8 months on, Clive Woodward is still seething about some 'embarrassing' England World Cup final preparations
Clive Woodward has revisited last November’s World Cup final loss by England to South Africa, branding some of their preparations as “embarrassing” and asking why there was no post-finals debrief after Eddie Jones’ team failed to fire a shot in the biggest game of their lives.
Woodward had previously hinted that England were distracted coming into the decider in Yokohama versus the Springboks. All of the teams that had knocked out the All Blacks at previous World Cups – bar eventual winners Australia in 1991 – had failed to back up their New Zealand elimination performances.
France in 1999 lost the final to Australia after knocking out the All Blacks, Australia then lost the 2003 final to England after doing likewise in the last four, while the French were defeated in the 2007 semi-finals by the English after dumping the Kiwis. That same fate then befell Jones’ England eight months ago, the high of beating New Zealand getting quickly followed a deflating underperformance and defeat by the Springboks in the decider seven days later.
It’s a loss that still clearly rankles with Woodward, the 2003 tournament-winning coach who was present at the 2019 finals in Japan as a pundit. Speaking on a webinar hosted by St Mary’s University Twickenham where he is a visiting professor, he tore strips off England, slamming the behaviour of props Dan Cole and Joe Marler at a media conference 48 hours before the final and how the squad then arrived late to the stadium on matchday.
Reflecting on the difference he found between the England that won its semi-final and the team that lost the final, Woodward said: “The game against the All Blacks was pretty, pretty special. I was there with people like Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and they knew better than anybody that that was the semi-final… Rugby World Cup is about winning the final and nothing else matters.
Did you miss last week's webinar with @CliveWoodward? The Rugby World Cup wining coach joined us to discuss the challenges facing rugby union.
The full webinar is now live on YouTube and on our website:https://t.co/G6nlwLjgex
— St Mary's University (@YourStMarys) July 21, 2020
“Being there first-hand you just saw this amazing performance and in that (semi-final) week in the build-up everything was great. You could just feel there was a real edge to this team. Eddie Jones was great in the press conference, really in his belligerent best.
“He said who in the room thinks we can win his game – I wasn’t there by the way. Not a single hand went up and he said, ‘There you go, we have got no chance’. The English, we are probably better than most when we are in a corner and written off. It was our kind of trademark (in ’03), and this team was in a corner. No one thought they could beat the All Blacks.
“But that England team was fantastic when you look at Maro (Itoje), Owen Farrell and these guys, you have got some of the best players ever to have played for England. So England knew they had a real chance and they got everything right.
“Even before the game I was pitchside with ITV, Owen Farrell came past and we had a firm handshake, eye to eye contact, and I just turned and said they are going to win this game. You could just see it was there. When you have been there and felt it, you know when things are right.
“So they win this game and they play really well, there is no doubt about it. They beat the All Blacks and no one can say they didn’t deserve to win. Then the following week, being there was the most frustrating week ever because you just felt it was completely different. Everyone in the media, apart from me, was saying England by 20, 30 points because South Africa beat Wales in the semi-final and Wales could and should have won that game – South Africa played really poorly,” continued Woodward.
“So you have this crisis situation – you look at the South Africans on paper and you go, ‘Wow, this is a serious team’. Of course, everyone is building up England and they didn’t help themselves. They just seemed to get distracted, it just wasn’t the same.
“I was with Martin and Lawrence and we were going, ‘This is going to be close, this is going to be more than close’. In fact, I thought South Africa were going to win because it was a complete reversal from the semi-final. I just saw distractions everywhere,” explained Woodward, who visited the England camp two days before the final.
“I don’t normally go to the press conferences despite the fact that I was working over there for the Mail and ITV. But I went to this press conference because I was interviewing Eddie Jones after the main press conference. Eddie and Owen were there and it was the Thursday afternoon, two days before the biggest day of your life, and they were okay. It wasn’t quite as sharp and edgy, there was a bit too much humour for me.
