The RFU, English Tabloids and English People.

[errlloyd]

In 2003 after winning the world cup England went on a massive binge and had a hang over that would last 4 long years. Shortly after this world cup I went out to Twickenam and did the full tour, it had been re-decorated. The changing room for the home side was full of psychological writing on the wall and very neatly laid out. On the outer wall of the visitors changing room there were about 30 plaques showing England's greatest victories. There first home game in this ground after the world cup was against the Irish.... Quite frankly, they lost and worse was to come.

Thats not the point of the rant though, we all know for 4 years they struggled in the dark, and fairly when it came to it fired Andy Robinson from the job and hired Brian Ashton. Ok so it was a shakey start, a record defeat to the Irish, but he beat the French. He then took a nobody English team to the world cup, got out of his group, beat Australia, beat France and lost in the final. He then took them on a six nations campaign and won games against France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland only losing out to Grand Slam winners Wales.

At this point for some inexplicable reason the fore mentioned wall of sharers replaced him.... Maybe an English person can help me out.

 

[Bullitt]

3 points.

1. England lost to Scotland
2. Who actually pays attention to Tabloids?
2. Why do the English people deserve to be on the wall because of Francis Barons and Rob Andrews incompitence?

 

[gingergenius]

Ashton didn't have anything to do with us doing well in the world cup.

It was all the players being slated, and the mere presence of Lawrence Dallaglio near the pitch that bullied them into performing. Plus the fact that the pack was strong and was able to muscle it with the best, and we had a goalkicker.

The 6Nations was more of the same - useless selection policy, inconsistence due mainly to no leadership skills.

Ashton plugged away with Vickery as captain despite his uncertainty even to get in the team and abysmal leadership qualities, and with absolutely no leadership or direction coming from the coach we were f***ed when it came to gifting a crap Wales team a win at Twickenham, as if someone had called him up at half time and offered them £££££ to throw the match....

I needn't go on.... Ashton just isn't a head coach

 

[danny]

We did what Ireland did, we sacked Ashton.
Reason Good coach- shite head coach/manager.
Pretty pathetic putting a whole country in the wall of shame. Rugby is all about tribalism and rivalry but at the end of the game we should all get on. This is what separates us from the wankers who support the round ball game. Perhaps we should nominate the big eared,rosey faced,simpletons that all Irish people are to the wall of shame. See, its not very nice using stereotypes to judge an entire nation. Open your tiny mind and you will find there is good and bad in all countries and colours.

 

[Macsen]

Isn't England already on the wall of shame?

we were f***ed when it came to gifting a crap Wales team a win at Twickenham, as if someone had called him up at half time and offered them £££££ to throw the match....[/b]

You're making that victory all the sweeter by gibbering on about it.

We paid them in Euros anyway.

 

[gingergenius]

Isn't England already on the wall of shame?

we were f***ed when it came to gifting a crap Wales team a win at Twickenham, as if someone had called him up at half time and offered them £££££ to throw the match....[/b]

You're making that victory all the sweeter by gibbering on about it.

We paid them in Euros anyway.
[/b]

well it's the pinnacle of welsh achievement, enjoy

 

[Macsen]

well it's the pinnacle of welsh achievement, enjoy [/b]

Every bitter word is like delicious honey to me.

 

[errlloyd]

Well Tbh I see England (even if it is football not rugby) as the root of this whole "SACK THE MANAGER" epidemic. Ashton took an average team and made them near champions. He fired after 1 and half years....

Ok True so it was the decision of 2 people not a whole nation, from Ireland anyway we get the impression that you all wanted him gone, maybe that's the haze over the Irish see obscuring things.

 

[gingergenius]

Well Tbh I see England (even if it is football not rugby) as the root of this whole "SACK THE MANAGER" epidemic. Ashton took an average team and made them near champions. He fired after 1 and half years....

Ok True so it was the decision of 2 people not a whole nation, from Ireland anyway we get the impression that you all wanted him gone, maybe that's the haze over the Irish see obscuring things.
[/b]

we all did want him out. he wasn't the right choice in the first place. everyone in england knows that the rwc was nothing to do with ashton.

You can't accuse us of having a 'sack the coach' epidemic... only in football... we had Woodward for ages, then Andy Robinson who stayed in his job much longer than he should have done; don't forget how awful we were under him... then we had Ashton who had 5 games too many. We should have rebuilt after the world cup, like Wales and France did. Instead ourselves and Ireland stayed with a failing coach.

People question why England are so upset when they came 2nd - simple. We should have won a grand slam. We were a better team than Wales until a few wins got their confidence up, and obviously anyone should expect to beat Scotland. Coming second in a 6Nations which didn't have a very high standard of teams is nothing.

 

[Macsen]

We were a better team than Wales until a few wins got their confidence up[/b]

We played you first. :mellow:

Yes Ashton was a poor coach but you've made an even bigger mess of things now with Squeaky in charge against the All Blacks.

 

[BLR]

We were a better team than Wales until a few wins got their confidence up[/b]

*Points to the two WC 07 Quarters*

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotemain'>
We were a better team than Wales until a few wins got their confidence up[/b]

*Points to the two WC 07 Quarters*
[/b][/quote]

yes very much so, wales winning the grand slam was pretty similar to england getting to the final - shouldn't have happened, but each side grew in confidence with every win, both deserved it, while other, better sides rued their failure..

 

[errlloyd]

You say you were a better side then wales then maybe fair enough. But you weren't better then France or Ireland so its swings and Roundabouts.

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotemain'>We were a better team than Wales until a few wins got their confidence up[/b]

We played you first. :mellow:

Yes Ashton was a poor coach but you've made an even bigger mess of things now with Squeaky in charge against the All Blacks.


[/b][/quote]



That aschlock has been in charge for the past 4 years, hense the continual failures - he's been worming his way into the England job ever since Dave Thompson bought the ***le for Newcastle. He's only used AR, then BA and now MJ as fronts to disguise his own failings; AR isn't the worlds best head coach by any stretch of the imagination, better suited sticking with what he knows (forwards), but Edinborough aren't making a poor account of themselves these days. Ashton also had a bloody good coaching record until he was forced to play Rob Andrews tatics.



Martin Johnson is now the England head coach despite having precisely NO coaching experience, but he's a great talisman to bring the media back onside. While Andrew is still the man he answers to. Hmmm. I smell a rat...

 

[gingergenius]

You say you were a better side then wales then maybe fair enough. But you weren't better then France or Ireland so its swings and Roundabouts.
[/b]

no one can say anything about france because they're an enigma.

and please, ireland are ****.

 

[MunsterMan]

I agree, but any team that they beat four years in a row must be even shitter :bleh!:

 

[Bullitt]

That was witty.