Tuesday 19 May 2015 13:42, UK
Will Clive Woodward soon be speaking French and plotting the demise of England? Those close to him have long claimed that the former World Cup winning coach would love nothing more than to get back into the sport with one of the highest profile appointments in the world game.
France are down but they have too much talent not to get off their knees. The rumour is that England’s rugby knight is on a short list of eight for the French job. The favourites include Guy Noves whose Toulouse team has bounced back from pool stage elimination to challenge the Big Two but, over a longer period, it is impossible not to see substantial decline in his performance.
The maverick man of Toulouse is past his best. On those grounds alone France will probably offer him the job when Philippe Saint-Andre steps down after the World Cup. The other name most frequently mentioned in dispatches is the former French hooker and captain and distinguished Wasp, Raphael Ibanez.
Bordeaux Begles have dropped off the pace dramatically but overall theirs has been a season of survival marked with some marvellous rugby. He is new to the coaching game and has a fine future but the national appointment seems a few years premature.
Woodward is a fascinating contender. The French team of the early 2000s were directly influenced by Woodward. Bernard Laporte obsessed with matching the discipline and professionalism of his great rival. In the course of this quest the French team lost its verve and soul. I am not certain whether they have ever recovered them.
They certainly have not found a way to walk the path between club and country commitments in the last few years of expanding budgets and ambitions. Here Woodward’s CV becomes intriguing. One of the reasons he walked out of England was his refusal to compromise. His resignation speech was punctuated with an endless attack on the very concept. At the moment the failure of France to find rapport between club and country has been perceived as a major stumbling block. It must be said there have been times when I think the case has been used as an excuse to mask the failures of the current French coaching team.
Woodward would not find it easy for his pursuit of excellence to be hijacked by the demands of clubs. In the decade since quitting England the club game has grown in power. The politics of his former position make him an unlikely coach of France; that is unless he has changed his mind on the art of negotiation, or non-negotiation.
Some of them still don’t get it; that Woodward liberated them to think as well. This was the key to the World Cup, that and his ability to get what he needed from the RFU. He revolutionised England, he failed with the Lions.
As a coach he changed the face of England. He turned the national team from conservative and slow thinking players into dynamic and world trend setters. As the years roll on I hear former players downgrading his role, explaining how come the World Cup they took on the majority of the decision making.
Some of them still don’t get it; that Woodward liberated them to think as well. This was the key to the World Cup, that and his ability to get what he needed from the RFU. He revolutionised England, he failed with the Lions. There should have been no surprise. The England project was a long one, the Lions quite the opposite.
The best England coach there has been and arguably the worst Lions, how would he fare in France? I would love to see France take the punt. It would be headline news for us broadcaster/journalists.
Play-offs
There are more immediate headlines elsewhere this week, starting at Ashton Gate on Wednesday when Bristol and Worcester meet in the first leg of the play-offs. The Premiership would prefer them both to be promoted but alas, the rules are holding firm for at least one year so the 160 minute meeting we have waited for all season is upon us. Bristol, having blown last year’s final against London Welsh are under more pressure from a neutral perspective although I am sure Dean Ryan will be feeling the heat every bit as much as Andy Robinson.
Then we have the semi-finals. I am heading back to Glasgow Friday to see whether the Scottish team can handle a full strength Ulster. Having no chance of a home tie, Ulster were light years from being geared up for last week’s game although they gave a good account of themselves for 50 minutes.
If Glasgow are as poor as they were for 50 minutes Ulster will win. If Glasgow start as they played for the middle 20 minutes of the second half Gregor Townsend’s team will take all the stopping. The next day Munster are at home to Ospreys where Rhys Webb meets Conor Murray, Paul O’Connell clashing with Alun Wyn Jones; this will be a titanic contest.
In England Northampton and Saracens renew rivalries while Bath are at home to Leicester. The Tigers have it all to do if they are to make the final but with the power of the pack and their vast reservoirs of determination Bath would do well not to be complacent; having been battered for the best part of the professional era by Leicester that should not be an issue.
Good luck to all your teams and have a great weekend....not forgetting Ashton Gate on Wednesday. Au revoir.
Stuart answers your questions...
Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com, tweet @SkySportsRugby #askskyrugby or use the feedback form at skysports.com.
Stuart, what do you make of the story that the Premiership clubs voted to delay the investigation into Saracens breaking the salary cap? I have read somewhere that Sarries are something like £40million in debt! Firstly, how can clubs have the power to decide when an investigation is held and how on earth can a rugby club get into so much debt?
Jonathan Hibson
Stuart replies: Jonathan, all speculation but the story of the delayed investigation is a bad image for the clubs. As for the debt, Saracens have built a new ground and players don't come cheap.
I hear that Sir Clive has applied for the France job - do you think he would be the right man for the job and harness their potential in the right way?
Millie Karen
Stuart replies: Millie, please read the column, I have just addressed the very subject, fascinating, n'est pas?
Evening Stuart, what does the USA winning the London Sevens mean for the development of the game across the Atlantic? I know that they are two totally different games but can this be a watershed moment for them?
Alex
Stuart replies: Alex, it's potentially bad news for the game. The USA has just won the rights to the 2018 Sevens World Cup in San Francisco and now the London Sevens. How long before they decide to give up on the serious version of the game and focus on Sevens? If they think they have no hopes in the World Cup, they'll soon concentrate on Olympic Sevens glory. They won't be the last. Olympic Sevens is a threat to the global international game.
But congrats to the USA; what they achieved from the perspective of Sevens was sensational.
