SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The sport should get up over lacking stars

The build-up to this Six Nations has not had the standard buzz and this can be a real concern.

Maybe it’s as a result of it has come so shortly on the again of the World Cup. Or the unavailability of star names, together with Owen Farrell, Johnny Sexton, Antoine Dupont and Dan Biggar.

But it’s a reality of life that gamers retire. No one can reverse the passage of time, so whereas Sexton and Biggar have been nice servants, they’ve moved on. I may settle for Dupont’s choice to overlook this Six Nations to play seven-a-side on the Paris Olympics. 

Having been director of sport for Team GB at three Games, I understand how particular they’re. It’s possibly a once-in-a-lifetime alternative. I like Dupont for pursuing his probability. We will undoubtedly see Dupont again taking part in rugby sooner or later.

For me, the larger worries are the variety of injured gamers not match to begin the match — or play in it in any respect — and that somebody of the standing of Farrell has opted to not make himself accessible out of selection. 

The lack of stars similar to Owen Farrell has left this 12 months’s Six Nations feeling considerably flat

England’s ban on gamers taking part in for international golf equipment solely additional contributes to the issue

Plus England can’t choose the likes of Henry Arundell and Jack Willis as a result of they’re employed by French golf equipment. The similar might be true of Farrell subsequent season. I keep that England ought to ditch the international ruling.

The Six Nations is arguably the No 1 rugby match. You may make a case for it being as massive, or greater, than the World Cup due to its unrivalled historical past.

While I hope I’m proved mistaken and that we see sensible matches and nice leisure, I’m unsure we will say forward of this 12 months’s competitors that it will likely be the top of the sport.

Rugby’s authorities need to get up and realise that the calls for of taking part in at worldwide stage at the moment are too nice for individuals who take to the sector, bodily and mentally.

We’ve seen Farrell step away from the very best stage due to abuse he’s suffered and the impression it’s had on him and his household.

France scrum-half Antoine Dupont is one other big-name participant lacking this 12 months’s match

Then there are the accidents. The likes of Marcus Smith, Romain Ntamack, Mack Hansen, Jac Morgan, Darcy Graham and Anthony Jelonch — to call however just a few — are all absent from a minimum of the beginning of this Six Nations.

Rugby wants its stars to thrive and develop. It can’t do this in the event that they’re within the therapy room, ineligible, or have made an energetic selection to not play.

‘Growing the game’ is rugby’s go-to phrase proper now. Six Nations: Full Contact — the Netflix docuseries on final 12 months’s Championship — kinds a part of doing that. Unfortunately, it left quite a bit to be desired. I used to be significantly unimpressed with the quantity of swearing that was broadcast and I used to be left completely gobsmacked when in one of many episodes, I heard Italy’s Sebastian Negri use the phrase ****. Many will roll their eyes at my sensitivity. But what sort of fan is rugby hoping to draw?

Formula One’s Drive to Survive attracted a brand new fanbase by opening eyes to the lives of the drivers out and in of the automobile. But in addition they celebrated their unimaginable bravery and talent.

As a former worldwide coach, I’m conscious coaches and gamers use swear phrases. I did. That stated, a lot of effing and jeffing doesn’t work over a protracted interval.

The Netflix docuseries Full Contact protecting final 12 months’s match left quite a bit to be desired

And within the context of making an attempt to usher in new followers to rugby, it was a loopy choice to have swearing broadcast so strongly and closely. I don’t assume it’s a great way to draw kids and households to rugby. I ponder additionally if there was additionally a missed alternative to convey the ladies’s sport into the identical collection.

For this Six Nations, the techniques curiosity me, particularly round kicking. At the World Cup, the statistics confirmed the extra you kicked the ball, the extra possible you had been to win. The established order is badly flawed as at present not one of the high groups are attempting something completely different.

This is a significant downside for rugby as a result of we don’t wish to see the ball within the air on a regular basis. The solely ones who appear proud of which might be the coaches, particularly these in command of defence. That was proven on Netflix, with France defence coach Shaun Edwards telling his gamers in no unsure phrases to ‘kick the f****** ball’ at any time when it was in their very own half. 

I simply don’t purchase into the concept you need to kick the leather-based off the ball to achieve success. And if that’s the case, rugby should do one thing about it and take issues out of the coaches’ palms. Fans don’t wish to pay cash to observe an aerial tennis match. While England usually are not the one workforce who kick quite a bit, I hope that after a settling-in interval, Steve Borthwick can evolve the workforce right into a larger attacking power and that England — and all groups — can create superstars of the longer term.