TNT Sports
Knives out for Woodward
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Published 10/07/2005 at 15:23 GMT+1
Posterity will not be kind to the 2005 British and Irish Lions. Its harshest judgement will be reserved for coach Clive Woodward. The largest, most expensive and heavily publicised Lions side ever lost each of their three tests to the All Blacks by handsome margins.
Eurosport
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If they had played a fourth they would suely have emulated their unlamented predecessors in 1966 and 1983 by suffering a 4-0 blackwash.
Woodward employed 51 players and more than 30 support staff for a visit estimated to cost around nine million pounds.
The result was disjointed test sides who had never played together as a combination, compounded by Woodward's misguided faith in England players who won the World Cup for him two years ago.
"This tour has been about one person more than any other -- Sir Clive Woodward," said former England captain Will Carling.
"It's his responsibility, his failure. I'm staggered there have been so many mistakes and there are going to be as many questions in the weeks ahead."
Bizarrely Woodward said he considered the tour a success and added he would have liked to take more players to New Zealand and play more games.
Informed of Woodward's comments, New Zealand coach Graham Henry was, for once, nonplussed.
CLOUD CUCKOO
"I'm flabbergasted," he said. "I can't comment on that."
The Independent on Sunday had no such inhibitions. "Sir Clive in cloud cuckoo land to the last", was the headline over its match report.
Woodward was on firmer ground when he reminded New Zealanders that the World Cup was still in England and former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick said all blame should not lie with the coaching staff.
"A lot of the players did not front up," he said.
The lack of a single Lion to make any lasting impression on the New Zealand public makes the 2005 side probably the most disappointing to undertake the long trip to the two South Pacific islands.
In 1966 the Lions were dominated by one of the better All Blacks forward packs. But they still fielded Ulstermen Willie John McBride and Mike Gibson, who were outstanding five years later in the only Lions side to date to win a series in New Zealand.
The 1983 side fielded another Irishman in flyhalf Ollie Campbell who did not play at his best but who would have still been welcomed in the All Blacks side.
Flanker Peter Winterbottom, who learned his trade in New Zealand, also won their respect.
This year no Lion would have interested the All Blacks selectors after captain Brian O'Driscoll was injured in the opening minutes of the first test. And up to that stage O'Driscoll had not set the world alight, apart from a dazzling try in the defeat to the Maori.
Former Wales captain Eddie Butler, a member of the 1983 side, concluded that Woodward never had a chance to add to the laurels he won by taking England to the World Cup.
"The All Blacks looked at rugby after 2003 and decided to move on," he said. "The Lions played a rugby that was two years out of date. And it was cruelly exposed.
"Henry has outwitted and outflanked Woodward."
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