Dallaglio - Andrew to blame

Former skipper lays blame at RFU chief's feet

Last updated: 21st March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Dallaglio - Andrew to blame

Andrew: Under fire

As manager, Johnson must accept responsibility, but the ultimate responsibility rests not with him but with the RFU's director of elite rugby, Rob Andrew.

Lawrence Dallaglio
Quotes of the week

Related links

Teams

Also see

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio believes Rob Andrew, Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby, must take his share of the blame for the country's current international slump.

Martin Johnson's side finished third in the RBS Six Nations on Saturday following a campaign which included two wins, two defeats and a draw.

While Johnson has taken a lot of criticism for the performances of the team, Dallaglio believes the blame must also be shared higher up the chain of command.

He insists RFU chief Andrew has failed to create a set-up "conducive to producing a world-class team".

Writing in his Sunday Times column, Dallaglio said: "As manager, Johnson must accept responsibility, but the ultimate responsibility rests not with him but with the RFU's director of elite rugby, Rob Andrew.

Wrong

"He is the guy who ensured that Johnson began his management journey from the wrong starting point.

"England no longer aim to be the best in the world, the players do not work in an environment conducive to producing a world-class team and, in this respect, we are short-changing the current generation.

"You only know how good a player is when he is allowed to work in the right set-up."

Dallaglio claimed Andrew had made a mistake in failing to bring highly-regarded kicking coach Dave Alred back into the RFU fold.

First appointment

"When last did an England team have a good kicking game? Andrew worked with Alred and knows how good he is, so why didn't he make Alred his first appointment?" Dallaglio added.

"This isn't just personnel; it is also about England's lack of an overall philosophy.

"(Former England coach Sir Clive) Woodward talked endlessly about world-class standards producing world-class players; he got us to focus on being the number one team in rugby, not just in European rugby."