Leadership
We have a problem with leadership in English rugby, we don't have enough players who understand how simple rugby can be, and we don't have enough players who can think for themselves rather than await orders. I think there is a problem in the English psyche, it could be due to and excessively hierarchical influence from either the military, public school system or just a hangover from our deferential class system, I don't know why and it doesn't matter too much, but the problem is there.
Martin Johnson, history has shown, was a great leader, even as a Tigers fan it took me years to appreciate his leadership. We know that before he took over at England we lost our way in matches. When he missed a game we fell apart like we did at the weekend against Argentina. When he retired England lost direction again. I also think Johnson was a perfect compliment to Woodward. Woodward did lots of thinking, trying this and that, tampering, tinkering, planning and imagining, all vital, but when the players took to the field all the complex preparation was replaced by Johnson's simplicity. This simplicity was best shown by the famous 6 man scrum in NZ, where Johnson's epic speech prior to the scrum was "Fucking Push", a clarity of thought rarely matched in history. Johnson seemed to have a simple understanding of what was required at any point in a game, demonstrated by the famous drop kick to win the World Cup, Johnson's perfect decision to take the ball for one more phase to allow Dawson to get up and deliver the ball to Wilkinson.
In too many England and Premiership matches players go by the play book, unable to decide what to do unless someone tells them. Leaders on the pitch slavishly follow the coaches orders, like Corry with Robinson. What should happen is that when the game isn't going to plan the players should revert to three simple principles:
1) Keep the ball as much possible
2) Keep as close to the opposition tryline as possible
3) If there is space pass it to the skinny quick guys ("the backs")
I had a thought once that Ashton's genius consists only of the following tactic; "Count the players in the defensive line, when you have more players than them, or equal players but they have a prop in the line, run it"
Martin Johnson, history has shown, was a great leader, even as a Tigers fan it took me years to appreciate his leadership. We know that before he took over at England we lost our way in matches. When he missed a game we fell apart like we did at the weekend against Argentina. When he retired England lost direction again. I also think Johnson was a perfect compliment to Woodward. Woodward did lots of thinking, trying this and that, tampering, tinkering, planning and imagining, all vital, but when the players took to the field all the complex preparation was replaced by Johnson's simplicity. This simplicity was best shown by the famous 6 man scrum in NZ, where Johnson's epic speech prior to the scrum was "Fucking Push", a clarity of thought rarely matched in history. Johnson seemed to have a simple understanding of what was required at any point in a game, demonstrated by the famous drop kick to win the World Cup, Johnson's perfect decision to take the ball for one more phase to allow Dawson to get up and deliver the ball to Wilkinson.
In too many England and Premiership matches players go by the play book, unable to decide what to do unless someone tells them. Leaders on the pitch slavishly follow the coaches orders, like Corry with Robinson. What should happen is that when the game isn't going to plan the players should revert to three simple principles:
1) Keep the ball as much possible
2) Keep as close to the opposition tryline as possible
3) If there is space pass it to the skinny quick guys ("the backs")
I had a thought once that Ashton's genius consists only of the following tactic; "Count the players in the defensive line, when you have more players than them, or equal players but they have a prop in the line, run it"
posted by AJ Thomas at
8:13 pm
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