IF THE last 12 months amounted to much for England, it was the glorious chaos of the World Cup and Martin Johnson drowning in the maxim of grind and hard work. For some time in New Zealand it was as if Johnson’s belief was that the old bulldog was in there somewhere – that he needed only to oxygenate the squad and the full blossom of English might would show.
He may have had some right to feel that way as England travelled to France in 2007 with much the same questionable form and fumbled a World Cup final, losing to South Africa 15-6 in St Denis.
In the collective Twickenham mind it took a small leap of faith to believe that if a poor team could pull a final in Paris, the triumph of 2003 was not too far behind.
Beaten by France in last October’s quarter-final, it all came crashing down, prompting withering commentary on both the team and the architects in the English RFU and their chaotic squabbling.
The optics have been poor.
Defaulting to boorish frolicking on down days highlighted not just questionable judgment but, more unforgivably, unappetising and ineffective rugby.
The effective fining and firing of Mike Tindall for his Queensland drinks night was a sticking plaster approach, too late and even then applied in anger. But a peek at the inner sanctum through leaked documents shone a light on even more ugliness within the camp.
The accusations made were personal and divisive. Arrogance, pampering; select groups within the squad influencing selection, money grabbing and a lack of respect were but a few. The players’ betters were no more admired, embroiled as they were in a board-room war, dog fighting for position. English rugby’s biggest indiscretion was that it embarrassed the very people who supported it.
While the rest of the world gloated, the appointment of Stuart Lancaster as interim coach has, at least, adroitly addressed
one of the core issues. His spare north-of-England values has him in early credit. During his tenure, however long that might be, the “arrogant England” epithet will be the first thing to be torn down.
The antithesis of the public school persona he has already ensured players are firmly disavowed from any notion of innate superiority. It’s a start. Lancaster has cleverly played to the public gallery.
“I’m from a working-class background, I worked on a farm, I spent a lot of time with a club (Leeds) that struggled and fought its way through the leagues and those things are important to my values,” he said.
“My message is that you will get respect if you act responsibly. This is a new team and I would be disappointed if in six to 12 months people termed us as arrogant.”
A clear-out of many of the old guard has helped as did replacing an England training camp in Portugal with one at a junior club in northern England. Deep Heat for factor 15 hit the right note.
“I want us to be known as a humble, hard-working team who represent England with pride,” he said.
Other nations will look on with interest.
Lancaster, who knows what is emerging from his coaching years with the Saxons, has made 15 changes to the July 2011 senior squad, including first-time call-ups for several.
Saracens centres Brad Barritt and Owen Farrell, Northampton Saints duo Lee Dickson and Calum Clark, and Scarlets’ number eight Ben Morgan are included. Other established names such as Ugo Moyne and Matt Banahan have been relegated to the A side, which is also littered with new names. Freddie Spencer, who is 21 years old and teenager Brad Spencer make up the half-back pairing there.
Determined to stick to his hard-line approach to discipline, Lancaster’s appointment of Chris Robshaw as England captain this week was overshadowed by Delon Armitage’s arrest following an alleged assault in a Torquay nightclub.
The 28-year-old was immediately suspended from the Saxons squad.
England are in flux, a transition that only France in their inimitably self-destructive way can match. They too have Philippe Saint-Andre replacing Marc Lievremont, while Italy have a new coach in Jacques Brunel.
Wales did their blooding prior to the World Cup and Warren Gatland will stick with that Welsh crew, while Scotland, despite lacking the X-factor in their backline, have the same World Cup squad with six new faces.
If the Heineken Cup can be a measure, Saracens are the only team from the English Premiership still standing.
That’s matched by one from Scotland (Edinburgh), one from Wales (Cardiff), Clermont and Toulouse from France, and three Irish provinces.
Any real rule of how far England have emerged from the mire will be derived as much from how they look on the pitch, how they carry themselves and what ambition they show, as from their Six Nations placement come March.
Their first challenge is to regain respect.
The bar is set low.
Ireland may look to the competition each year with a necessarily conservative eye and little experimentation, but England seek longevity beyond the championship, the June tour to South Africa and the November internationals.
Despite Lancaster hoping for short-term gains to bolster his own position, England are looking all the way to the 2015 World Cup, which they host.
More immediately, Scottish aspirations of winning the Calcutta Cup in their opening match are warranted.
Inevitably, with the new voices and players, England will improve as the tournament progresses, which leaves Ireland poised to ask questions on St Patrick’s Day in Twickenham.
The English Lion maybe licking its wounds. But this year all they look for is a spark, some encouragement.
For now that’s quite enough.
