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'Sometimes within the England team we do have that problem of egos or cliques or groups, people put on pedestals'

Sam Burgess in the RWC /Getty Images

Former England full-back Mike Brown has admitted he doesn’t hold a grudge against Sam Burgess after the league-cum-union covert blamed “individual egos and selfish players” for his country’s spectacular failure at the 2015 World Cup.

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Stuart Lancaster’s England bombed out at the pool stage of their home World Cup and the fallout that ensued resulted in Burgess, who had initially made his name in professional rugby with the NRL Rabbitohs in Australia, quitting union and returning to rugby league after a short-lived union career amounted to just five caps, his last three coming at the ill-fated World Cup.

Fed up with people blaming him for England’s 2015 failure, Burgess took to Twitter in November 2018 to fight his corner. He wrote: “I seem to be getting a few tweets regarding the RWC in 2015… still. If people actually rewatched the games I participated in, you will see I added to the team.

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Mike Brown joins Jamie Roberts on the latest RugbyPass Offload

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Mike Brown joins Jamie Roberts on the latest RugbyPass Offload

“What cost us an early exit was individual egos and selfish players not following our leader, which essentially cost the coach and other great men their jobs. Tournaments are not won by the coaching staff or one player. It takes a commitment from the full group. I guarantee you this: I was committed but others had their own agendas.

“I have fond memories of my time in rugby union and some great friends. One day I will tell my side of the story but, for now, I love watching England and cannot wait to see them as they prepare for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.”

Burgess did eventually tell his side of the story during a June 2020 appearance on the House of Rugby podcast, in particular venting about the alleged negative influence of his Bath coach at the time, Mike Ford, whose son George lost his place in the England team to Burgess for the crucial RWC pool game with Wales.

Recalling a post-finals meeting at Bath shortly before his exit from the club, Burgess said: “I will never forget his [Mike Ford’s face when I said: ‘I can’t respect you, I think you are a bit of a snake.’ I just felt that people behind the scenes were playing a deeper game. With George, Mike kind of infiltrated the camp; that is my take on it. After me starting against Wales, my relationship with George completely changed. He wouldn’t talk to me, he was a bit sulky.”

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Seven months later, England full-back Brown has given his take on the Burgess with England saga. Speaking during an appearance on the latest RugbyPass Offload show with Wales midfielder Jamie Roberts, Brown claimed he wasn’t upset by the ‘individual egos and selfish players’ accusation made by Burgess.

“Not annoyed at all because that is his opinion. He might be talking about me, I don’t know. I have never asked him. But he clearly has that opinion and who am I to say the guys weren’t acting like that? Who am I to say how he should be feeling about it?

“I can say that sometimes within the England team we do have that problem of maybe egos or cliques or groups, people put on pedestals. That comes with maybe not being centrally contracted, the match fees.

“You are all trying to not just play for England because it is England and that’s what you dreamed of, there is obviously a match fee bonus as well and it’s very, very lucrative and you want that so then you can end up with backstabbing and egos and things like that.

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“That can have a detrimental impact on team morale. That is not a great thing. Under Eddie (Jones) it’s slightly better in terms of cliques, so maybe that was what Burg’ was talking about. Again, I haven’t spoken to him one-on-one about it.

“I remember messaging him after he quit rugby and went back, just saying to him, ‘I’m disappointed that you have quit and you’re leaving rugby and going back to rugby league because I feel like we have all got a responsibility to try and change this and turn a corner with England and put things right but I respect your decision and really enjoyed working alongside you’.

“That’s the message that I sent to him because I still feel he could have been a quality rugby union player if he just stuck at it, but again who am I to say he should have done that with what he was going through and what he was having to deal with.”

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J
JPM 28 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 31 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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