Steve Borthwick may unintentionally benefit from the civil war brewing at the RFU. This is because financial and management turmoil is impacting the culture of hiring and firing in professional rugby.
England’s manager has been under intense scrutiny and pressure after a year of severe underachievement, with just five wins from 12 Tests. Autumn home defeats against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa led to speculation about a possible regime change, but it is now happening within the governing body rather than the national management team.
In theory, there would be formal performance reviews early in the new year, but union boards and councils are too busy with toxic infighting to spend much time on such confusing issues. And even if England stumble in their ‘Le Crunch’ game away to Ireland and France at Twickenham at the start of the Six Nations, the RFU could be hurtling towards a massive SGM and be gripped by internal collapse and external unrest .
Honestly, how big of a deal is it to lose a test when the entire structure of the game is falling apart? Maybe that’s what saved Warren Gatland for now. The New Zealander, who has done so much for Wales over the years, could do nothing but watch helplessly as they suffered a record 12 international defeats for Wales this year. There have been many lows for Wales before, but their current predicament is certainly the biggest one.
Abi Tierney, chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, who decided to spare Gatland, said last week: ‘Like any other manager in any sport, he knows that the security of his position is directly linked to the performance of his team.’ The facts suggest otherwise.
Like the RFU, the WRU are too busy squeezing in on other fronts to deal with the awkward problem of rushing to find a new coaching staff. Rugby secretary-general Nigel Walker has resigned. It is difficult to keep track of how many apologies have been issued in Cardiff following serious revelations of institutionalized sexism. The region is bankrupt and sick, and public interest in it is rapidly diminishing. Therefore, now is not the time for high-profile dismissals ‘by mutual consent’.
Steve Borthwick may have unintentionally benefited from the civil war brewing in the RFU.
Wales performed poorly, but manager Warren Gatland managed to keep his job.
So they agreed, no doubt, to create more trouble. Wales begin the Six Nations against France in Paris on Friday 31 January. It comes with trials under the floodlights and 13 Test defeats in a row. What is that cutoff point?
Perhaps Gatland also survived because of the cost of paying him back. Test coaches in his position are paid handsome sums and their contract notice periods are often 12 months. But the WRU are stuck in a financial black hole, so paying up, say, £600,000 is a golden farewell they can hardly afford.
While some underperforming coaches are too costly to throw away, there are also a few examples where patience is richly rewarded. Let’s take Pat Lam as an example. His position at Bristol was considered in jeopardy just a year ago as the Bears had lost five straight Premiership games. But he continued his work and the West Country club are now riding high after handing Leicester a point with a half-century to strengthen their title charge.
There is no standard formula. The Tigers acted decisively to oust Dan McKellar after just one season. Graham Rowntree was rushed out of Munster and Toby Booth endured a similar fate at the Ospreys. George Skivington initially struggled at Gloucester but survived and is on track after a tactical review. Phil Dowson took his time settling in at Northampton and then won the league. Now the heat is turning on others, such as Rob Baxter, despite possessing one of the best resumes in English rugby.
Joe Schmidt has once again shown his genius by reviving the Wallabies against all odds, but he doesn’t quite fit into the supercoach category. Rassie Erasmus is definitely that guy, but he’s not Eddie Jones these days. Not Gatland. Not Borthwick. There are very few untouchables there.
The next few months will be an interesting period for the rugby hiring and firing circus. Gatland has very little to do. The WRU will find out that miracle workers are in short supply, even if any kind of renewal would make some difference.
Borthwick are unable to defend with limited resources, so if the RFU sort out the in-fighting in a hurry (don’t hold your breath), they could be back at 4 out of 5 in the next Six. The country shows that the poor post-2024 regime is working. If England lose in Dublin on February 1, the manager may have reason to distract his still-remaining employers by saying a private prayer that the SGM is approaching. I should be in the office by then.
If the RFU sort out their in-fighting, Borthwick could be under more pressure to deliver results.
Fay-Waboso’s injury is an unwelcome setback for England
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s shoulder injury scare is another potential back three setback for England following news that George Furbank could miss the start of the Six Nations.
The Exeter wing awaits a medical update on Henry Arundell’s injured shoulder, days after it was revealed he was heading home to join Bath from Racing 92 at the end of the season. He was a rookie flyer who looked destined to take the world by storm before he had to find a new club in a hurry when London Irish went bankrupt and ended up in Paris, making Test selection impossible.
