English Rugby Turn to Flower, Ferguson and Brailsford

The RFU have revealed that they will be picking the brains of the most successful figures in British sport, including Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss, Sir Alex Ferguson and cycling guru Dave Brailsford, before settling on a new head coach and a structure designed to win the 2015 World Cup.

Ian Metcalfe, the Professional Game Chairman and RFU Board member, admitted that he has been impressed in the way English cricket, since Flower took over the helm in 2008, has prospered after the sport had reached a new low following a 5-0 Ashes hammering, a disastrous world cup and a drunken captain, Andrew Flintoff, falling off a pedalo, a spate of events which appear familiar to the union now.

“When you look back on where English cricket was with a whitewash in an Ashes series and similar sorts of issues around behaviour both on and off the field it’s been extraordinary to watch after Andy Flower’s appointment,” explained Metcalfe, who sits on the Warwickshire CCC committee.

“The appointment was through a head hunting process through a confidential process and with a strong leader in his captain, Andrew Strauss, and with support from people like (England Managing Director) Hugh Morris.

“Look at the job Phil Neale does in administration and logistics and the key skill coaches. They have created their own team ship rules. They have respect for each other despite having some really big characters in that team like Kevin Pietersen.

“You get a sense of a side which is together, which respects each other on and off the field. They have a leader that has created followers, and that is very impressive.”

Metcalfe went on to single out other high-achieving Olympic sports rugby should learn from.

“You also have to look at what we’ve achieved in rowing, swimming and cycling,” he said. “We need to draw on all these sports in any review and make sure we have genuinely world class support systems from strength and conditioning to medical, psychology or anything that can support the head coach.

“I would also love to talk to Alex Ferguson or anyone who can make a contribution and is willing to. Look at the success he has created and generated through a dynasty. There are relevant models in our sport, too. The All Blacks have created a self-perpetuating dynasty. Their win ratio is extraordinary. We are open to the best ideas from everybody.”

This includes former, world cup-winning head coach Sir Clive Woodward, even though he has been openly critical of the union’s handling of recent affairs.

“Clive’s been on the record saying certain things we can and can’t do but if he has a contribution to make in the appropriate way then that is fine.”

Metcalfe also insisted that the interim England head coach, selected before Christmas to take charge of England during the Six Nations, before handing over control to a new, long-term head coach, could achieve enough in the five-test tournament to stake a major claim for the top job.

“We haven’t said that whoever holds the job on an interim basis should not be entitled to be a candidate for it on a permanent basis,” he added. “If the team does a fantastic job then, absolutely, he will be considered in an open process with others who are interested and we are interested in.”

Meanwhile Stephen Brown, the acting RFU CEO, revealed that the union, in conjunction with the Premier League and the players’ union (RPA) will launch a series of road shows to tour the leading clubs to educate players and reduce the wide rift between the players and the union following the mishandling of the Dunedin hotel worker scandal during the world cup, and the subsequent leaking of confidential player views concerning fellow teammates and coaches.

“Trust has been lost and it’s up to us from the top down to earn back the trust of the players, the fans and the media,” he said. “The players have a part to play in that equation. It will be a job for the interim and permanent team to earn the trust back by the way they treat the players.

“Spending time with the players, explaining the importance of sponsors and understanding their demands to make sure we balance those correctly is important. We’re putting together a road show where we’ll go out to the clubs in conjunction with the PRL and RPA and spend time with the players. Senior people will be going to do this, including myself.”