Bracken: England lacking leaders

KYRAN BRACKEN believes England’s discipline problem stems from a lack of on-field leadership – and he warned it is not a problem that can be addressed overnight.

England have received eight yellow cards in their last three matches and have paid the price for a high penalty count throughout Martin Johnson’s regime, particularly in the defeats by Australia and Wales.

England’s attack coach, Brian Smith, this week accused referee Jonathan Kaplan of bowing to pressure from the Wales camp and not being even-handed at the Millennium Stadium.

The International Rugby Board reprimanded Smith for his comments – and Bracken insisted the fault lies not with the referee but with England captain Steve Borthwick and his senior players.

The former England scrum-half said: “One of the biggest questions for me at the end of the game was why were two English players sent to the sin-bin and no Welsh players? They were killing the ball just as much.

“Maybe that poses a question mark over leadership. Were the players talking to the referee in the right way, saying: ‘We have been sent to the sin-bin a few times, why aren’t they?’

“England now have a bit of a reputation for that. They need a lot more competition at fly-half and for the captaincy as well.

“I think Steve Borthwick is a good captain, despite what the press might say, but he needs leaders around him.

“Martin Johnson had Jason Leonard, Lawrence Dallaglio, Matt Dawson, myself, Jonny Wilkinson, who could lead, so Martin Johnson could play his rugby.

“Who else is going to lead by example and become winners?”

Bracken believes England miss Wilkinson, who is in the final stages of recovering from a knee injury, more than ever after changing personnel at fly-half for the seventh time in 10 Test matches.

Toby Flood has replaced Andy Goode for the trip to face Ireland at Croke Park this weekend and, while Bracken rates the Leicester fly-half as a promising young player, his goal-kicking is not in the same league as Wilkinson’s.

Flood missed a crucial kick in the closing stages of the defeat by Wales that could have offered England a lifeline, while Goode lost his radar in the opening win over Italy.

“England still look to me like a group of individuals and a group with only a small number caps. Compare that to the team they will play this weekend in Ireland,” said Bracken.

“You have got Brian O’Driscoll with 60-odd caps and other players with 80 or 90 caps. Ireland are playing extremely good rugby. They will be very hard to stop. It will be a tough task.”Bracken backed Johnson to take England back to the summit of world rugby but he warned it would take time for those experienced players and the key leaders to develop.

“A lot of former players go back into management and coaching because they miss the buzz of the lads and the gladiatorial thrill of taking on another team in a big stadium and winning,” said Bracken.

“It must be extremely hard and challenging for him right now.“People need to understand that, for Martin Johnson to get the success he craves, it will take time.