Sir Clive Woodward: Where England got it wrong
Sir Clive Woodward has put England’s 16-15 home defeat at the hands of the All Blacks down to decision making and thinks head coach Eddie Jones should be furious.
After the match Jones said “we’re disappointed, but we’re excited about where we’re going”.
England raced out to a 15-0 lead at Twickenham and led for the first hour of play.
“There were lots of plus points, but they lost the game,” Woodward told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“That was a game England should have won and I’d be pretty cranky this morning if I was in Eddie’s shoes.
“As the days go on they’ll become a little more angry with themselves that they didn’t win that game.
“I just don’t believe coaching and playing for England is about building for the future.
“It’s about the here and now and at the end of the day they lost to a very good All Blacks team. They lost by one point and you don’t get many chances to beat the All Blacks.”
Woodward was most frustrated by the decision to turn down consecutive chances at points in the second half and choosing to attack the corner.
Both times – from penalties in the 48th and 49th minute – England were unable to replicate the rolling maul that got Dylan Hartley over the line in the opening stanza.
When New Zealand were placed in a similar position ten minutes later, Beauden Barrett kicked the match-winning goal.
Woodward said that while players make the decisions on-pitch, it should be understood going in that you take points when they are on offer.
“Players do have to take the decisions on the pitch, but you can also do a lot of preparation off the pitch,” Woodward said.
“The conditions were awful. At 15-13 up and with the clock going down, we had a chance of adding the points to go 18-13 up. We went for the line-out. That was a big mistake.
“If you are five points up, you drop a goal and you’re eight points up and you win the game. Build the score.
“Everyone is harping on about the try or no try by Sam Underhill, but for me not to take those points was a big error.
“We’ve got the best goalkicker in the world in Owen Farrell. He’s a 100 percent goalkicker. And Elliot Daly can kick long ones.
“These leadership decisions on the field of play are absolutely key, especially as the clock counts down. They are what win or lose you a World Cup and we need to get a little bit better.
“Our calls against New Zealand were wrong. I think every player, if they were sat down in the classroom in the cold light of day, would say kick the goal.”
England will now host Japan in their first meeting since 1987. Jones coached Japan from 2012 to 2015 and led them to a famous victory over South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
153 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
153 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
153 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
153 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
153 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
153 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
153 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
153 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
153 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
153 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
153 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
153 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
153 Go to commentsHo hum.
153 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
153 Go to comments