Lancaster resigns after Rugby World Cup flop

Ah, Eddie Jones... not yet started coaching his current team, and interested in another role... that bloke seeminly has zero principles... I can't stand him.

Matt As a humble kiwi, all I can suggest is don't worry mate.....as an AB supporter, I had to experience 5 different coaches in the space of 20years and 5 RWC campaigns starting from Wyllie/Hart in '91, Mains in '95, Hart in '99, Mitchell/Deans in '03 and finally Henry, Hansen & Smith in '07. If England are suffering some pain, then just try another 4 coaches over the next 16years before finally, coming to some sense and deciding to go with, "the devil you know rather than, the devil you don't..." It was a bloody tough period to be an AB supporter but, I'm sure you're well aware. It worked tho', didn't it?? Btw, maybe that's why the RFU announced their search will be for someone with significant international experience, so that your proposed candidate, doesn't even make 1st base let alone, get past it. That's one lesson that politics always provides - diminish the option base to leave your choice as front-runner meaning, there's only one way to complete this task - and that's, my way!!!

When did 'lessons learnt' become 'learnings made'?

They're welcome to the Dick Graham and MOC double act.

Must have been bad, any hints as to the content?

Yes please - that'd solve NZ's succession problem.

As a humle Kiwi I don't have much skin in English rugby, but I'd be having a chat with Rob Baxter if it was me. He's built and amazing squad and culture at Exeter over the past few years with a blend of journeymen and great young talent. He'd be perfect to do the same with the current England team and usher through a new era, bringing on board many of the talented youngsters that won back to back World Cups at U20 level. The likes of Luke Cowan Dickie, Henry Slade and Jack Nowell have all grown immensely getting game time and amazing skill development at Exeter. The only thing holding Baxter back is a lack of international experience. Although that hasn't hurt Vern Cotter, Michael Cheika or Joe Scmidt. Give him a two year deal and let him loose on rejuvinating the team and building on Lancasters excellent work around overhauling the team culture and playing for the jersey and fans. Going to the future with any of those old dogs just seems short sighted. I think they picked a great man in Lancaster and feel that he'd have taken the team forward having failed in 2015. Similar to the learnings that Henry and Co made after 2007.

Lancaster observation: Gents, whether forced, pushed or reigned Lancaster’s tenure at the top considering the wealth of talent within the English system was very ordinary. According to what been written, he is a very approachable person who perhaps struggled with his image and tried hard to appease the media. But in the world of professional sport, nice guys are seldom winners. Watching the English style of play they were missing exciting backs with flair, a tactical kicker and a planned strategy for each team in their pool. For some reason Lancaster calculated that a solid pack would dominate the set piece but they played a 90’s style of game up and down the center, releasing slow ball with no impact players like Pocock. Kept introducing new potential candidates in key positions, never utilized the international experience like other teams. Example OZ average about 42? caps per match Eng low 20’s. Then used some intellectual malaise and played Sam Burgess at 2nd when he played flanker for Bath I believe. This showed his shortsightedness and lack of experience at the international level. Further, when this so call dominant scum was quotidian against Fiji & Wales, he and his team never recognized that the OZ scum had been transformed. Although I enjoyed the match, England appeared dysfunctional at important moments, unable to challenge the desire and assertion displayed by the antipodeans. If journalistic license is correct the gent no-long has player respect or public support, he is soiled goods.

1. scw to date remains the only english coach to have won a rwc!! 2. imo he has a legitimate grouse. just imagine how sgh would feel if he was asked to apply for ceo of nz rugby and then someone else much junior and also an under-achiever was appointed??? one reason for the sucess of nz rugby is the processes. they do not undermine people who have proven at the highest level. also in case u did not know , this is not just reserved for scw. jake white and nick mallett have also been treated the same. in fact nick mallett was to be the coach and wayne foster his assistant only for the position to be given to martin jhonson for the previous world cup. then jake white was asked to apply for the coach position only for lancaster to be appointed. the point is, comparing the cvs of the applicants and the final appointees, its like chalk and cheese!!! why would u humilliate respected and established people???

