Why Stuart Lancaster's appointment is a win-win situation for England
The RFU have all but paved the way for bookies favourite Nick Mallet to take the job of head coach, with their decision to delay the selection of a permanent head coach until after the Six Nations.
While it could be seen that going into the 2012 competition without a permanent coaching staff in charge is a recipe for disaster, it does present England and its interim staff with a wonderful opportunity to do something different; to take risks, make some left of the field selections, all in the knowledge that for the coaching staff at least, there will be no repercussions.
Stuart Lancaster may just be the perfect man for the job. The former Leeds coach became head coach of the England Saxons in 2008, and in that time he has guided them to three Churchill Cups, winning 9 games out of 10. Granted, the opposition the Saxons face are usually no match for the second-string England side, but his association with the younger England players on the fringes of the first team could prove invaluable.
Martin Johnson's England was stunted by conservative tactics and selections; at times he was unable to remain objective with his squad selections refusing to drop players whom he had an affinity towards, and he repeatedly refused to select players based on current form. There was always a feeling of a win is a win, regardless of how England played. The result of this was when the dull, one dimensional way that England played didn't work, everything became rushed and desperate, and a mix of inexperience and stubbornness eventually led to Johnson's demise.
Lancaster and England can go into the Six Nations with a clean slate. If England finish in the bottom half of the table, it wouldn't be too surprising given everyone's comparative forms following the World Cup, and neither would it be a great disaster, as a new coach will be appointed in the not too distant future anyway. This will give Lancaster the freedom to do things his way, use his knowledge of the young England players to give the first team the spark so severely lacking in the World Cup.
With a host of youngsters such as Gloucester pair Charlie Sharples and Henry Trinder, Alex Goode, and Dave Attwood already familiar to Lancaster, as well as a number of other young players in outstanding form, it is a real opportunity for England to take a leaf out of Wales' book, and blood players early. It is also a chance for players selected to show to whoever does take control in the long term that they should be involved in England's plans.
England were criticised just as much for their off-field antics as they were on the field “ there was a feeling that for all this authority and presence as a player, Johnson didn't have control over his players as coach. It can't be ignored that there is a correlation between off-field indiscipline and on-field discord.
Lancaster has recognised the need to address this first and foremost, and according to players he has coached in the Saxons squad, he has the right attitude to do this. As chief of elite player development, he has the knowledge and skills to nurture both the young players and senior men who may have stepped above their station during the World Cup. Lancaster himself has vowed to revive both the discipline and standards of the England side, and this has to be the starting point when players meet coaching staff for the first time.
He will have no need to appease the powers that be either “ if the Six Nations goes badly, it won't reflect too terribly upon his character, whereas if it goes well, then it will boost his CV no end and while Lancaster has said his involvement in the England first team will not extend beyond the Six Nations, he may be a future option if his short stint is a success. This will ensure that he will not be a problem when the RFU announce his long-term successor, where a more experienced coach, say John Kirwan or Brian Ashton may have a more vested interest in their future in the side.
Alongside him are Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell. Rowntree is the sole survivor of the coaching staff from the doomed World Cup campaign, and the only one to have come out of the debacle in a positive light. The former Leicester man will be in charge of the forwards, while Saracens coach Farrell will coach the backs and defence, and Lancaster himself will lead attack coaching.
The future looks brighter than some may have imagined directly after the World Cup, and England fans will look forward to a fresh faced, exciting new England in the new year.
