White Gold
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With Woodward no longer in the driving seat at Twickenham and the wreckage of the Lions tour being picked over by every rugby pundit in the world, it seemed as if the Woodward Way would be consigned to history. Never mind that it had brought England several years of unprecedented success and delivered the World Cup, something that they have not managed to accomplish since; no, as time passed it seemed to many that Woodward was just lucky – a crank who was fortunate enough to have a team of outstanding players who did the business for him.
‘Obviously, we all put in the work, lots of hard work to do it,’ said Jason Leonard of the long run of success that led to the World Cup triumph. ‘But there’s no point pretending that all that set-up just fell naturally into place, because it didn’t. It needed someone in there who knew what he was up to and who could have the arguments and stand his ground in order to get it. Clive took the long-term view and put things together so that if we did things right, applied ourselves and concentrated on what we were doing and where we were going, we could become world champions. He did his job, the team did theirs and as a unit we were good enough to do it.’
Woodward’s rugby legacy will, unfortunately, always be tarnished by the Lions tour. He made an astonishing, highly criticised and ultimately unsuccessful move into football coaching with Southampton in 2005 and from there he went into a role with the British Olympic Association, but he has never been able to lay the ghosts of that Lions tour to rest with a successful rugby comeback – despite repeated attempts to claim the role of performance director at the RFU.
His work with the BOA, however, saw the phoenix rise from the ashes. On 6 September 2006 he was made director of elite performance for the BOA before acting as deputy chef de mission at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he reviewed the practices at the Games in preparation for London 2012. He took his England rugby blueprint, adapted it with a host of necessary tweaks and applied it to Team GB. Critical non-essentials became watchwords all around the country as Woodward brought his obsessive attention to detail to Team GB’s preparations. He pushed hard for the utilisation of specialist coaches, encouraged and facilitated cross-sport cooperation and the sharing of ideas, and successfully managed to inspire 541 athletes across twenty-six sports to buy into the One Team philosophy, which they demonstrated with aplomb at London 2012. And he even brought his old muckers Dave Reddin, Dave Alred and Sherylle Calder along for the ride, each of whom had a significant impact on what would turn out to be a glorious summer for British sport, with Reddin in particular proving a star recruit as he built unquestionably the finest medical and training facilities in the Olympic Village.
And even though his tenure with the BOA would come to something of an acrimonious end in 2013, there is no doubt that the achievements of Team GB’s athletes at London 2012 were due in no small part to Sir Clive Woodward. If ever there was to be further vindication of his methods and practices this was certainly it.
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In July 2009 England won the rights to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Home advantage, which had failed to push them over the finishing line in 1991, might just give England the edge to re-enter the pantheon twelve years after Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-kick to glory in Sydney.
After a fairly miserable campaign both on and off the field at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand under the management of Martin Johnson, there was a coaching and player clear-out at the RFU and Stuart Lancaster was brought in as a temporary head coach before securing the job outright in March 2012. Lancaster’s new broom swept England to second place in both the 2012 and 2013 Six Nations and saw his team earn a notable Test series victory over Argentina in the summer of 2013, although the most impressive performance of his tenure came when England dismantled the world champion All Blacks at Twickenham 38–21 in December 2012.
