Clubs hampering England in All-Blacks fight

LONDON – Former coach Clive Woodward has waded into England’s club-versus-country row by claiming that the national side have “one hand tied behind their backs” as they seek to match New Zealand in the run-up to this year’s World Cup.

Woodward, who led England to victory in the 2003 World Cup, said he fully understood new coach Brian Ashton’s frustration over the willingness of English Premiership clubs to field their internationals this weekend, ahead of England’s Six Nations crunch with Ireland in Dublin on February 24. “It is not an easy job when you compare England with their major competitors – South Africa, New Zealand and Australia – and you see what they are doing,” Woodward said on Wednesday.”When you look especially at New Zealand, we are trying to beat them with one hand tied behind our backs.”Woodward, recently appointed as director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association, believes the England coach should be able to identify players that he thinks need to be rested before internationals.”You don’t want to say every player should be rested before big matches,” he added.”It doesn’t work for every player.For example Martin Johnson played better for England when he had played for his club the week before.”It is easy to say leave them all out but you have to treat it on its merits.It’s not about central contracts – that’s a red herring.It’s about making sure the England coach has the final say.If you have the right man in charge he should make the right decision.”Ashton took the unusual step of naming his team for the Ireland match on Tuesday, a week earlier than normal, in the hope that players who are down to start would be spared club duties this weekend.The move has had some success although it has been condemned as “emotional blackmail,” by Premier Rugby Limited, the company which runs the English Premiership.Crucially, star flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson has been assured that he will not be required to play for his club Newcastle at Bristol on Sunday.Having just returned to the international fold after three years of injury torment, Wilkinson has been left physically drained by his back-to-back appearances for England against Scotland and Italy, and his club decided not to risk him suffering another setback.Newcastle’s director of rugby, John Fletcher, explained: “Jonny has started two tough international matches, taken a lot of bumps and bruises, and we have reached a joint decision.”Leicester have also indicated that they will rest their England players with Martin Corry, Louis Deacon and George Chuter all set to sit out their match at Worscester.Tigers coach Richard Cockerill however insisted that it was the individual players’ welfare that was behind the move, rather than pressure from Twickenham.”We don’t over-play our players and I don’t think any other clubs do,” Cockerill said.”The welfare of our players comes first.You only have to look back to the autumn when Julian White was played four games on the trot (by England) and we had to rest him for three weeks after that.”We had the players’ interests first.England played him to near exhaustion.”Final decisions on which England players are involved in games this weekend will not be made until nearer the time but it remains possible that nearly half the 22-man squad could be running the risk of injury in the build-up to the Croke Park clash with Ireland.Mike Tindall and full-back Olly Morgan are both in line to play for Gloucester against a Saracens team that could include rugby-league convert Andy Farrell, Tindall’s partner in the England midfield.Jason Robinson and Magnus Lund are virtually certain to feature for Sale against Wasps, who could opt to rest England skipper Phil Vickery but play flanker Joe Woorsley and wing Josh Lewsey.Replacements Toby Flood and Mat Tait are both set to play for Newcastle.Nampa-AFP”It is not an easy job when you compare England with their major competitors – South Africa, New Zealand and Australia – and you see what they are doing,” Woodward said on Wednesday.”When you look especially at New Zealand, we are trying to beat them with one hand tied behind our backs.”Woodward, recently appointed as director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association, believes the England coach should be able to identify players that he thinks need to be rested before internationals.”You don’t want to say every player should be rested before big matches,” he added.”It doesn’t work for every player.For example Martin Johnson played better for England when he had played for his club the week before.”It is easy to say leave them all out but you have to treat it on its merits.It’s not about central contracts – that’s a red herring.It’s about making sure the England coach has the final say.If you have the right man in charge he should make the right decision.”Ashton took the unusual step of naming his team for the Ireland match on Tuesday, a week earlier than normal, in the hope that players who are down to start would be spared club duties this weekend.The move has had some success although it has been condemned as “emotional blackmail,” by Premier Rugby Limited, the company which runs the English Premiership.Crucially, star flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson has been assured that he will not be required to play for his club Newcastle at Bristol on Sunday.Having just returned to the international fold after three years of injury torment, Wilkinson has been left physically drained by his back-to-back appearances for England against Scotland and Italy, and his club decided not to risk him suffering another setback.Newcastle’s director of rugby, John Fletcher, explained: “Jonny has started two tough international matches, taken a lot of bumps and bruises, and we have reached a joint decision.”Leicester have also indicated that they will rest their England players with Martin Corry, Louis Deacon and George Chuter all set to sit out their match at Worscester.Tigers coach Richard Cockerill however insisted that it was the individual players’ welfare that was behind the move, rather than pressure from Twickenham.”We don’t over-play our players and I don’t think any other clubs do,” Cockerill said.”The welfare of our players comes first.You only have to look back to the autumn when Julian White was played four games on the trot (by England) and we had to rest him for three weeks after that.”We had the players’ interests first.England played him to near exhaustion.”Final decisions on which England players are involved in games this weekend will not be made until nearer the time but it remains possible that nearly half the 22-man squad could be running the risk of injury in the build-up to the Croke Park clash with Ireland.Mike Tindall and full-back Olly Morgan are both in line to play for Gloucester against a Saracens team that could include rugby-league convert Andy Farrell, Tindall’s partner in the England midfield.Jason Robinson and Magnus Lund are virtually certain to feature for Sale against Wasps, who could opt to rest England skipper Phil Vickery but play flanker Joe Woorsley and wing Josh Lewsey.Replacements Toby Flood and Mat Tait are both set to play for Newcastle.Nampa-AFP