“You have to find a way to win no matter what it takes. If you get in trouble, you’ve got a World Cup winners’ medal.”https://t.co/iEM0FTsxse
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 6, 2019
“But then they left and half the press conference left with them. Then they sent up two players. I stayed in the room. I was at the back with my baseball cap on, so no one knew I was there. The two players were Dan Cole and Joe Marler, two guys on the bench, two front rowers.
“Honestly, I sat there and it was like Laurel and Hardy. I’m just going, I know they are on the bench but this is 48 hours from the World Cup final. It was to me poor and that is me being polite. It was really poor.
“As history turned out, these two players would have a huge, huge role in the game with (Kyle) Sinckler going off so early. So Cole is on really, really early. Marler comes on as they take off Mako Vunipola.
“South African journalists who I knew well came up to me after the press conference after these two had finished larking around after 20 minutes – it wasn’t larking around it was embarrassing – and they said, ‘Well if that is the mood in the England camp we have got half a chance’. That just said everything to me.
More Japanese gold from Joe Marler about his partner in comedy, Dan Cole https://t.co/e1JTCTQM47
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 20, 2019
“I just think they got complacent. Looking at stuff at social media, a lot of guests arriving in the camp from celebrities… to Australian people. They got it wrong. I have exchanged curt texts with Eddie since because he has heard what I have been saying. They got it wrong.”
Thinking back to how his England got their preparations correct 17 years ago, Woodward reflected: “I just remember back in 2003 after we beat France in the semi-final sitting every player down and saying, ‘Guys, just give me one week. There is going to be distractions everywhere, from family to friends to media to sponsors, just don’t get involved. Win the World Cup. Do what the hell you like next Sunday, just win the World Cup, just give me one week’. We went mad on not getting distracted by anybody.
“I just think (this) England got distracted, right down to the blinkin’ team didn’t arrive on time. I’m on the pitchside. We normally position our cameras so we are behind the England warm-up and we are well into the programme and I have got the ITV producer in my headphones going, ‘Where are the England team?’
“Don’t ask me, I’m on the touchline. I haven’t got a clue where they are because they weren’t there and they arrived late, literally half an hour late for the World Cup final. It’s a meticulous, military operation that preparation, so to arrive 30 minutes later for the World Cup final, again it said the heads just weren’t quite there.
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 18, 2020
“It was best summed up when we a cab back. This taxi driver knew who I was and said: ‘What happened?’ I said, ‘What do you think happened?’ He said: ‘Well, it was a bit like the Olympic Games.
“You get to the semi-final and Usain Bolt beats the world record in the 100 metres sprint and you go, Wow, semi-final, a world record. Then the next day you do the final and Usain Bolt comes fourth’.
“I said that’s the best analogy I have ever heard about what happened to England. In the semi-final you beat the world record (beat the All Blacks), you do unbelievably well, but there is nothing about semi-finals, nothing about marks out of ten. It’s about winning these things and they got it wrong.
“I’m glad Eddie is staying on, I’m glad he has got a chance to resurrect it because he will learn a huge amount of lessons from that week but gee, they got it wrong. England could have won. In my view, they were the best team, had the best players. From 1 to 15 that team should have put away South Africa but they got badly distracted and they didn’t just lose, they got blown away.
“And there has never been a report back from Twickenham. I have been asking various people where is your report, I want to know what happened, where is your debrief on what happened in the biggest game of your lives, you didn’t fire a shot? But everyone seems to have just moved on quickly and forgot about it.
“There you go. Those players will regret that because many won’t get a second chance. Some will. Maro, Owen. They will have a good team in Paris in a few years time but so will France. I’m doing some work now down in France, they will have a very good team so it won’t be easy. Don’t assume just because we [England] got to the final the same team will win in 2023 – it will be doubly hard for this team.”
ICYMI: Our Where Are They Now look at England's 2003 RWC winners reminded us of the important contrast Jason Robinson spotted between Eddie Jones' 2019 squad and Clive Woodward's Class of 2003 https://t.co/TTbQayamNL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 18, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments