When I was England head coach, we had something called the little black book.
In it, were the rules and behaviours the team would abide by on and off the field. Crucially, those standards were agreed on by both players and management. It was a collaborative approach which worked well. My view was that, as coaches, we couldn’t just tell the players how to behave. They had to set their own boundaries.
I never liked a ‘tell’ coaching style as a player and I wanted to make sure those working under me had the opportunity to shape how we would operate. Having player input also makes it easier to hit those standards because after all, they have agreed and set those standards themselves. It’s a system I call ‘teamship’.
The two held each other to account when necessary and I think the team culture we created played a big part in the success we had on the field.
You can have the best players in the world, but if the culture of your team isn’t right, then you’re doomed to fail.
Danny Care (right) made a revelation about a culture of fear under Eddie Jones (centre)
Care likened Jones’ England reign to ‘being bullied at school’ and ‘living in a dictatorship’
The comments made by former scrum-half Danny Care about what it was like to work as a player under ex-coach Eddie Jones show the culture of the England team has been way off the mark for a number of years. That has to change.
I really hope it has done with Steve Borthwick having taken over from Jones as the man in charge. I have no reason to doubt Care’s version of events, but even if only half of it were true, it would still beggar belief. Care’s book extracts left me shaking my head. Some of his revelations about how players were treated by Jones were truly shocking.
There were, undoubtedly, times when I was England head coach when I would have said something I regretted – maybe by being overly strong in a team meeting. Players too will have moments in their careers where they wish they could take back something they have said.
But those things were always cleared up very, very quickly in my time. In our player group, we had strong voices like Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio who would make their views heard if they thought what I was saying or doing was wrong.
Further, I was also well aware at the time that I reported to Francis Baron as the RFU chief executive and was responsible for everything surrounding the national team. It seems quite clear to me that the Jones era got out of hand, with players unable to say how they felt at the time and no senior figures at the RFU holding the head coach to account.
It’s remarkable that Jones had the success he did if this sort of behaviour was going on
This reflects very, very poorly on those involved. On Sunday night, I attended a glittering gala dinner in celebration of the England team which won the 2003 World Cup. More than 20 years later, I feel so lucky we still share nights like these. I am immensely proud of the players, coaching team, and the environment we created.
Care’s allegations over how players like Kieran Brookes and Sam Jones were treated by Jones are immensely worrying. It’s not good enough. I was shocked and disappointed to read them. It’s remarkable really that Jones had the success he did with England if this sort of behaviour was going on.
Did the RFU know it was happening? Only they can answer that. But, knowing what we do now, it is astonishing English rugby’s bosses held a review into Jones’ coaching and decided to hand him a new contract. The RFU, in the interests of transparency, really should name the people who were involved in that review and came to that conclusion.
I would love to know whether they were qualified to make that decision in terms of their rugby expertise. I’ve no doubt that as current head coach, Borthwick operates very differently to Jones. He too is very demanding but has a far lighter, more empathetic touch.
However, the question must still be asked: is Borthwick being held to account by his RFU bosses? England’s players seem happy in the environment. But even if they weren’t, would they speak out?
Sir Clive Woodward recently attended a glittering gala dinner in celebration of the England team which won the 2003 Rugby World Cup
This summer, Borthwick had to undertake a coaching revamp after Aled Walters, Felix Jones and Tom Tombleson moved on. Has anyone at the RFU asked Borthwick why that happened?
They must do. If one thing can be learned from Care’s honest revelations of the Jones era, it is that regular checks and balances must be made on the international set-up.
To do so is only healthy. It holds the leaders of the organisation to account and ensures the highest possible standards are maintained. I would also urge the players of today to find a voice, however difficult it can be.
It is all very well making comments several years later in books about how the environment was wrong at the time, but that doesn’t help anyone really. Elite sport is a highly competitive environment where you are operating under huge pressure and nobody is perfect. But that togetherness that underpins team sports, and especially rugby, must always prevail.
You can sense a lot of regret from Care and I am sure others feel the same which is very sad.
Borthwick operates very differently to Jones. He too is very demanding but has a far lighter, more empathetic touch
While workplaces across the world are increasingly holding the ‘bosses’ to better standards, it doesn’t seem to have transferred to the intense environment that is professional rugby.
It is why head coaches need to be held accountable by management who understand the game, the pressures, and the environment. Here’s hoping things can change on the back of Care’s revelations.
