Clive Woodward's comments about Conor O'Shea have been roundly condemned

Comments made by Sir Clive Woodward about Italian headcoach Conor O’Shea following England’s thrashing of Italy have been roundly condemned.

England ran in eight tries as they outclassed and overpowered Italy 57-14 at Twickenham to stay in the hunt for the Six Nations title.

Eddie Jones’ side were in total control throughout on Saturday as tries by Jamie George, Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi and Brad Shields had the bonus point in the bag and a 31-7 lead by halftime, with Tommaso Allan grabbing the visitors’ lone score.

However in the ITV post-game coverage Woodward questioned Conor O’Shea’s demeanor before the match in Twickenham.

Addressing the panel, Woodward said: “Conor, great guy and all that stuff but he is smiling and joking before the game and I think that’s not professional sport”.

Twitter didn’t take kindly to his words:

https://twitter.com/rpetty80/status/1104455835542003712
https://twitter.com/JoeMarler/status/1104457000736489474
https://twitter.com/rava_ian/status/1104457601604075520
https://twitter.com/TonyCarterBurns/status/1104461804875538432
https://twitter.com/goatteeboy/status/1104455962587471872
https://twitter.com/LordSparky/status/1104458161937895426
https://twitter.com/peterjarrett3/status/1104462896531152899

Ironically, O’Shea credits a meeting with Woodward as changing his career when they met in a hotel in 1995.

“I was pretty disillusioned with rugby,” he told the Irish Independent last year. “It’s funny how Clive changed things.

“Bringing over so many Irish guys (to London Irish) kicked the IRFU into saying we have to change and that’s how the Irish rugby system we see today was born. And he introduced me to my future wife too. So that has to be good!”