Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Come on England... | |
Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
Date/Time: | 05/10/15 12:18:00 |
It is naive to think that any England coach could have gone against both the clubs and the RFU to get the rules about overseas players changed. Lancaster's successor will have to operate under the same restrictions. If player numbers were the sole determinant of how well a national side does then England would have won every World Cup since inception. The problem with the English system is that it is very private school dominated and previously many of the most talented young players have had a range of career choices and not chosen rugby. This has meant that the potential pool of professional players is much smaller than the raw numbers suggest. England can get lucky from time to time and have a generation which includes the likes of Wilkinson, Dawson, Johnson and Dallaglio but this can't be taken as a given. As well as the 'pig in the python' effect I mentioned earlier on the increased competitiveness of schools rugby is probably also having an impact. The top private schools have significantly increased the amount of rugby scholarships they give out in a quest to win national competitions. They have also poured resources in to coaching. Elite rugby is becoming more and more concentrated in centres of excellence in about 20 schools across the country. There are obvious objections to this system but it does seem to be working at the moment in generating top quality talent. |