Five controversies that sent Stuart Lancaster through the England exit
Cross-code convert Sam Burgess came to signify England’s dreadful World Cup. The rugby league star made the 31-man squad despite being in union for less than a year and providing little evidence that he had adapted to the sport. Lancaster went even further by selecting him for the defeat to Wales – and the failed experiment ended with Burgess returning to league in Australia after the tournament.
England seemed set on a more expansive brand of rugby with George Ford as fly-half and Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph as the midfield combination. But Ford was suddenly jettisoned for the Wales game with the kicking skills of Owen Farrell preferred, while Burgess’ promotion also smacked of a more conservative approach which belonged to a past era.
Lancaster’s lieutenants Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree were confined to limited roles for the closing World Cup game against Uruguay as the pressure told on the England camp. The pair were found guilty of confronting referee Roman Poite in the tunnel during the heavy defeat to Australia which effectively sealed England’s elimination from the tournament.
Post-tournament reports suggested some England players lost a combined total in excess of £100,000 after allegedly being persuaded by kit man Dave Tennison to invest in an oil drilling firm. The shares subsequently plummeted in value to leave players out of pocket, although it is understood Lancaster and his coaching team had no knowledge of Tennison’s supposed shares advice.
Full-back Mike Brown, one of the few England players to emerge from the World Cup with any credit, gave an insight into the dressing room culture under Lancaster when he complained that leaked stories meant that he could not trust any of his international team-mates. Brown said whoever was in charge for the Six Nations next year would have to “sort out” trust issues.
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