JONES WORK VISA DELAYED

Despite a quick appointment by the RFU following Stuart Lancaster's rapid departure, Eddie "Miracle Worker" Jones is still stuck in Japan awaiting approval of his work visa for UK. Unfortunately he is now into Xmas party season, meaning everything at the Home Office (and RFU) will be focussing on other more important activities.

Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come...

RFU let off steam and celebrate another successful season

BURGESSGATE - THE FINAL WORD

I heard from a reliable source in Australia that apparently Big Sam had always planned to play Union in England for one year, tick the RWC box and then return back to Sydney. If true, I am sure that the RFU, Stuart Lancaster, Bath Rugby plus all the dozen or so players affected by the Big Man's move (listed below by Gareth Chilcott in the Rugby Paper) will not be too impressed.

The players affected by Experiment Burgess

EDDIE JONES BECOMES NEW ENGLAND COACH

RFU has moved quickly to prise the ex-Japan coach from the Stormers SA franchise in Super 15, by awarding him a 4 year contract as Head Coach of England. With everyone else ruling themselves out, it came down to Jones v Jake White, the current Montpelier coach, who grinded (and kicked) SA to the 2007 RWC (ironically with Jones' help).

LANCASTER RESIGNS (UPDATED)

Inevitable but sad - no better English coach so assume they will look overseas. Unfortunately, being an RFU sponsored appointment (who are expert backside coverers), if results did not go to plan, then he was always going to be expendable. This is evidenced by RFU distancing themselves quickly from Sam Burgess experiment. Ironically, Lancaster was the antithesis of his predecessor, Martin Johnson, being rooted in a very different set of cultural values, big on player discipline and connection to the grass roots of the game. He was deliberately chosen by the RFU on that basis, but unfortunately, some players did not respond well to his school teacher attitude, no drinking (or fun) policy and his overcoaching philosophy, and the Burgess experiment caused much friction and resentment in the squad. England, as hosts, looked under pressure from day one, and became terribly low risk in their approach to key matches (especially Wales), with the result that, when faced with having to think on their feet and conjure up a Plan B, failed miserably. Stuart Lancaster is a decent man, but he simply didn't have the international experience required to beat good opposition (he only won 3/15 v Southern Hemisphere teams) or win big tournament games (England never won a Grand Slam Six Nations during his tenure) especially in a RWC Group of Death. The Southern Hemisphere teams have left the North behind in terms of basic skills, mental strength, game strategy and ability to manage the scoreboard. All the money (and power) is with the English and French clubs, who really don't care about the international team, so Lancaster's successor will have a hell of a fight on their hands to achieve a sensible compromise on player time between club and country. I hope that they are successful in relaxing the non Premiership rule to allow Armitage to be selected, but think this will remain off the table. 

CHEATS

So do we assume that as Bath, Saracens and Leicester have refused to deny they breached the salary cap or remained silent that they did and cheated. Did we have a Premiership final contested by two cheats? Apparently their excuse was competing with French clubs? Great, the French Top 14 is an unskilled forward slog unattractive to watch (and does not benefit the national team), and judging by the Sarries Saints game over here last weekend, the English Premiership is heading the same way. Luckily the Sale Quins game was a great spectacle and true 15 man rugby from both teams. The lesson is support a team that doesn't cheat.

ENGLAND INQUEST LEAKS BEGIN

As the RFU Committee goes through its inquest into the squad's dire performance in RWC 2015, inevitably bits and pieces start to leak out, including one bizarre rumour that some players were distracted by having lost money on a share recommendation from the kit man. Why they didn't take professional advice, like anyone else, is a mystery. There is also a story doing the rounds that Stuart Lancaster will be staying with the RFU, but not in his current role (they are probably unwilling to pay him off). Maybe he could train as an in-house IFA to avoid a repeat of the share scandal?

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Or not maybe? The inevitable news that Sam Burgess will leave Bath and return to Sydney and the Rabbitohs after less than a year in English Rugby Union leaves egg on many faces. First, let's remind ourselves that Sam is only 26 and was offered an amazing financial deal by the RFU, sorry, Bath Rugby Club, to move over to England and switch codes. Very few players would have turned it down, especially as there was a strong hint that he might be helicoptered straight into the England RWC squad for 2019, sorry, 2015. Second, he obviously missed his family in Australia (his three brothers all play rugby there), and working in England whilst marrying his Australian girlfriend in Sydney in December was never ideal (she works there as well). Third, he somehow seems to have copped a large amount of the blame for England's abject performance over the last six weeks, sorry, four weeks, as they only lasted that long. This is unfair and lazy analysis from people who know better.

Okay, its egg time, it is now clear that Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team, mainly Andy Farrell, saw Sam as a perfect replacement for the injured Manu Tuilagi in the centre for England for RWC 2015, not four years time, which everyone agreed would be the necessary timetable required to get him up to speed with the different code. Rumours were he almost became the RFU's first centrally contracted player, but when Bath got involved, they were forced to stump up all the money required to bring him over (not sure how they managed it within the Premiership salary cap, but, hey, who cares), as their Premiership rivals rightly complained at any RFU assistance. The flaw in the plan was that Bath already had two world class centres in Eastmond and Joseph, and having experimented with Sam in that position, then moved him to back row, where his "slammin" ball carrying ability could be more effective. Everyone seemed mesmerized by Sam, referring to him as "the greatest rugby player on the planet" and indicating that anyone who has his own TV show in Australia, could turn anything to gold.

Sam with his Mum and brothers

So, after just a half season with Bath, he was propelled into the England RWC squad as a centre, at the expense of Luther Burrell, Kyle Eastmond and Billy Twelvetrees, and eventually, after JJ's injury, became first pick against Wales, at the expense of Henry Slade. To be fair, England did not fall apart in that game until he was substituted. However, it is madness to think that anyone could master the game of Union after just 20 games, and only one full international friendly - even Andy Farrell, Henry Paul, Iestyn Harris or Benji Marshall couldn't make the transition after playing more games in the same position. In fact, Sonny Bill is the only success story, and he has been around for some time learning his trade. Also, did they forget that Sam is a Rugby League prop, arguably the best League prop there has ever been, but this is Union and he was up against such quality centres as Roberts, Kuridrani, Nonu, Giteau, Smith and North. What the impact will be on those who failed to manage Sam during his short Union career remains to be seen, and, hopefully, communication between RFU and the Premiership Clubs will also be reviewed, as the respective agendas have never seemed more at odds.

A young Sam

So, farewell Sam, writing a blog without you will be less exciting, and hope the return to Rugby League and family down under work out well for you.