Humiliation - and the RFU are to blame

I HAVE never felt so humiliated in my life. I was squirming in my seat by the time the Australians had run in their half-century.

My immediate thoughts were for Clive Woodward, his coaching staff and the players. They've gone out there without the guns to hit back. And it's really not there fault.

And I can tell you exactly who is to blame if you're looking for scapegoats - it's the Rugby Football Union. Their policies over the last two years have led to this.

They have left us in this situation where our international side can no longer hold its own, even against Australia, who are the weakest of the Southern Hemisphere sides.

Thanks to the RFU, England are now a second division rugby nation with a World Cup coming up in Britain next year.

I've called the RFU "the running sore of international rugby" and they're not too happy about that, but I can't stand to see this happening to our game.

I can't name names when it comes to laying the blame because it's the whole structure of the RFU which is at fault.

Should this inexperienced England team come home? No, you can't bring them home now, not when we've made a commitment to playing these Tests during the summer.

Really all we can do now is support Clive and the lads in their Tests against New Zealand - twice - and South Africa, but I can't hold out too much hope after yesterday's result.

Clive admitted to me on Friday night he didn't even know how he was going to play against the Australians. He just didn't know enough about the players he's got with him.

You can't blame him and you can't blame the players - it's the RFU. I've made my position quite clear.

I believe our players play too many mediocre games for their clubs when the top players should be playing fewer games at a much higher level.

I also believe that the international players should be signed up by England first and the clubs second to prevent this continual conflict of loyalties.

That's the way they do it in the Southern Hemisphere, and that's what we should be aiming for here if we are to stand any chance of catching up.

Everybody's making a big deal of the so-called agreement between the RFU and the clubs but it has solved nothing. It hasn't taken the game on at all

Just look at that score. 76-0 is hardly ideal is it?

Sure, a lot of our top players are injured, but they weren't injured enough to stop playing for their clubs. The RFU have only got themselves to blame.

Now we have to be positive for the next Test in New Zealand. Well you can only hope, can't you?

Copyright 1998 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.