English rugby’s ruling body has responded angrily to criticism of coach Brian Ashton by England World Cup stars Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt.
Dallaglio and Catt have both accused Ashton of failing to properly prepare and organise England during their run to the World Cup final.
England recovered from a dismal start to their campaign in France and were eventually only beaten by South Africa in the final. But that didn’t stop two of the team’s senior players expressing their displeasure at Ashton.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) are reviewing England’s World Cup performance and have yet to decide if they want to keep Ashton, but they remain publicly supportive of the coach.
An RFU statement on Wednesday read: ”The board recorded their extreme disappointment that two senior players have chosen to criticise publicly members of the England coaching team and disclosed alleged proceedings within England team meetings.
”The long-standing ethos of the game, as well as the custom and practice of the England team meetings, is that they have always been private and confidential.
”It is essential that the fundamental trust between players and coaches, which is critical for any team’s success, is not undermined.” — Sapa-AFP