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'Sometimes within the England team we do have that problem of egos or cliques or groups, people put on pedestals'
Former England full-back Mike Brown has admitted he doesn’t hold a grudge against Sam Burgess after the league-cum-union covert blamed “individual egos and selfish players” for his country’s spectacular failure at the 2015 World Cup.
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Stuart Lancaster’s England bombed out at the pool stage of their home World Cup and the fallout that ensued resulted in Burgess, who had initially made his name in professional rugby with the NRL Rabbitohs in Australia, quitting union and returning to rugby league after a short-lived union career amounted to just five caps, his last three coming at the ill-fated World Cup.
Fed up with people blaming him for England’s 2015 failure, Burgess took to Twitter in November 2018 to fight his corner. He wrote: “I seem to be getting a few tweets regarding the RWC in 2015… still. If people actually rewatched the games I participated in, you will see I added to the team.
“What cost us an early exit was individual egos and selfish players not following our leader, which essentially cost the coach and other great men their jobs. Tournaments are not won by the coaching staff or one player. It takes a commitment from the full group. I guarantee you this: I was committed but others had their own agendas.
“I have fond memories of my time in rugby union and some great friends. One day I will tell my side of the story but, for now, I love watching England and cannot wait to see them as they prepare for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.”
"At the end of a tough training block, it was just a shame it ended the way it did and that was my last sort of moment being involved with England"
– Mike Brown has revisited events in Italy 17 months ago when he clashed with Ben Te'o ??????? https://t.co/kxtZAM8347
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 21, 2021
Burgess did eventually tell his side of the story during a June 2020 appearance on the House of Rugby podcast, in particular venting about the alleged negative influence of his Bath coach at the time, Mike Ford, whose son George lost his place in the England team to Burgess for the crucial RWC pool game with Wales.
Recalling a post-finals meeting at Bath shortly before his exit from the club, Burgess said: “I will never forget his [Mike Ford’s face when I said: ‘I can’t respect you, I think you are a bit of a snake.’ I just felt that people behind the scenes were playing a deeper game. With George, Mike kind of infiltrated the camp; that is my take on it. After me starting against Wales, my relationship with George completely changed. He wouldn’t talk to me, he was a bit sulky.”
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Seven months later, England full-back Brown has given his take on the Burgess with England saga. Speaking during an appearance on the latest RugbyPass Offload show with Wales midfielder Jamie Roberts, Brown claimed he wasn’t upset by the ‘individual egos and selfish players’ accusation made by Burgess.
“Not annoyed at all because that is his opinion. He might be talking about me, I don’t know. I have never asked him. But he clearly has that opinion and who am I to say the guys weren’t acting like that? Who am I to say how he should be feeling about it?
“I can say that sometimes within the England team we do have that problem of maybe egos or cliques or groups, people put on pedestals. That comes with maybe not being centrally contracted, the match fees.
“You are all trying to not just play for England because it is England and that’s what you dreamed of, there is obviously a match fee bonus as well and it’s very, very lucrative and you want that so then you can end up with backstabbing and egos and things like that.
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“That can have a detrimental impact on team morale. That is not a great thing. Under Eddie (Jones) it’s slightly better in terms of cliques, so maybe that was what Burg’ was talking about. Again, I haven’t spoken to him one-on-one about it.
“I remember messaging him after he quit rugby and went back, just saying to him, ‘I’m disappointed that you have quit and you’re leaving rugby and going back to rugby league because I feel like we have all got a responsibility to try and change this and turn a corner with England and put things right but I respect your decision and really enjoyed working alongside you’.
“That’s the message that I sent to him because I still feel he could have been a quality rugby union player if he just stuck at it, but again who am I to say he should have done that with what he was going through and what he was having to deal with.”
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"Sometimes it works, sometimes guys just can’t handle it at all and then you don’t see them ever again”
– Mike Brown has provided RugbyPass Offload with a compelling insight into what life is really like with Eddie Jones' England#GuinnessSixNations https://t.co/F312e8tKNK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 21, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments