Players got me the sack

13 April 2012

If it's any consolation to Clive Woodward, while none of the national teams I've coached have ever gone on strike, a club team did manage to get me the sack!

So I have some idea of the sense of betrayal Clive must have experienced this week.

I felt badly let down when the players I coached at Harlequins ganged up and got me the sack. I haven't spoken to some of them since. Clive must be feeling the same sense of grievance.

I can't think of anyone in English rugby that has done more for the England players than Clive.

He supported and defended them when the world's media launched allegations about off-the-field misdemeanours and he made sure they were treated properly by creating an elite environment where only the best is good enough for his squad.

Attention to detail has been his mission statement and he has achieved that and more. From employing the best coaches in England to providing the finest food for their diet, no stone has been left unturned as far as preparation and performance is concerned. Every whim has been catered for to such an extent that he has often been accused of pampering them.

If he has made a mistake it would be his entering into the pay negotiations between players and the Rugby Football Union - yet if he had not entered the fray a fortnight ago all hell would have broken loose then.

As manager he would have felt it his duty to try to salvage the situation as his employers, the RFU, are notorious for dragging their feet in these matters.

In addition, he would not have wanted three years hard work of creating this very good English team and the trust that they have enjoyed during this period, destroyed in one foul swoop by the actions of the paymaster.

Trust now becomes the vital ingredient in the whole sordid story and the continued success of this English team revolves around that element. From a coaching perspective, trust in players and players' trust in the coach is basically what sport is about as far as performance is concerned. After this week, one will have to question can it ever be the same again?

For most of the players, Clive has been a father figure, confidante, headmaster, best man and above all mate! Now he may have to draw the line, perhaps even redefine his role and distance himself from the squad which contradicts everything he has set out to achieve and is not what he believes in.

Yet in time these incidents have a profound effect on people and are stored in a dark corner of the memory bank and have a habit of appearing in times of stress - they never completely disappear.

How he reacts to this unfortunate predicament will be a true test of his management skills and he will be the first to admit his emotional and passionate love of England rugby has taken a knock, although those who know him well will not be surprised if this unfortunate affair is manipulated by Clive in order to galvanise the squad into a stronger bunch of men.

The only way now for the players to regain his trust and loyalty is to play their "socks off" in the remaining two autumn internationals against

Argentina and South Africa and although they have been portrayed as greedy, penny-pinching and spoilt brats by most of the media, this is not exactly correct.

They do have a legitimate grievance with the RFU and the situation was worse than desperate. However, they could have handled the matter with more tact and diplomacy which would have given their case more merit and with a modicum of communication to the outside world, could have achieved a groundswell of support, especially after their win against Australia.

If ever they owed a performance to the coach then tomorrow should be Clive Woodward's pay day.

Dick Best is the former England coach and is now director of rugby at London Irish.

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