evidence for this is your many previous posts beneath many other articles. I also don't know if Deans behaviour could be described as " hedging and lying " or "a slinking coward". Firstly he had the bottle to drop quade in the first place, even though many people are losing their minds over it. He has copped so much flack but he has stuck to his guns, cowardly? I don't think so. Secondly he said if injuries happen he might take him back. That seems pretty reasonable. I don't know if that's " hedging and lying ". It would seem a touch irrational to say that. "damaging the career of another Australian coach", you mean Ewan Mckensie yeah? I would love to hear the reasoning behind this, that would be so enlightening and maybe a bit amusing.
Barney
Guest
To qc::Go quade the haters will contunue 2 hate & give wateva reasons .ur time at the top will come ,sooner rather then later . U have heaps&heaps of admirers from professional rugby players & great retired players & coaches of all eras & more importantly us fans . just continue to av patience &bite ur tongue when i know u really want to scream ...
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Post of the day mania :)
jutsie
Guest
lol so dramatic.
Red Kev
Guest
The issue I have mania is that Deans didn't drop him - he keeps hedging and lying and saying Quade has a chance to come back. I'd have far more respect for him if he said "that guy won't play for me, I won't have him". Instead he is stopping the guy's career and damaging the career of another Australian coach in an underhanded and disgraceful manner. He's a slinking coward. People (Deans cheerleaders) make a big deal about Deans being a south island country man and honour and integrity and all that bollocks - he can't even navigate a sentence clearly.
krill
Guest
you want to see sapped, I was looking at some old crusaders games, when dingo was top dog. They look sapped. I can't believe the stupid ARU ever gave him a go. Blind Freddy could see he could not coach.
johnson
Guest
great article!!
johnson
Guest
Maybe quade was presented with his flaws and didn't want to hear it. I think he was told of his flaws and if he didn't fix them he would not be playing in the wallabies this year as first choice fly half. I think that's why he tweeted what he did, he was having a paddy. Of course I have absolutely no proof of this or no evidence at all!!!!
johnson
Guest
Rocks and diamonds. He is a great player just not a great test player yet