The target for Lancaster and his squad is to repeat the triumphs of the class of 2003. Many of Woodward’s ways have been swept out since his resignation, but some still remain: Pennyhill Park, specialist coaches, an environment of no excuses. Lancaster is diligent, down-to-earth and a source of steady reassurance for his players. He is not a visionary or revolutionary in the mould of Woodward, but he has ambitions to build a team that can take on the world. Whether he is able to achieve this remains to be seen. While the ghosts of Woodward and the 2003 team still stalk every movement of their successors and the world awaits the flowering of another golden period for the red rose, it is important that the achievements of the Woodward years are seen as a benchmark to aspire to rather than a millstone around the incumbent’s neck. For now the triumphs of those years remain isolated in their splendour, but eyes must ever be on the present and the future – just as Woodward’s always were.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
BOOKS
Winning! The Autobiography of Clive Woodward by Clive Woodward
Mind Games: Inspirational Lessons from the World’s Finest Sports Stars by Jeff Grout and Sarah Perrin
Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born, It’s Grown by Daniel Coyle
Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential by Carol Dweck
Building the Happiness-Centred Business by Paddi Lund
A Social History of English Rugby Union by Tony Collins
A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union by Huw Richards
Sport in Britain: 1945–2000 by Richard Holt and Tony Mason
Clive Woodward: The Biography by Alison Kervin
Think Rugby by Jim Greenwood
FitzSimons on Rugby: Loose in the Tight Five by Peter FitzSimons
Will Greenwood on Rugby by Will Greenwood
Jonny: My Autobiography by Jonny Wilkinson
Will: The Autobiography by Will Greenwood
Finding My Feet: My Autobiography by Jason Robinson
Martin Johnson: The Autobiography by Martin Johnson
Me and My Mouth: The Autobiography by Austin Healey
One Chance by Josh Lewsey
Raging Bull: My Autobiography by Phil Vickery
Richard Hill: The Autobiography by Richard Hill
Nine Lives: The Autobiography by Matt Dawson
Size Doesn’t Matter: My Rugby Life by Neil Back
Full Time: The Autobiography by Jason Leonard
Landing on My Feet: My Story by Mike Catt
Lions and Falcons: My Diary of a Remarkable Year by Jonny Wilkinson
It’s in the Blood: The Autobiography by Lawrence Dallaglio
In Your Face: A Rugby Odyssey by Richard Hill with Michael Tanner
Agony & Ecstasy: My Diary of an Amazing Rugby Season by Martin Johnson
Graham Henry: Final Word by Bob Howitt
Blackie: The Steve Black Story by Steve Black
Team England Rugby: World Cup 2003, The Official Account by Team England Rugby
Grand Slam Champions: The Official Story of England’s Undefeated Season by Team England Rugby
Sweet Chariot: The Complete Book of the Rugby World Cup 2003, edited by Ian Robertson
Chasing the Chariot by Mick Collins
On My Knees: The Long Road to England’s World Cup Glory – A Harassed Hack’s Homage by Stephen Jones
Thirty Bullies: The History of the Rugby World Cup by Alison Kervin
Triumph and Tragedy: Welsh Sporting Legends by Peter Jackson, foreword by Clive Woodward
Alumni Montium: Sixty Years of Glenalmond and Its People by David Willington
Goodbye to Glory: The 1976 All Black Tour of South Africa by Terry McLean
Behind the Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions by Stephen Jones, Tom English, Nick Cain and David Barnes
Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland by David Barnes and Peter Burns
MULTIMEDIA
Time of Our Lives: World Champions 2003 England Rugby. Sky Sports.
Inside England Rugby: Sweet Chariot (DVD)
Rugby World Cup Glory 2003 (DVD)
Rugby World Cup 2003: England’s Story (DVD)
Jonny Wilkinson: The Perfect 10 (DVD)
Jonny Wilkinson: How to Play Rugby My Way (DVD)
www.hmsconway.org
ARTICLES AND JOURNALS
‘Woodward in a world of his own’, by Paul Ackford. The Sunday Telegraph, 20 August 2000.
‘Woodward’s back-seat drivers’, by Paul Rees. The Guardian, 3 October 2003.
‘Inside Clive’s World’, by Nick Greenslade. The Observer, 4 December 2005.
‘Woodward: Impulsive, but a man of principle’, by Peter Jackson. Daily Mail, 23 November 2000.
‘We didn’t win in 1999 because we weren’t ready to’, by David Walsh. The Sunday Times, 14 August 2011.
‘Art of statistics gives you an edge’, by Sir Clive Woodward. The Sunday Times, 11 November 2012.
‘It’s time to go on the attack: Why England’s humbling defeat must lead to new approach’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 17 March 2013.
