The former England Rugby head coach Clive Woodward was writing in his weekly column with Mail Sport and wasn’t happy with the mini celebrations that England persist on doing in games.
MORE HERE: 🚨People aren’t happy with what the Liverpool fans did prior to kick-off .. 😬
This says so much about England’s mindset. Their players – Ben Earl and Maro Itoje in particular – celebrating winning penalties or turnovers isn’t anything new. It’s been happening for a while.
I just would not allow it. This is why. One of the key moments of the Scotland game came after just eight minutes. England had started really well and had scored a lovely team try through George Furbank.
They were 7-0 up and Murrayfield was very quiet. England had a scrum just inside their own half and won a penalty. Earl had the ball in his hands but turned his back on the opposition and started celebrating the penalty.
All the backs also ran in and celebrated like they had just won the World Cup! Why was Earl not looking to tap and go? He should have been looking to keep Scotland under pressure…
If England think these celebrations have a psychological impact on the opposition they are living in dreamland. I would really urge Borthwick to tell Earl and Co to knock this nonsense on the head.
I saw that, and was not impressed. I’m old enough to regard that as unsporting.
I agree… to me all it seems to do is make the opposition more fired up 🤷🏻♂️ instead of keeping them under pressure…
Not just unsporting but childish and missing the plint and an opportunity to keep pressure on.
Absolutely ridiculous to be doing that, they are the slowest team in world rugby to react to anything, they take forever to play the ball, you could take a shower in the time it takes them to play from the back of a scrum but there like rockets celebrating winning a penalty. Borthwick no international coach and the team is bang average at best.
Well maybe…but having made one try they virtually abandoned back play in favour of endless boring and ineffectual forward ‘pod’ attacks which NEVER succeed
against good sides.
No kicks through..no kicks to the wings..no backplay at all. The contrast with Scotland’s back play was stark.
And England have been doing this for years!
I don’t often agree with Clive Woodward, but he’s spot on. When we win a penalty Itoje, Earl and a few others celebrate like we’ve won the match. It’s really embarrassing, but I guess we don’t get too many chances to celebrate.
This absolutely correct
Earls and itoje -the main culprits and they even think they played well !
It is an absolute disgrace their ‘showboating’
The whole plan needs ripping up -it is too forward and defensive based
Earls is no way a number 8 and Mario needs dropping because he is not performing well internationally
As for Ford at Fly half -it’s just a poor version of Farrell and he needed to be dropped 2 years ago
Either the coach needs to be radical and play an attacking game with fresh new faces or he has to go as well
I am not surprised though because the whole RFU need a radical change but Sweeney seems to be
’immovable !!!!!! He has to go ASAP -I am available
Celebrating winning a penalty is the only thing Itoje did all game!
I may be considered to be a grumpy old man at 83,but I had hoped that this World Cup and Six Nations would give me a good send off ( I shan’t see another ).I have been preaching the virtues of sportsmanship and fair play which used to be in the game to my non rugby friends. They have dutifully watched while I have hidden behind the sofa!
Missing the point here.. I was surprised when Borthwick was selected as head coach, understanding all his experience was from the scrum. But suck it and see.
The backs were disorganized, and confused.. I’m talking 9,10 and 11.. These guys are so key for both attack and defence..
I think Borthwick needs to go..