Clive Woodward is the equivalent of one of those ex-Prime Ministers who just won't go away. He hasn't coached at the top level for ten years and his last piece of work (the 2005 Lions tour) was about as disastrous as England's World Cup campaign. He definitely has an axe to grind with the RFU who he's continually blamed for England's poor performances in 2004 (when he resigned after a horrible two-test tour of New Zealand). The fact is the English Premiership is not exactly pumping out world-class coaches and the RFU have got to find a coach in the next few months, they can't wait for their domestic competition to throw up a suitable candidate -- they may be waiting for a long time.

read this about english coaches and the adminstration. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3314381/SIR-CLIVE-WOODWARD-don-t-foreign-replace-Stuart-Lancaster.html of course sir clive does have an axe to grind. according to reports , he was made to apply for - i mean apply on paper - the director rugby post 3 times - 3 times - and was overlooked all 3 times!!! the most demeaning for him may be not just applying for the post but it being given to rob andrew, who has done nothing in the coaching field, let alone in administration.

yes but after the rwc . also the welsh have gone public saying there are things u cant put a price on - meaning no amount of money will make them release gatland. of course everyone has a price ; and a price when u will not say no :) the issue with england is that the coaching team got 6 year contracts before the event, i think same happened with robbie deans and auzzy. then they got dumped from their own party.

Interesting suggestion. I'd suggest Bernie might want to stick around at the Brumbies and get a couple more years of success under the belt before looking for national head coach gigs but England could certainly do a lot worse. I think it would be a big plus for them to find a coach who who is going to shake things up a bit and who is (a) respected, (b) focused on promoting a skillful, running game and (c) not aligned with any particular faction in England.

yes RFU is the richest in the world for that game. still they bought a dud (actually duds). there was a comment from Mike Hussey a while back that went viral - " If u pay peanuts u only get monkeys!" however it is ironic that rfu pay the bling-bling and still get monkeys :)

John Kirwan is still looking for a gig, last I heard.

very much doubt a nz coach would take it. i think wayne smith was approached and dropped some time back. gatland has said he is hapy with wales and wales have said there are some things that cannot be priced. jake white and sir clive woodward both declined at the initial stage - when england got knocked out - stating they dont trust the system. eddie jones went on record saying himself as coach and woodward as director would be a drream team. He wrote for Dailymail after England’s exit saying: ‘If England approached me, would I listen to them? Of course I would. It’s not the sort of job I’ll go out chasing, but I’d certainly chat to them if they thought I was the right man for the role.’ the name of dave rennie of waikato chiefs has come into the picture with nick mallet and irish coach. there was an interesting and very appropriate comment from sir clive regarding the coach. writing to daily mail he said " if you want the best coach around , there is no interview process. you just go and get him and give him what he wants." guess that is what auzzy did.

An immutable prerequisite, before any coaching appointment can even be considered, is the board of the RFU need to decide what they want to achieve and how they want to achieve it. This includes of course the style of rugby the RFU want England to play.What is the English brand of rugby brand supposed to look like. Is it possible to implement a holistic approach that involves all major clubs.Simply saying 'we want to win at any cost' doesn't make the cut. Once all this is sorted, England can start looking for a coach who can seamlessly adapt to its needs, rather than England having to tailor a game to a coach. England should consider having a chat to Stephen Larkham.

I think Richie should also lose his job. And so should Lancaster's assistants. What have Rowntree, Catt and Farrell done to deserve keeping their jobs? England's set piece was average (scrums in particular). Their maul isn't winning them matches anymore, and Farrell was involved in what are the most perplexing midfield selection decisions I've seen. How many midfield combinations did Farrell and Lancaster try out over the last 2.5 years? Burgess's selection was just another example of what was very muddled thinking around the 12 & 13 positions. There aren't exactly any English coaches lighting the world on fire internationally so it'll be interesting to see who they appoint. May be looking at all four Home Union sides being coached by people outside of the UK and Ireland. That should scare European rugby fans as much as the all Southern Hemisphere semi-finals.

Warren Gatland is contracted 'til the end of the 2019 RWC so practically the same thing. And his back room staff - Edwards, Howley, McBryde etc., some of whom have been there over 10 years - have recently all been re-signed as well.

Was there any other coach in the world contracted through until 2020?!? That was an extraordinary show of faith... or something.