Likeable Lancaster facing England axe after World Cup exit
Stuart Lancaster’s time as England coach may well be judged a success except in the one area that counts more than other in professional sport — results.
England’s 33-13 defeat by Australia at Twickenham on Saturday saw them become the first host nation to exit a World Cup before the knockout stage following their agonising 28-25 ‘Pool of Death’ loss to Wales at ‘headquarters’ last week.
Lancaster was appointed after England’s embarrassing exit from the 2011 World Cup when a side managed by Martin Johnson their victorious captain at the 2003 World Cup, crashed out in the quarter-finals with a 19-12 loss to France and alienated fans with a series of embarrassing off-field incidents more in keeping with spoilt schoolboys rather than elite athletes.
Enter former teacher Lancaster, with heartfelt and sincere talk about “values” and reconnecting with English rugby’s grassroots.
But right from the moment he was appointed, the question of whether Lancaster had the tactical experience required for the England job loomed large.
After all, he had never coached one of England’s leading clubs nor gained signficant experience abroad.
He had though come up through the Rugby Football Union’s own system and was coach of the reserve England Saxons when he was promoted to the top job, first on an acting then permanent basis.
A runners-up’ finish in his first Six Nations in charge was seen as an encouraging sign of progress, as was a stunning 38-21 win over world champions New Zealand in 2012.
But the fact England — the world’s wealthiest rugby union and with one of the largest playing bases in the global game — have finished second in all four of Lancaster’s Six Nations campaigns has displeased his paymasters.
“I don’t think that is acceptable at all,” said RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie after England came second again this year.
“We should be, as a country, winning more, in terms of whether it’s Grand Slams or Six Nations Championships.”
Yet it was Ritchie who only last year took the extraordinary decision to extend Lancaster’s contract to 2020 — beyond the 2019 World Cup in Japan — when there was no suggestion he risked being ‘poached’ by leading clubs or a rival union.
During his time in charge, Lancaster has experimented with numerous midfield partnerships without finding a settled combination and risked a charge of inconsistency by replacing George Ford with Andy Farrell in the key position of fly-half during this World Cup.
In common with several England coaches before him, he has also appeared mistrustful of ‘flair’ players, with Danny Cipriani not even making the 31-man World Cup squad and Exeter’s Henry Slade, who was included, yet to make the matchday 23 at this tournament.
Lancaster’s choice of captain is, according to his critics, symptomatic of what is wrong with England.
Robshaw’s judgment had also been called into question before he opted against going for an equalising penalty against Wales in the ultimately fruitless pursuit of a match-winning try.
He spurned kickable penalties in a defeat by Australia in 2012 before going for the posts late on while losing 16-12 to South Africa in a match where the clock was against his side.
In opting for Robshaw as his skipper when taking charge of England, Lancaster was also accused of selecting a player who was not a natural, ball-winning, openside flanker.
England do have such a player in Steffon Armitage, a key member of three-time European champions Toulon’s team and European Player of the Year for 2014.
Yet because Armitage plays overseas he is ineligible for England selection. Lancaster has been unwilling to use an “exceptional circumstance” get-out clause to pick the loose forward.
The coach’s detractors say this is evidence he is more concerned with maintaining the peace between the RFU and England’s Premiership clubs than selecting his best side.
“Steffon Armitage is pretty hard and handy over the ball,” said Japan’s former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones in the build-up to the Australia match.
“I reckon needing a specialist openside at a World Cup should count as an exceptional circumstance”.
Yet after Saturday’s setback, Lancaster is unlikely to have many more chances to pick an England side, while Robshaw and Ritchie’s positions will also be called into question.
