"wallpapering over the cracks"

All Blacks coach-in-waiting Steve Hansen believes England have been "wallpapering over the cracks".

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/6025711/English-rugby-problems-run-deep-says-Hansen

now maes you know this post is gonna cause wails and denials from certain english rugby fans.

I think they're very positive comments. Even when England are wallpapering over the cracks, they can still trump the other NH teams to the 6N title. After, as Hansen puts it, the wall gets torn down and rebuilt, England should do even better. As Hansen says, "I'm sure they will get it right".

You do love a good copy n paste mm.....

Yawn.

After, as Hansen puts it, the wall gets torn down and rebuilt, England should do even better.

Aye but not all walls torn down are rebuilt afterwards. Some are left in a permanent state of disrepair by lazy communities or incompetent labourers while others give way to greater and stronger structures if you get my meaning

Ah, it's one of maesteg's daily "how can I paste in a negative topic about England?" articles. Only about 4 or 5 more to go before lunch.

Tear down the wall?!

England's 2011 effort certainly had something In The Flesh? about it.

I wonder if part of the RFU's review of review process will culminate with a team building excercise requiring the staging of a giant rock opera about the decline of the England manager, they certainly have the budget for it...

I took the wallpapering comments as a shot at the RFU.

More Welsh obsessing, looking over the dyke at England. You boys worried for / about England ?
Your concern is very touching (and crouching and engaging)

Maesteg is not repeatedly posting the same thing. It could be argued the articles could have been collected into one article with updates but could any of read it all in one go with spiralling into a pit of despair.

Maybe the motives are a bit of a WUM maybe they're not. I personally am glad there are links to articles such like this and they should be used for discussion points.

Regarding the article itself. In the RFU itself its definately happened. Arguably the problems with the coaching team (old methods, no communication with club coaching staff, etc) are old problems that will hopefully be addressed now. He has a very good point that the wall do need to come down. Not with the structure of the English game itself but the way we transfer players into the international game.

I sense another Welshy obsessed with their superiors again...

Frankly I think it's all self obsessed tub thumping from a union forced to face it's own inadequacy after years of living in denial.

The dignified thing would be to take a reality check, drag themselves off the carpet and rebuild quietly without so much of the trumpeting and finger pointing.

They made a quarter final at the RWC and won the 6N, albeit without a grandslam. Did anyone seriously believe that England squad was good enough to do better?

no

Yes I did actually, though that was before the 1st RWC match. I really felt England had a squad of players that could have got somewhere, just surprized how it seem to fall apart once in NZ.

I for one would certainly like to see some of the England fans on here, who spend more time discussing a poster, or trying to rubbish what they post, get on with discussing the point of the topic at hand...! Too often do they display little or no interest in Rugby and a great deal in accusing others.

Most of us who have an interest in Rugby, no matter of a our nationality, see this as a huge story, the biggest in the Rugby World this week, possibly this year and would like to see what happens, we would also like to know what the people involved, and those who support England, think on the subject.

What i personally couldn't give a monkey's over is what some of the posters on this site think of what i post and why.

There didn't seem to be a lot in the way of team spirit. Looked like a hopelessly fragmented team lacking in leadership at all levels from the outside.

I though the premiership apology to NZ for the behaviour of the players in the absence of any kind of statement from the RFU was the real low point for them.

Knowsit17 wrote:

After, as Hansen puts it, the wall gets torn down and rebuilt, England should do even better.

Aye but not all walls torn down are rebuilt afterwards. Some are left in a permanent state of disrepair by lazy communities or incompetent labourers while others give way to greater and stronger structures if you get my meaning

Possible, but I agree with WC winning coach Hansen, "they will get it right" and "go back to the top", which is very encouraging, because we're already the top ranked home nation. We've been boxing with our best arm tied behind our back for a number of years and still doing better than most, the issues coming to light are only a good thing as far as I'm concerned and will finally see things set right. The future is wonderfully bright.

I dunno, world cup winning coaches Henry and Hansen all said the nicest things about England prior the RWC, whilst accurately predicting the biggest challenge would come from Australia.

Could be more about the fact they're at RFC HQ and perhaps don't care much anyway and want the question to go away.

I think alot of Englands problems have been that their are too many chiefs and not enough indinas. Too many in the RFU all fighting to keep their head above water and keep their jobs at the expenmce of who every treads on their toes.

I agree with Hansen, if England are to move forward they have to have a good look at the whole set up. Who is incharge of what department, who does the likes of Rob Andrew report to. What role does Fran Cotton have? Is he above Rob Andrew or Below him.

Who is or has been responsable for the hiring and firng of the last 3 coaches not counting Martin Johnson.

I do hope that now this report is out, action will be taken in all departments of the RFU for the benifit on England rugby union.

Who ever takes over has Head Coach/ Manager should do so with the full backing and support of the RFU between now and 2015 Rugby World Cup.

It will get worse. For England.

There surely will be a giant clean out now of some of the senior players. With sparse reserves having been brought on, there could be another phase reminiscent of SCW's 'tour of hell' years.

I can see England losing to France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland in the upcoming 6N and getting trousered in their match ups against the SH giants.

Each poor performance will be met with a familiar media chorus and more pressure on whoever is brave enough to put their hands up for the coaching and management roles.

We should see RA sitting uncomfortably in his seat for a while yet, assuming he still occupies it.

What about the relationship between the RFU and the PRL?

Surely the RFU will not have enjoyed the PRL apologising for them in NZ.

atuakiwikiwi wrote:It will get worse. For England.

There surely will be a giant clean out now of some of the senior players. With sparse reserves having been brought on, there could be another phase reminiscent of SCW's 'tour of hell' years.

