Conor O’Shea, the RFU’s Director of Performance, has been sifting through possible outcomes for a year and a half, even lining up a (not very?) short list. He will make a pronouncement after the end of the 2023 Six Nations, let’s say next April. So it has been a long drawn-out process.
And it will give Simon Middleton’s successor a bare couple of years to establish new structures before the next World Cup.
Need for a new voice
It was always unlikely the RFU would give SM a third go at the RWC. He has been in charge for nine years and has seen the transition from a basically amateur set-up to semi-pro to fully pro. The general assumption was, it was time for a new voice.
Since 2007 England has known only two figures in charge, Gary Street and SM. That’s called stability.
When to step down?
People have expressed surprise that Middleton has been retained till after the coming Six Nations. It’s a fine point.
Now or later?
Now: give the replacement the chance of five extra 6N games pre-RWC 2025.
Later: it’s far too late now for any incomer to establish their own principles pre-6N 2023.
Our own attitudes
They will tend to be very personal – who do we know? What’s our overall view of rugby? How much rugby have we seen and where? Whose autograph/selfie have we got?
You can sense my attitudes at http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2021/12/07/a-deserved-triumph-for-simon-middleton/
Combinations and possible arrangements of staff
These concern head coach and assistants. There are so many interlinked features here:
- How many? Same job specifications as before?
- Applications for head coach:
a. Retitle to manager?
b. Will either of Bemand and Deacon apply?
c. Man or woman or simply the best option?
Under point 1: three has been the traditional number for years, but that has meant individuals doubling up on their areas of responsibility (forwards-backs; attack-defence, etc. These days there are so many more aspects of the game covered by specialists. Would the RFU be prepared to add more assistants, or do too many cooks spoil the broth?
Point 2a: There might be a case for copying the pattern adopted by France who for many years had Annick Hayraud as manager, taking overall responsibility while her assistants got on with the onfield nitty-gritty. That set-up has now been abandoned.
Point 2b: It seems unlikely, but Deacon was the first forwards coach to sort out the Red Roses besetting weakness at the set-scrum (Matt Ferguson, Richard Blaze and Mark Luffman had all tried and only partly succeeded). He is much the youngest of the trio and will have his own personal ambitions. Many a club would be happy to acquire his services (compare Ferguson’s move to Northampton Saints).
Point 2c: There is a strong case for saying ‘simply the best’. That view is shared by a number of Red Roses, whom the matter concerns most directly. ‘Man or woman’? Many women would see the appointment of yet another man as a painful slap in the face, and there are women with outstanding credentials.
Giselle Mather has a far more distinguished CV than nearly anyone we could mention. She applied for the job that was given to Middleton in 2015. Her request was ignored by the RFU. Those were the days.
She is more experienced and better qualified than most, and knows the inner workings of English rugby better than any incoming foreigner could. Other leading contenders within the English set-up include Amy Turner and Jo Yapp.
World Rugby is trying hard to extend appointments for women, but at this top level the numbers remain distressingly few.
A parting Shot
Sara Orchard, the BBC’s main source of wisdom on all things women’s rugby, strongly advocates Anna Richards as England’s next head coach. England’s greatest failing has been losing to Aotearoa when it really matters. So choose a Kiwi to do the job.
In the world of cricket Australia replaces New Zealand as the party poopers. The ECB selected the Australian Lisa Keightley to replace the deposed Mark Robinson. England went on losing to the Aussies. We will soon see whether they can get that monkey off their back in the coming T20 World Cup.
Orchard points out that Richards has been consistently overlooked by NZR. We have to wonder why. NZR’s incompetence and neglect of the women’s game has been well documented, but is that why Richards has had to watch from the touchline?
I have stated before my distaste of England’s dependence on overseas appointments to set our sporting heritage to rights.
It’s a curious fact NZ women’s rugby has been chasing England for years now. The Black Ferns may view the Red Roses’ fully professional set-up with envy, but they conveniently overlook the fact that rugby in England takes a very back seat to certain other sports.
When rugby is the No 1 topic of conversation at every Kiwi hearthside, why this lack of support for the Black Ferns? Their reaction to their victory in the RWC final contained a lot of disbelief, of astonishment, that they were once again world champions – yet they had been five times before.
Final verdict
Whoever takes over, he or she will have a monumental task in acquiring the admiration and respect that Middleton gained from all quarters. It’s very hard to find any negative comments made about him. He deserves every credit.
He has the pleasure of bowing out in the grandest of settings, Twickenham Stadium, in front of what is already certain to be a new world record crowd for a stand-alone women’s rugby match. We must just hope that France don’t become the latest party-poopers.
