Martin Johnson Resigns

[kayakamina]

Matin Johnson has resigned as England Rugby manager.

Great player but a poor manager.

[T&S]

He was useless...

[jno]

a bit of a scapegoat for the RFU meltdown above his head and stupid players below. But the world cup tour was poorly managed, and he was the manager, so it's right that he should carry the can.

[jackthehat]

He never seemed to be able to make the disconnection from being a player.

An incredible captain for his national team, though.

Perhaps, he will come back as manager at some stage, though?

[jno]

I don't think he'd had any managerial or coaching experience at all when he was given the top England job, jack, so it was a high-risk appointment from the start, and another sign of the administrative chaos in the RFU - they'd just sacked one coach in the wake of a world cup (in which England actually got to the final) and needed another one in a great hurry.

[kayakamina]

I have a feeling they will go back to Clive Woodward - big mistake!

[jno]

Woodward did well enough with the world cup, less so with the Lions. But he got a second chance after the 1999 cup (as Graham Henry did after 2007), which Johnson has just been denied.

There is something to be said for giving people a while to grow into the job and build up a squad. As Henry pointed out, out fo 20 or so big teams at a world cup, 19 will go home without sinning - does this mean that 19 of the top 20 rugby coaches should all be sacked at once?

[jno]

ahem. Go home without *winning*

[SeaJayPea]

Spot on jno. The RFU is a shambles at the moment. And I've the feeling that the man responsible for much of the England team's problems right now is Rob Andrew.

[flip_flop]

This is yet another mistake by the RFU - Will Carling, once again, has been proved right.

It was a poor World Cup - nobody can deny that - but Johnson should have been given full support from the RFU and allowed to continue. He was talismanic as a captain and I believe he would have grown into the job and been equally as succesful a manager as he was a captain.

We've got some great youngsters coming through the ranks at the moment, some who have already played for England and some who have yet to play, and I honestly believe Johnson would have been able to mould them into world beaters by 2015.

A great shame.

[emmie]

i wouldn't say he was useless, and i'm sorry he has resigned, so who is in the frame for the job, better have a thick skin

[kayakamina]

I agree with seajaypea that Rob Andrew has a lot to answer for. I recall when he took over from Martin Johnson in New Zealand in 2008 when Johnson had to return home to be with his pregnant wife.
There was the drunken shenaningans which led to 3 players being inviewed by the police for a serious sexual assault on a young girl. Andrew insisted that he had no control over the players & refused to accept any of the blame for the resulting shambles on pitch.
Now however Tindall's behaviour so appalled him that he gave him a £25000 fine and, to all intents, ended his career.

Andrew is a genuine Teflon man - nothing sticks and he is the premier survivor.

[elgreco]

Johnson made some poor decisions as manager. His team selection was poor. His squad selection seemed governed more by old friendships than current form. Wilkinson, Tindall and Moody as captain when he was obviosly injured and not match fit.

As for a replacement, then please dont appoint Henry. He failed to pick Shane Williams for 2 years because he was "too small". After Henry left, Williams was back in the team and voted World Player of the Year.

[Philtaz]

Shame it didn't work out for Johnno, fantastic player and servant to his country and the Lions but his success there unfortunately failed to manifest itself whilst he was coach.

Strange selections aside, he was (as I alluded to elsewhere) very badly let down by some of the senior players. He kept them on a long lead when it's now obvious some needed reeling in.

Hope he's able to make an impact elsewhere within the game, his pedigree and record as a player should allow him to do so.

For my tuppence worth I reckon it'll be Mallet for the job, but who knows?

[Nibble]

Unfortunately, the manager always pays the price for underachieving players, overachieving egos, & dubious decisionmaking. Talk about a poison chalice for the next poor scapegoat....

[jno]

Shaun Edwards has been snapped up by Wales again - at least they've got their act together. He'd expressed an interest in working for England, but he says they haven't even called him. Is anyone really going to want the England job? With massive dysfunction all around it?

[jno]

Eddie, yes, Henry is a good coach - but never represented his country at all. Ditto Gatland.

[Philtaz]

Don't know about that jno, I think you'll find Gatland played 17 times for the All Blacks.

http://stats.allblack.../Profile.asp?ABID=304