England have done too little too late
'How was it allowed to get this bad before action was taken?'
Our columnist Duncan Bech reflects on what he makes of England's coaching shake-up and gives us his views on the possible return of a certain knight of the realm…
"Doing nothing was not an option" trilled Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Francis Baron as he unveiled the findings of England's Six Nations review.
But for long-suffering fans who have watched England slump from world champions to Webb Ellis trophy no-hopers in record time, the RFU's lack of decisive action has been pitiful.
How a deserving place at the summit of Test rugby has been surrendered for a place among the Six Nations' chasing pack is bewildering.
No Rugby World Cup-winning team has endured such a sharp decline with England slumping to a post-November 2003 record of played 25, won 12, lost 13. There have been only six victories from 19 matches against major nations.
It makes for ugly reading and begs the questions: How was it allowed to get this bad before action was taken and why, with the next World Cup 18 months away, was it left so late before essential repairs were undertaken?
The expected cull has been completed – defence chief Phil Larder, backs supremo Joe Lydon, kicking coach Dave Alred and performance director Chris Spice have all been axed.
Head coach Andy Robinson will continue with "revised responsibilities" while Spice is to be replaced by an elite rugby director with, God forbid, Sir Clive Woodward being talked up for the role.
Thankfully Baron's relationship with Woodward may prevent that, but the RFU chief has plenty to answer for with the outlook on England's World Cup defence looking increasingly bleak.
Twickenham may soon boast a new South Stand, hotel, conference centre and fitness club to elevate its stock in the corporate world, but on the pitch fortunes have headed in the opposite direction.
Relations with the clubs are as spiky as ever with the RFU having to foot a costly legal bill after being given a bloody nose in the latest round of sparring.
Despite generous recent concessions by the clubs there is seemingly no end to the dispute with players, as ever, caught in the middle of a row which should have been settled long ago.
In the Six Nations, one need only look to the example of Ireland to see what stability, long-term planning and strong provincial-union relations can achieve.
Sadly at the moment England bear greater resemblance to Wales, who became a laughing stock for their shambolic treatment of Mike Ruddock and also seem to lurch from one disaster to another.
Whether this reshuffle and the appointment of new support coaches in the coming weeks is enough to revive England's World Cup fortunes remains to be seen, but it is highly unlikely.
Somewhat optimistically, former Wallaby boss Eddie Jones yesterday declared that England could still win the World Cup, but it would take a seismic upturn in fortunes for that to happen.
A team with new coaches, needing an injection fresh talent and the implementation of a coherent gameplan, requires more than 18 months to haul itself out of the mire.
And on behalf of anyone who remembers last summer's Lions tour to New Zealand – please, please, please keep Woodward away from the elite rugby director role.
