The England caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster is convinced as he rebuilds for the Six Nations that the side can become the world's leading rugby nation despite the World Cup debacle
On the surface England's new era is not easy to distinguish from the old one. Stuart Lancaster has yet to preside over a senior Test fixture but already he can relate to what his predecessor Martin Johnson went through. The combination of Danny Care's second drink-related arrest in three weeks and worryingly timed injuries to potential key men such as Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes is hardly a recipe for pre?Six Nations managerial nirvana.
Care's latest error of judgment, even so, may just have done Lancaster an unintended favour. By excluding the Harlequins scrum-half from national service until May at the earliest, the caretaker has delivered the starkest of messages to the rest of the squad. Not only is the scenery shifting, with this month's training camp to be held at West Park RFC just outside Leeds rather than the Algarve, but mindless irresponsibility by cast members is to be outlawed, too. The players are not heading to Yorkshire for the quality of the local real ale.
Lancaster did not specifically promise a dusk curfew ? "You don't want to make it a prison-camp mentality" ? but he hardly needed to spell out the new back?to?basics reality. The image of English rugby's elite players, by his own admission, urgently needs improving after a series of unfortunate events that would have embarrassed even Lemony Snicket. Among other initiatives he has asked Dave Brailsford and Hugh Morris, who have presided over the rise of British cycling and English cricket respectively, to address the squad later this month. The players will also be lectured on representing their country by Jamie Peacock, the national rugby league captain, as well as a senior member of the armed forces.
The hope is also that England, by mingling with grassroots folk at a club eight levels down the elite national pyramid, will be shaken out of the complacent behaviour that, to judge from the leaked post-World Cup reviews and the off-field misadventures of certain individuals, had begun to take root. Already Lancaster has met some of the older members of England's ill-fated World Cup crew and informed them their services will not be required for the Six Nations. There could be as many as 17 changes in personnel when he unveils his 32-man senior squad next Wednesday; barely a third of the squad named by Johnson 12 months ago are likely to survive.
For players such as Nick Easter, Mike Tindall and Mark Cueto this is gloomy news. All three have privately been informed their services will not be required during the Six Nations, although Lancaster, who flew to Toulon earlier this week to canvas the views of Jonny Wilkinson and Simon Shaw, has made it clear the door will remain open thereafter if their form justifies it.
By the time England tour South Africa in June there could also be a different coaching team in place, with different ideas. In truth, though, this is not the time to be a thirtysomething struggling to cling on until the 2015 World Cup.
There will be exceptions, notably Stade Fran�ais's Tom Palmer and Leicester's Louis Deacon, but opportunity, at long last, is about to knock for the next generation. Saracens' Owen Farrell will be named in the senior squad next month and England also now have a potential new No8 in the form of the Scarlets' Ben Morgan. The latter, 22 and born in Bristol, has opted to throw in his international lot with England rather than Wales, for whom he was about to qualify via residency. If he does not make the senior squad immediately, he is set to do so sooner rather than later.
Tuilagi is sidelined by hamstring trouble for between four and six weeks, Deacon is likely to miss up to four months with a similar problem and Courtney Lawes is also in doubt for the Scotland game with an injured knee, but Lancaster has indicated they will all still be named in the elite squad, with players promoted from the shadow Saxons squad where necessary. Care's sudden departure from the scene pretty much confirms Ben Youngs and Joe Simpson as England's two leading No9s for the Six Nations but Northampton's Lee Dickson must now be a contender if he comes through Friday night's Premiership game against Harlequins successfully.
Bath's Dave Attwood and Gloucester's Henry Trinder should also now be strong contenders as Lancaster begins the process of remoulding a squad capable not only of retaining England's Six Nations crown but restoring the faith of a jaundiced public. "You have a set of rules you can fall back on but you also have a set of behaviours driven by the environment you're in," Lancaster said. "We want England players to be responsible, professional and have a good attitude. They are adults and are free to make their own decisions but it has to be in the context of being an international rugby player.
"I think there is a perception out there [about English rugby players]. I know the players well enough to know they won't enjoy that perception. They want to help redress it. We'll be doing some community work while we're there and some work with local coaches. We want to make sure that the people at grassroots level can associate with the national team and be proud of it. That's a big part of the reason why we're staying in this country."
Rowntree, the sole survivor from Johnson's World Cup coaching team, was also at pains to stress that England are intent on looking forward rather than backwards. A brief collective World Cup debrief will take place this month but only, in Rowntree's words, "to wipe the slate clean". The rancour and finger-pointing will then be consigned to history.
Lancaster clearly believes the future can be bright if everyone buys into his clear-eyed vision. "Our aim has to be to be No1 in the world by 2015," he said, matter-of-factly. As he is only currently contracted to guide the national team for five games this may seem a slightly ambitious caretaker mission statement but the Cumbrian knows there could yet be longer-term prospects if the next couple of months go swimmingly.
Having represented Scotland at Under-19 and Under-21 level courtesy of his Scottish mother, he also knows a fair amount about the passion required to win Calcutta Cup contests. "I understand the psychology of the Scotland dressing room. I don't think you need to worry about our mindset going into that game."
If his players can be persuaded to kick the booze into touch and concentrate on their rugby, Lancaster clearly believes his red rose charges will swiftly bloom again.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/04/stuart-lancaster-england
No comments:
Post a Comment