‘England must play a brand of attacking and thrilling rugby that will wake up the world’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 31 January 2013.
‘Rugby’s great underachievers no more’, by Kevin Mitchell. The Observer, 5 October 2003.
‘The Big Interview: Steve Thompson’, by David Walsh. The Sunday Times, 4 January 2004.
‘The Big Interview: Josh Lewsey’, by David Walsh. The Sunday Times, 16 November 2003.
‘A genius made by lonely moments’, by Richard Williams. The Guardian, 24 November 2003.
‘Woodman clears path into England reckoning at last’, by David Hands. The Times, 8 November 2002.
‘Long shot! Andy’s back from the sun for final bid with Northampton’, by Chris Foy. Daily Mail, 11 May 2012.
‘My Life in Rugby’, by Dave Ellis. The Rugby Paper, 18 April 2013.
‘Farrell must learn from Jonny’s mistake when the French come to town’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 21 February 2013.
‘It took three of our best to stop the genius of O’Driscoll in 2003’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 6 February 2013.
‘Mat: Lewsey ran me over’, by Gary Payne. The Sun, 8 October 2008.
‘The power behind England’, by David Hands. The Times, 5 February 2005.
‘Secret of success’, by Nick Cain. The Sunday Times, 25 May 2003.
‘Fit and ready’, by Gary Jacob. The Times, 4 October 2003
Functional Path Training Blog: Dave Reddin interview.
‘Training has been brutal and we’re ready to do battle’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 13 March 2013.
‘A Gene for Speed: The Emerging Role of α-Actinin-3 in Muscle Metabolism’, by Yemima Berman and Kathryn N. North in the Journal of Applied Physiology. © 2010 The American Physiological Society.
‘2013 v 2003’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 14 March 2013.
‘Greenwood summons up the spirits of old glory’, by William Fotheringham. The Guardian, 19 November 2003.
‘I love playing mind games’, by Paul Rees. The Guardian, 30 October 2003.
‘Pick your Lions on merit... anything else is dangerous’, by Sir Clive Woodward. Daily Mail, 14 February 2013.
‘Rugby: Key is quality, not quantity’, by Sir Clive Woodward. The Sunday Times, 1 July 2012.
‘I hadn’t a clue what to do when it ended’, by David Walsh. The Sunday Times, 21 August 2011.
‘What Johnno did next’, by Stephen Jones. The Sunday Times, 17 September, 2006.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Clive Woodward in action for England during the tour of Argentina, June 1981. Getty Images
2. Earle Kirton, the former All Black fly-half who became Woodward’s Harlequins coach. He encouraged Woodward to attack from anywhere on the field.
3. Jim Greenwood. ‘He was an amazing, amazing man,’ recalled Woodward. ‘A pure genius. I learned so much from him – not just in terms of technique but in the philosophy of how to play and how to enjoy the game to its fullest.’
