Rugby World Cup: English press savage team ahead of Wallabies clash

MICHAEL Cheika has proven yet again he is a man apart at the RWC — he is just about the only person in country saying nice things about Sam Burgess.

England v Wales - Group A: Rugby World Cup 2015

MICHAEL Cheika has proven yet again he is a man apart at the Rugby World Cup — he is just about the only person in country saying nice things about the English team and Sam Burgess.

Cheika talked up England as a “formidable opponent” overnight despite a majority of media outlets and several World Cup winning coaches laying into them heavily in the wake of their loss to Wales.

A decision by England captain Chris Robshaw to not go for a goal — and a likely draw — in the dying minutes means the hosts face the disastrous potential of being knocked out of their own tournament in the pool stages should the Wallabies beat them as well on Sunday.

England’s 2003 World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward slammed the teams as “amateurs” and New Zealand’s 2011 winning coach Graham Henry said they’d “choked”.

Coach Stuart Lancaster was accused by former England captain Will Carling as having a “classroom orientated environment” towards the players that left them bereft of leadership.

Sam Burgess’ defence was exposed in the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium.

As far as Cheika is concerned, however, England’s loss by three points hasn’t made them a bad side and he is firmly claiming ownership of the underdog tag due to the huge advantage of playing in front of 80,000-plus fans at imposing Twickenham.

“They are playing at their home ground, number one, where inevitably they win,” Cheika said.

“It’s already a difficult challenge but we are playing a team in the World Cup in their home venue. They were the second favourites behind New Zealand at the start of the tournament and I don’t see just because they lost a game that should change. Playing at your home ground is a massive advantage, there’s no doubt about it. Especially in this tournament.”

“And of course they’ve beaten us the last time, they took it to us in some of the set pieces in the game. They are going to be a pretty formidable opponent, there’s no doubt about that.”

Burgess’ starting position in the team remains uncertain, with calls for to him to be replaced by the more attacking Owen Farrell at centre.

Cheika had several coffees with Burgess last year in Sydney as he was contemplating a switch to rugby.

Asked if he expected to see Burgess keep his position, Cheika said: “I don’t know.”

“Obviously I am a big fan of his, from his rugby league days as well. But I don’t know. I am sure whatever they do it will be difficult to deal with and we will have to find the answers,” he continued.

If the England coaching panel put stock in the words of the last coach to lift the World Cup, Burgess might be in strife.

Henry did not hold back in a newspaper column.

“In the end two things cost them: the centre combination of Brad Barritt and Sam Burgess, which did not work in defence or attack and the way at the end that they froze, or choked, call it what you will,” he wrote in the Guardian.

“Barritt looked like a fish out of water at outside-centre, even though he has played there before for England, and frankly Burgess was little better on the inside. Wales exploited the pairing defensively.”

England’s capitulation in the second half was hammered by Henry as well.

“England melted at Twickenham when the game against Wales was theirs to take and their decision-making fell apart,” he wrote.

Woodward hit similar themes in his Daily Mail column, and called for mass changes in the backline.

“England looked like a team of amateurs,” he wrote.

“England were all at sea defensively with Ford at 10, Farrell at 12 and Brad Barritt defending the 13 channel.”

Carling said on radio that Lancaster had not developed leaders in the team and operated a “a very classroom-orientated environment”

“What we watched in the last 10 minutes was a confused debate between people who have never been given responsibility to lead and drive the team. Instead, we’ve treated them as schoolboys,” Carling said.

England assistant coach Andy Farrell returned serve to Carling at a press conference.

​”​It’s disappointing, ​” Farrell said.

​”’Especially from someone who hasn’t been involved in the environment. Ask the players about the environment.

​”​I’ve been involved in many environments as a player and a coach as this is as good an environment as I’ve ever seen. It allows players to express themselves and get better as players and as leaders. It’s a work in progress obviously. ​”

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: English press savage team ahead of Wallabies clash