I can see England losing to France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland in the upcoming 6N and getting trousered in their match ups against the SH giants.

Each poor performance will be met with a familiar media chorus and more pressure on whoever is brave enough to put their hands up for the coaching and management roles.

We should see RA sitting uncomfortably in his seat for a while yet, assuming he still occupies it.

Whilst I in no way would be dissapointed with England losing to us in the 6N(I think that will happen anyway) I really cant see how it could get much worse. If they appoint a caretaker then I can see a bad 6 Nations but not finishing 5th. However if they do what the WRU did four years ago and appoint a damn good no nonsense coach and allow him to pick his staff England can quickly turn it around. They have the players in the system and if they get offield organisation right they are going to be a force again. Sad, very sad but true. Even if I dream of them languishing like Wales did for 15 years It is never going to happen.

Thanks all for your concern with English rugby. It's touching it really is...

Atuakiwikiwi - Perhaps just enjoy your time as World Champions?
Tyrcroes - Enjoy being the 4th best team in Europe?

England have the firepower and depth of resource to once again produce a great team. The RFU need to get HQ and the management of the national side properly sorted out ... and quickly... then MM, and Tycroes and I will be able to move on.

Aw boys I thought I had been fairly nice with that post.

We'll get through it together somehow Ty, butt

I'll stick up for you TO, you have a valid point. Altho maybe a caretaker coach will be a good thing in the short term. Especially as what some of the leaked reports have been saying what the players views of the caoching staff were...
The RFU needs a complete over haul if us, now suffering, Eng fans can ever hope to contend at the top table again...



fYI... im a bit lashed up...

Atuakiwikiwi - Perhaps just enjoy your time as World Champions?

Really? Do you think if Hasen had said "I dunno about England mate, frankly I don't care...I'm just enjoying my time as World Champions" he might have been slated as arrogant or rude?

We're discussing England here, as surely the story about the current issues at the RFU are one of the bigger stories?

Some of the posts from England fans seem to reflect some kind of anxiety or paranoia that there are those among us who are enjoying England's/RFU plight. Surely that's not the case? We're all fans of the game right?

Atua, yes this is the Interntional fallow season, after the lord mayors show (of the RWC) and some time before the NH 6 nations kick off. Normally not much international news to chat about. So the E RFU catharsis is big news and fair game for all to comment, English fans or otherwise. A big story that I dearly want resolved to the positive. We may all need some patience, as this issue seems likely to run for a while. But I feel positive for the medium term, as this looks like the much needed catharsis at RFU HQ is finally happening. RA prob has to go too.

If it is a matter of freshening up the England team, maybe the selection for the squad for the six nations needs to be massively freshened up too.

The Reports will have left a great insight into who were perceived useful, dedicated and hard working squad members and to who were not so.

There are plenty of talented young English players getting bit parts and major parts at the big clubs, they deserve an opportunity.

It is amazing what youthful exuberance can do to rejuvenate a team.

And back to Steve Hansen's 'OP' quote, I'd say events have moved on.
RFU is not wallpapering. RFU appears to be in major demolition and rebuild mode. Perhaps partly involuntarily as things have panned out, but still doing 'the necessary' as the great Bill McLaren might have called it. Sufficient ? well none of us knows that yet, we'll just have to wait and see.

Do you think the new regime will be as sympathetic to the multi-cultural agenda?

My own feeling is that was a foible of MJ and a hang over from his rugby upbringing. Whilst Tuilagi may have been a stand out RWC performer, the same wasn't true of any of the others, and it's impossible to know at the expense of which potential star home grown talent Tuilagi was allowed to shine, or for that matter, to what extent the reliance on shall we say, external sourced resources in key positions was contributing to whatever disharmony was intrinsic in the side. There was certainly loudly tweeted displeasure when Waldrom was called up and called over.

If you look at the England age group squads, they are always there or there about and comparatively out perform the seniors. What goes wrong that we don't see these guys appear in the EPS?

atuakiwikiwi wrote:

Some of the posts from England fans seem to reflect some kind of anxiety or paranoia that there are those among us who are enjoying England's/RFU plight. Surely that's not the case? We're all fans of the game right?

To be fair as a rugby fan I want to see England sort themselves out, I like seeing good rugby played whoever its by, its also much more fun beating an English side thats playing well rather than one in dissarray.

As a welshman though I am enjoying it a little bit.

To be fair, I think England tend to go off the richter scale at both ends. When they're playing well and beat someone, they are the best team of all time, when they lose they crumble into the kind of mess we observe now.

What's needed in some perspective. They didn't have a bad year all in all, did they? won their home international competition, lost by a few points to those sneaky French in a quarterfinal. As a follower of AB rugby, I have to say, no matter how good your team is the French will do that in a world cup from time to time.

Perhaps a little bit of perspective on the myth of NZ "chokers" might throw some much needed light on the England camp. Maybe, just maybe, those French jokers can play a bit when the mood takes them?

Accept that, and things don't look so bad.

Was their a bit of off-field antics? yes. Did any member of the England squad wander into a bar naked and start knocking people out? no.

A few bad selections at crucial times (flood/wilko) sorry but a rank amateur could see that wouldn't work. And when it didn't, why did it persist for so long?

A few tweaks with a spanner is what's needed.

From my point of view the RFU always seem to have been disconnected from the actual England squad. They seem to be a top heavy bureaucracy who serve no real purpose at match time, but who to their credit manage to keep the coffers full. Who can really complain?

TycroesOsprey wrote:now maes you know this post is gonna cause wails and denials from certain english rugby fans.

What fans, the England rugby one?