SIR CLIVE: Why every England fan should be worried about RFU scheming

It has now been more than a month since England brought the curtain down on what was the worst Six Nations in their history. As the RFU continue to undertake their cloak-and-dagger review into the campaign, they are once again operating in the shadows. 

Last weekend saw a new record attendance for the Women’s Six Nations at Twickenham. The feelgood factor surrounding the world champion women’s team could not be further from the uncertainty, confusion and disconnect with their male counterparts.

This only reinforces my view that the leadership in place at the top of English rugby’s governing body is at best badly misguided. I really feel for Steve Borthwick because he will be going through hell.

I have been there. When the England team I coached lost their 1999 World Cup quarter-final to South Africa in Paris, I copped it from all angles. The media criticism was savage and the overriding consensus was that I should be sacked.

Such a situation was incredibly tough on me as an individual, but also most importantly on my family and friends. That pressure has a huge personal and psychological impact.

It’s exactly what Borthwick will be experiencing now and I can tell you, it’s not nice. Borthwick will be questioning whether he really is the right man for the job.

I was very clear in 1999 that the World Cup disappointment was something I had to learn from. I remember being shown a famous quote from Nelson Mandela at the time: ‘I never lose – I either win or learn.’

Being knocked out at the quarter-final stage was something I simply had to learn and build resilience from. 

There is, though, one big difference between Borthwick’s current situation and me in 1999. In my time, it was quite clear that I was appointed as coach by Fran Cotton and the late Cliff Brittle. I was very lucky to have them, especially Cotton. Less than a week after the Springbok defeat, I’d had meetings with both men and was told I was carrying on in the job.

Those few days of uncertainty were absolute purgatory for me, but they didn’t last long. Cotton and Brittle acted with full transparency and, most importantly, speed. I was told I would be there to lead England into the 2003 World Cup in Australia.

Everyone knew it was they who had appointed me and they who decided on me continuing. By contrast, current RFU boss Bill Sweeney is not only moving at a glacial pace, but also once again operating through nameless committees. We simply don’t know who the people deciding on Borthwick’s fate are and whether they are even qualified to do so.

What’s even worse is that we still don’t know who appointed Borthwick in the first place. Such a lack of accountability and transparency would not fly in any high-performing business. In my experience, committee thinking and anonymity only blunts the outcome. By all means gather opinions from trusted individuals. But having your reputation on the line sharpens the mind.

At this point, I must make two points clear. The first is that in no shape or form am I angling for a role at the RFU. That ship has long since sailed. The second is that it is my very real belief Borthwick is the right man for the present and the future. He should remain as England coach, up until the conclusion of the 2027 World Cup. He is extremely bright and will be learning from this experience without knowing it.

The key point here is that his future should have already been confirmed, giving Borthwick and the England setup the chance to learn and move on quickly to prepare for their Nations Championship opener in South Africa in July and beyond. 

On March 26, 12 days after the heartbreaking defeat by France, Sweeney did face the media. He offered no assurances over Borthwick’s future. Sweeney said England winning just one of five Six Nations matches was an ‘unusual outcome’ and necessitated a ‘deeper dive’. He added: ‘Clearly, there are some issues. We’ll get to the bottom of all of them.’

Sweeney must have ticked certain boxes to be in the position of RFU chief executive. But he needs to ditch the tracksuit and stay clear of all rugby matters regarding the England team. Stick to your suit, the balance sheet and the boardroom. Sweeney is certainly no Cotton, whose stepping away from the RFU was the biggest loss to English rugby since the game went professional.

Francis Baron, the RFU chief executive I worked most closely with, was also brilliant at not interfering, leaving me and Cotton to the England team.

Three weeks on from that Sweeney press conference, there is no sign of any clarity or decision. Borthwick won’t do this because it’s not in his nature, but if I were him I would go to Sweeney and Co and say: ‘You know who I am and what I can do. Hire me or fire me. Which one is it?’ 

Until that decision is made, the whole England setup is in limbo and that only serves to hinder the chances of bouncing back from the Six Nations and preparation for South Africa. 

The longer uncertainty hangs over Borthwick’s position, the greater it diminishes his credibility to the players, fans and opposition. Facing the Springboks, who have won back-to-back World Cups, in their own backyard is hard enough as it is. A lack of coaching clarity only makes that even harder still.

England need an English coach and Borthwick is, by a long way, the best young English coach. He needs the full support of the RFU, not the rubbish currently going on.

I would love to see the RFU ditch their committee structure, though it won’t happen. I admire the structures put in place by Premier League football sides Brighton and Brentford. Both have understood that the reality of football means their head coach will only be in place for a limited period of time, either through being poached by a so-called ‘bigger’ team or being fired if things go wrong.

Both teams have built incredible, unique performance divisions which stay in place regardless of the coach. It gives their coaches, who typically are on the less experienced side, a platform and support structure to allow them to perform at their best. 

I feel this is what Borthwick lacks in the RFU’s archaic system. Ireland, France, Scotland, South Africa and now Italy all have a system of this nature behind their very capable coaches. Borthwick, by comparison, appears exposed. 

As things stand, the silence from Twickenham is deafening. The people involved in English rugby’s big decisions are the wrong people operating without any accountability. Such a situation is a recipe for disaster. If Borthwick and the national team do turn things around this summer, it will be in spite of the RFU, not because of their help.

I really hope Borthwick is given the chance to do so and can prove his doubters wrong. If he does survive, he will look back at this moment as just a stepping stone and learning experience he had to go through. As Mandela said: ‘I never lose. I either win or learn.’