'It's one thing saying it...': Debate ensues over England's leadership

Former South Africa captain Jean de Villiers believes “cohesiveness and leadership” are the root of England’s problems currently after their loss to Ireland in round one of the Guinness Six Nations.

England slumped to their seventh loss in their last nine Tests in Dublin (their two victories coming against Japan), and it was a familiar feel as Steve Borthwick’s side went in a half-time leading before fading out of the game after the break.

De Villiers discussed England’s current woes with his former team-mate Schalk Burger on RugbyPass TV’s upcoming episode of Boks Office, but the flanker does not necessarily agree that leadership is the issue with England.

Having played with England’s last three captains – Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Maro Itoje – at Saracens, Burger said the trio have “great awareness” and “game management” but there is a “lack in confidence” in the team to execute their plans. This he believes has now become a “psychological issue” where they persistently let leads slip.

Fixture

Six Nations

England

26 - 25

Full-time

France

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“I think it is a sense of cohesiveness and leadership,” de Villiers said when identifying England’s problems.

“It was Faz at the World Cup, then Jamie as an interim, now you have Maro Itoje. If you play together a lot as a team and within the same leadership, you find ways to win. But I don’t think that core group is there to get it through.

Burger said: “I played with all those players and we won what there was to win at club level. They’ll say the right things, they’ve got great awareness of where the game is, game management. It’s one thing saying it, but then you’ve got to implement whatever that plan is. Go back to your banker play, for example, after a couple of negative outcomes. How do we change that negative outcome? I think that would be the frustrating part, there’s a lot of experience within that group, but you’ve got to have everyone on par.

“The real good sides have that sense of what the next guy requires from you- what’s the right thing to do now? Big play in the big moment. John [Smit] always had a saying ‘know your job, do your job’- don’t go for the outlandish, if this is our little play, let’s get through that. That’s a big positive for us to change that, whereas I think with them it’s just too loose in those big moments.

“It’s such a fine line in professional sport, but it also becomes a psychological issue having lost so many close games.

“Just imagine being an English supporter, it must have been a tough year to watch.

“I think you watch the start then go to the pub and have a few beers, you know what the result’s going to be.”