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Stuart Lancaster resigns as head coach after disastrous spell - OTD

By PA

10 Nov 2023

Rob Andrew and Stuart Lancaster - PA

Stuart Lancaster resigned as England head coach on this day in 2015 after his side’s poor showing at the Rugby World Cup.

England became the first host nation to be knocked out at the pool stage after a 28-25 defeat to Wales and a 33-13 loss to Australia at Twickenham.

A Rugby Football Union inquest into England’s performances saw Lancaster sacked after three years in the job – he took over from 2003 World Cup winner Martin Johnson in 2012.

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White talks about the return of his World Cup-winning Springboks

“I ultimately accept and take responsibility for the team’s performance,” Lancaster said after stepping down.

“I took on the role in difficult circumstances and it has been a huge challenge to transition the team with many hurdles along the way.

“However, I am immensely proud of the development of this team and I know that there is an incredibly strong foundation for them to progress to great things in the future.”

RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie said: “The Rugby World Cup was hugely disappointing for everyone associated with the England team and the subsequent review into the team’s performance was always intended to be extremely comprehensive, which it has been.”

Eddie Jones, who helped Japan to a historic 34-32 victory over South Africa in 2015, took over as England head coach and led them to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan before he departed in 2022 following a poor run of form.

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Comments

3 Comments

Pecos 428 days ago

It wasn't Lancaster, it was the hakarena, bad juju.

Grainne 431 days ago

Oh lord. Pure click bait. Stewart is an amazing man. Was hoping he might come back to Leinster if it didnt work out. Racing lucky to have him.

Quantum 431 days ago

It wasn't a disastrous spell, just a disastrous World Cup

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Comments on RugbyPass

Bull Shark 7 minutes ago

How law changes are speeding up the game - but the scrum lags behind

Definitely.

Doesn’t league have its own Rugbypass?

If they do, I wonder if the ous there are trying to introduce the scrum? Slow the game a bit to give their players and fans a breather from all the excitement.

176 Go to comments

Nickers 54 minutes ago

Scott Robertson has to take charge of his All Blacks in 2025

It was a Joe Schmidt masterclass of systems attack. Different players stepping in to fill the same role as they keep chipping away at the armour all designed for a very specific moment to happen, and when it inevitably does the right players are in the right place, and they know what they are looking at and what to do to capitalise. Polar opposite of the ABs who have lost the ability to even notice huge overlaps, let alone capitalise on them.

78 Go to comments

Nickers 59 minutes ago

10 of the best transfer signings for Super Rugby Pacific 2025

Such an injury prone group of players though, and a breakout season would be required from one of their 10s to guide them around the park for a whole season. That part has not changed about last year.

5 Go to comments

LA 1 hour ago

Three winners, three losers from the England Six Nations squad reveal

Spencer and Mitchell easily the best 2 9's in England ... but the SB/Leicester link is a powerful force ... and he'll come to regret it if results don't improve very very soon. (Drop Ford, Daly and Slade .... all had their day now, time to move on)

7 Go to comments

SD 1 hour ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

I well remember their astonishing victory over SA, the eventual champs, in the last WC.

17 Go to comments

MP 2 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

England are always in wee celtic heads.

17 Go to comments

MP 2 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

Commercial considerations have to be made, too. The number of Irish in Australia is tiny - less than 100 thousand. Good luck trying to sell an Irish lions to 900,000+ English expatriates in Oz.

17 Go to comments

MP 2 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

'Ireland have been the Premier team'. Sure thry have. Who could forget all their astonishing victories at the RWC.

17 Go to comments

RedWarrior 2 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

OK, fair enough. It looks like he has nothing to substantiate that English fans have an issue. The fact he is trying to bring in an irrelevant argument about TV (no idea what thats about) to bolster his non argument is a tell. You are correct.

I think it should be evens between Eng/Scot. Ireland will get slightly more on form + some 50:50s, Wales will get less on form.