His plan to move west is a shrewd plan that could reignite his momentum in a lethal Bath backline anchored by Ben Spencer and Finn Russell. If a deal is confirmed in the coming weeks, perhaps there could be justification for allowing the Six Nations to select Arundell.
This may seem like a common sense choice, but it is unlikely. If he remains off-limits and Feyi-Waboso is ruled out, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Roebuck will compete for a spot on the wing. At least there are options, unlike outside centers where new competitors are lacking.
Emmanuel Pay-Waboso’s shoulder injury is another potential setback for England’s back three
Mack Hansen Makes Feelings Known
Mack Hansen put the cat among the pigeons with his post-match rant about refereeing in Dublin after his Connacht team lost 20-12 against Leinster. Essentially, it was a heartfelt lament about how perceived little aspects always seem to get worse. ‘That’s nonsense***,’ Hansen said after posing the question to his manager, Pete Wilkins. ‘We never answer the phone. I feel it needs to be talked about.’
Of course, his angry outbursts will get him into trouble. It’s taboo to publicly criticize public officials, but let’s be honest: Hansen’s comments should prompt some careful analysis. Because, frankly, Hansen’s argument makes sense.
At the last World Cup, Samoa coach Sailala Mapusua spoke of ‘unconscious bias’ among referees after his side failed to secure a famous win over England. He also had a point.
Steve Diamond touched on the same topic after his Newcastle team lost at home to Bath on Saturday, saying: ‘If you’re top of the league you’re going to struggle.’
Again, it’s a valid observation, even if it’s frowned upon. Certain teams appear to benefit more than their fair share from close calls. Leinster fall into that category and the All Blacks have often been able to evade justice by wearing an invisibility cloak. Even if the authorities throw the book at Hansen, I hope they will personally listen to Hansen’s concerns and study the issue.
Mack Hansen has revealed his feelings about known officials following Connacht’s loss to Leinster.
Newcastle Falcons manager Steve Diamond has hinted officials are biased in favor of the stronger team.
Ealing success is good for struggling players in the Premiership
There was a great result in the Premiership in Coventry on Saturday. That’s because the hosts lost to visitors Ealing Trailfinders in a top-tier Championship clash. There’s a long way to go, but this win puts the west London club back in the box for the second division title. This ultimately means that underperformers in the top divisions are more likely to escape the specter of relegation for another season.
In principle, Ealing’s players have been told that the club are planning to apply for promotion rights, but in reality there are suspicions that they will be content to stay where they are, with the club yet to officially declare their intentions. Coventry have announced a bid to bring better infrastructure to Butts Park Arena while also providing better support, as evidenced by the attendance of 4,500 on Saturday. But they don’t have a better squad. This is Ealing’s trump card.
So the best teams probably won’t be promoted and the best clubs who could logically make the jump – Coventry and Doncaster – probably won’t win the league. We expect the status quo to remain. How cozy and convenient. There has not been an orthodox relegation in the Premier League since 2019 (as opposed to the disciplinary relegation for Saracens). The safety net remains intact. Those who value the concept of a true meritocracy will find something else to follow.
Last words…
Sir Bill Beaumont’s willingness to jump into the fray and unite the warring factions within the RFU and English rugby is admirable. He only had a month off after eight years as World Rugby president. At age 72, it would have made sense to quietly fade into the background to enjoy more leisure time and casual watching of the game as a spectator.
But his ideal legacy in agreeing to take on the interim presidency of a union in disarray is to force those within the insidious and messy governing body to recognize the dire need to overhaul personnel and conduct. Beaumont must consciously lead the quest to build a younger, progressive hierarchy and ensure that bold declarations of transparency actually mean something. So far it’s all been empty talk.
Sir Bill Beaumont’s decision to enter the fray within the RFU and English rugby is admirable.
The RFU has become a place where power deceives, diverts and hides. That is not the way a governing body should act. sufficient. It has to change. Beaumont shouldn’t be in place for long. Because if he really has a profound impact, the best result will be rapid and decisive change. Anything less and the union would remain completely inadequate for its purpose and undeserving of the truth.
Frankly, it’s better to demolish an entire unwieldy building and start from scratch than to paper over a few rough edges and cracks. It is time to become a modern, dynamic sporting organization that operates in the light rather than a bureaucratic mess lurking in the shadows.
