Rob Gordon

Roar Rookie

Joined September 2014

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“As the man said, for every complex problem there’s a simple solution, and it’s wrong.” - Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum.

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I think England’s biggest issue is that the rugby community has a form of group-think that comes from a basics first approach. SLs management typifies this. Commentators, supporters and coaches value players who play high percentage rugby to a very good standard, and seem to put this as the ultimate criteria for selection. You can hear symptoms of it in the way Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison get incredibly excited when England players perform basic functions in the game to a good standard. (A big hit, a good clear out, a hard run into contact)

There is nothing wrong with that per se, it’s just that I think in other countries, especially SH, the list of basic functions is much longer. A good example being that the ability to offload in the tackle is a core capability of a loose forward in the modern game. I honestly cant remember or find any examples of Robshaw offloading in an England shirt. There are a few for Quins, but this ‘highlights’ video speaks volumes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Qv53_V3yg Constantly taking it into contact without even thinking about an offload when he has options. The praise he gets in the English press, and the MOMs tells you what is valued most highly.

We keep hearing England are trying to develop a more expansive style of rugby, but none of the players shows the ability to improvise under pressure. If players use improvisational skills on a regular basis, they recognise the opportunities to use them in the split second they have to make a decision. SL keeps selecting players based on his philosophy of basics, but that’s just not going to cut it at international level against the top teams who all do the simple stuff equally well.

SL has stated in the past that he wanted to build around ‘core’ values, and then add the more expansive stuff later.I think the basic stuff and the improvising and creative play have to develop alongside each other, not sequentially. England are now reaping the consequences of that staggered approach. You can’t just play one way for 3 years, and then 1 year out from the world cup add in the bits of skill that create opportunities. The SH teams seem to do it the other way, playing expansive attacking rugby up till the WC year, and then reigning things in when it comes to the crunch games, (but still with the ability to use a bit of improvisation when needed) The RFU probably felt they had to follow the SL approach because of the state the team was in when he took over, but again, that’s just another example of limited long term vision.

Lancaster said after the game “You cannot fault the players for honesty, but we needed to be smarter.” Unfortunately all he has asked for from his players up to this point has been honesty, and not intelligence.

Don't be decieved by the scoreline, England are in trouble

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Rugby

2014