4. Chalkie White holds the JPS Cup with his Leicester players in May 1981. ‘Chalkie was a great guy to talk to,’ said Woodward. ‘He was always ready to listen to ideas that you might have. He might disagree with them, he might argue with you over opinions or points, but he would always listen. From a player’s point of view, that kind of open rapport with a coach is hugely important.’ Getty Images
5. Alan Jones. The Wallaby coach loved to think outside the box and was arguably the first rugby coach to introduce business principles to the sporting environment – an approach that would prove inspirational to Clive Woodward. Getty Images
6. England unveil their new coach. From left to right: Roger Uttley, Bill Beaumont, Clive Woodward, Frank Cotton and John Mitchell. “When I started in September 1997, I wouldn’t say it was through default as such, but it kind of just happened out of leftfield. And you just start. It’s like running a small business, you’re just in it and you’re flying by the seat of your pants. You think you’re doing all the right things but you don’t really know – you’re just doing it.” Getty Images
7. A new captain and a new era. Lawrence Dallaglio leads his team out to face Australia at Twickenham in the autumn of 1997 in Clive Woodward’s first match in charge. FotoSport
8. Jonny Wilkinson in action against Australia on the 1998 Tour of Hell. Although he was devastated by the results, the tour would have a huge impact on him. ‘I make a promise to myself – I am never going to feel this way again. I’m never going to feel so helpless, never going to feel so second-rate, never going to allow myself to feel as unvalued as that. Never. The day we were defeated 76–0 is one of the worst and most important days of my life.’ Getty Images
9. Returning to Twickenham after the Tour of Hell and with their front-line players returned to the starting line-up, England turn the tables on South Africa to win 13–7. Getty Images
10. Jonah Lomu repeats his 1995 World Cup demolition of England with another brutal performance in the 1999 World Cup group game that consigned England to a quarter-final play-off game and the prospect of facing South Africa in the quarter-final. FotoSport
11. Jannie de Beer kicks one of his five drop-goals that sent England out of the 1999 World Cup. ‘You learn from experiences like that,’ said Dallaglio, ‘and over the following seasons, Clive never let us forget how we felt on the journey home from Paris... He touched a raw nerve and when he saw us wince with pain, he touched it again and again.’ Getty Images
12. The moment many have marked as the true turning point in England’s fortunes during the Woodward years: the team celebrate beating South Africa in Pretoria in the summer of 2000. ‘We had come to South Africa and drawn the Test series 1–1 but we all knew we should have won it 2–0,’ said Dallaglio. ‘That tour convinced us all that Clive was the right man... We felt like we were part of an elite group.’ Getty Images
13. It takes twenty seconds to score. With the clock ticking deep into injury time against the Wallabies at Twickenham in November 2000, Iain Balshaw chips to the corner and Dan Luger gains enough downward pressure to score the winning try. Getty Images
14. Austin Healey celebrates scoring against Italy at Twickenham. England dominated in the spring of 2001 before the foot-and-mouth outbreak delayed the completion of the Six Nations until the autumn. ‘You’d wake up on a Saturday morning and no matter who you were playing, you were just so excited about the game,’ said Woodward. ‘It was real Jim Greenwood stuff, because you just knew your team was going to go out and play; you just knew.’ FotoSport
15. Jason Robinson shows the Twickenham crowd just how electric he is after coming off the bench against Scotland in 2001. ‘There was a bit of negativity around Robinson when we brought him across from rugby league,’ recalled Woodward. ‘But after a couple of games you had about four hundred people sitting around you shouting, ‘Bring on Robinson! Get Robinson on!’ Getty Images
16. Jonny Wilkinson
was hounded throughout the 2002 Six Nations clash with France by Serge Betsen, which cost England yet another Grand Slam. When England met France the following year, they would always ensure that the pressure on Wilkinson was eased by having a second playmaker alongside him in the midfield. Getty Images
17. Ben Cohen makes a break against New Zealand at Twickenham in November 2002 and flies in to score as England go on to record a famous 31–28 victory. Getty Images
18. Josh Lewsey returns to the England fold in dramatic fashion against Italy at Twickenham in the 2003 Six Nations and shakes up the back-three options available to Woodward just months before the World Cup. FotoSport
19. Jonny Wilkinson hammers Justin Bishop during the 2003 Grand Slam decider. ‘Jonny Wilkinson was magnificent,’ said Greenwood of his fly-half’s performance. ‘A man who leaves nothing to chance, he was awe-inspiring that day. We had our tactical differences, but after that match I vowed to always back him up. If he was willing to put that much effort in for a team then the rest didn’t matter.’ FotoSport
20. After five heart-wrenchingly close attempts, Woodward finally achieved his first Grand Slam as a coach. ‘Had we lost this game the ramifications would have been huge,’ he said in the aftermath of the match. ‘People would have said again that this is a team that cannot win the big games. If we hadn’t nailed this one, it would have been tough to recover and it would have made the months going into the World Cup even harder. We responded with a colossal performance.’ Getty Images