Lancaster, appointed after England’s quarter-final exit from the 2011 World Cup, suggested this tournament had come “too soon” for his squad.
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England head coach Stuart Lancaster during his team’s match against Australia during the IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 at the Twickenham Stadium in London.
Change is inevitable after England slumped to their worst performance in World Cup history, admits Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie.
England flanker Tom Wood apologised to their rugby public after the host nation were knocked out of the World Cup following defeat to Australia on Saturday. And while England closed within seven points in the second half, its discipline fell apart again, leaving Australia to enjoy its biggest ever win over England at Twickenham.
“It wasn’t ideal – there were still a lot of areas I think we can improve on, and it is just another step along the way in the pool”, he said.
The Independent on Sunday’s front page had a photo of Robshaw striding off the pitch hands on hips, with his shattered troops spread around the field, and the headline “England Regrets”. I need to get the team ready to play Uruguay on Saturday.
(Christophe Ena/AP) Both of the Wallabies’ World Cup triumphs – in 1991 and 1999 – were achieved on British soil, while they also reached the final in Sydney in 2003.
“For us now it’s about being professional and finishing the tournament in the right way in our last RWC15 game”.
“The accountability and responsibility lies with me”.
England made it policy after the last World Cup to choose only home-based players, to stem an exodus of talent from the Premiership to richer French clubs.
By way of example, as we headed to the press box a long-standing, normally very reasoned friend took the chance to berate me for my previous week’s defence of the selection of Sam Burgess in the England midfield.
“It’s the Wales game that will haunt them”. Losing to Wales last week hardened us and there’s been a real focus about what we’ve done.
Lancaster dropped George Ford, England’s starting flyhalf for the past year and orchestrator of the team’s emboldened attacking game plan, for the crucial matches against Wales and Australia, and named his 18th different flyhalf-centers combination against the Wallabies.
Ritchie, who appointed Lancaster in one of his first major decisions after moving from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said the RFU’s response would be “calm, rational and considered”.
I would like to see him come out and say, “I want to put this right” and go back out there..
Wallabies captain Stephen Moore praised the performances of Foley, for directing the backline, back-rowers David Pocock and Michael Hooper for winning turnover ball, and the unheralded Australian scrum that had come under heavy scrutiny in the buildup.
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“If Stuart does get an opportunity to continue, this is potentially a massive moment for him as a coach and he will look back on the experiences of the World Cup and the Six Nations, where he has been so close”.
