'Individual egos and selfish players' cost England in 2015
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: ‘Individual egos and selfish players’ played a big role in England’s poor showing at the 2015 World Cup, Sam Burgess has claimed.
England failed to get out of their group at the 2015 event after losing to Wales and Australia. It ultimately cost Stuart Lancaster (head coach}, Andy Farrell (defence coach) and the rest of the coaching team (Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt) their jobs making way for Eddie Jones and his team to take over.
Burgess, who made the switch from Rugby League to Union less than a year before the tournament, has blamed his former teammates for England’s performance after he received messages from Twitter users still blaming him for the pool stage exit.
Lancaster received widespread criticism for bringing in Burgess at short notice and then playing him at centre in the match against Wales despite featuring in the back row for club side Bath.
After England’s exit, Burgess announced that he was returning to Rugby League in Australia to re-join the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
I seem to be getting a few tweets regarding the Rugby WC in 2015….Still. If people actually rewatched the games I participated in You will see I added to the team. What cost us an early exit was individual egos and selfish players not following our leader. Which ….
— Sam Burgess (@SamBurgess8) November 27, 2018
Essentially cost the coach and other great men their jobs. Tournaments are not won by the coaching staff or one player. It takes a commitment from the full group. I guarantee you this, I was committed but others had their own agendas. I have fond memories of my time in RU
— Sam Burgess (@SamBurgess8) November 27, 2018
“I seem to be getting a few tweets regarding the Rugby WC in 2015….still,” Burgess said on Twitter.
“If people actually rewatched the games I participated in you will see I added to the team. What cost us an early exit was individual egos and selfish players not following our leader.
“Which essentially cost the coach and other great men their jobs. Tournaments are not won by the coaching staff or one player. It takes a commitment from the full group. I guarantee you this, I was committed but others had their own agendas. I have fond memories of my time in RU (Rugby Union) and some great friends.
“One day I will tell my side of the story but for now I love watching @EnglandRugby and cannot wait to see them as they prepare for the 2019 WC in Japan.”
Additional source: The Independent