"Looking at social media you could argue it is English supporters who are having the greatest difficulty with the likely greenwash of the Lions. But much like the switch of European rugby from BT/TNT Sport to Premier Sports, England supporters can’t always have their own way."

17 Go to comments

MT 3 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

I agree the tour should be made up of mainly Irish, recent success and the head coach being the Irish head coach makes that a fair enough assumption. I wouldn't be surprised to see 10/ 11 Irish, 2/3 Scottish and 1 or 2 at most English in the test team.

My point was why the need to bring England/ English fans into the article in the first place - felt like a cheap and unnecessary jab.

17 Go to comments

RedWarrior 3 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

They aren't. I am afraid that laurel is between the two "greats" SA and NZ. Maybe us NH folk should whinge more?

17 Go to comments

RedWarrior 3 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

I am not picking on England for the sake of it. I am just giving you the reason why England was singled out by the author. You may disagree with him but I don't understand whats behind your assertion that he doesn't believe what he is saying.

FWIW My perception aligns with yours in that most England rugby supporters are realistic and not jingoistic.

Another factor favouring Irish players is that even if a non player has same quality... the Irish players potential might be greater within the team because they are already trained in Farrells system.

17 Go to comments

Bull Shark 3 hours ago

How law changes are speeding up the game - but the scrum lags behind

It’s a pity they don’t play any games in the Northern Cape. There was a cold snap on or around the 6th of January whilst driving through the Karoo.

41 degrees. Celsius.

176 Go to comments

MT 3 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

I appreciate my comment could be whinging too, but most people seem to bring England into the conversation when that is not the topic. I find it strange how quickly people start talking about us. Dont know why the author can't promote Ireland without a jab at England either - does he not really believe what he is saying?

I also doubt English fans will criticise if there isnt too many English players on the tour. We are the most realistic about our team.

17 Go to comments

RedWarrior 4 hours ago

‘Like or it not, this Lions squad will be Irish. They deserve to dominate.’

He explains that on social media it is the English fans (as he perceives, may not be fat) who are giving out most about the likely dominance of Irish players in the Lions. Now you, another England fan, are giving out about something that happened in 2013.

17 Go to comments

JWH 4 hours ago

Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

Not the colour of his skin, but who his parents are. Both his parents are Samoan, he grew up in, played schoolboy and professional rugby in NZ. Just because NZ don't want him doesn't mean he can qualify for a team that has nothing to do with him.. For gods sake he didn't even have Irish citizenship until last year! His wife is also from New Zealand, so that doesn't seem relevant to him having ties to Ireland.

Bundee was born and raised in NZ, and every AB on the team as of last year at least played high school rugby in NZ, though some were on scholarship. That, however, is still a better basis of selection than paying U20 players to come to your country just so they can play for you in 5 years time.

'Professionalism' is present in football, another global sport, but I don't see nations paying young players to come stay in their country so they can play for them. I am not educated on the eligibility laws for International football, but I assume there is no way to do that.

This whole argument you have boils down to pilfering the PIs (including NZ) for players because the ones you have at home aren't good enough. That is just an outrageous opinion.

That is essentially colonialism, depleting the natural resources of a nation to fulfill the needs of your own, at the expense of the natives of the land. And here I thought the Irish hated British colonialism.

12 Go to comments

RedWarrior 4 hours ago

Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

Bundi Aki is an Irish citizen, married here, raising his kids here and proud to be so.

What so you mean by 'least Irish'. Are you talking about the colour of his skin? NZ didnt want him.

NZ have beefed up your teams with non NZ born players for many decades.

If you enforced a 'born in' rule NZ would probably have one World cup.

The world game needs to expand. If the big beasts do nothing to failitate that then expect professionalism to fill the gaps.

12 Go to comments

Bull Shark 4 hours ago

How law changes are speeding up the game - but the scrum lags behind

Growing up in Durban, I can tell you no one with more than half a brain played rugby in January.