Steve Thompson: Trying times for England
Steve Thompson believes there where people who were intent on "tearing" England apart during their disappointing World Cup campaign.
England's time in New Zealand was overshadowed by a number of off-field incidents that ensured that the team stayed in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The Rugby Football Union have since announced that they will investigate whether any members of the squad contravened their code of conduct.
However, while admitting that mistakes were made, Thompson believes that there where forces working against the team.
"It felt like from the day we turned up in New Zealand certain people were intent on tearing us to shreds," he wrote in his ESPNScrum column.
"Obviously some things have happened off the field but it was interesting to see Wales coach Warren Gatland say that his side are not whiter than white the other day.
"We haven't performed as well as we should have and some players got things wrong and they got reprimanded for that. They have apologised and we moved on but sometimes these issues get dragged out in public rather than people focusing on the rugby."
Despite being knocked out at the quarter-final stage by a French team they were expected to beat, Thompson believes that the team did not play that badly.
"Some of the combinations may not have worked as planned but I still think we played some good rugby even in the defeat to France." he said.
"We threw the ball around and produced some of our best rugby only for a few dropped balls and a couple of missed tackles to cost us. The fact that France have now made the final just adds to the frustration but fair play to them, they got the result they needed against us and Wales."
At the age of 33, many would expect Thompson to be considering international retirement, but as he begins a new chapter with Wasps, this appears not to be the case.
"Looking ahead, there is no way I am going to retire from international rugby," asserted the hooker.
"People may be saying I'm too old but if I am playing well for Wasps then I want to be playing for England. I want to wear the England jersey again but we'll see what happens. I don't know what is going on coaching wise and there is all this talk about various inquiries, but the hunger is still there and I am convinced this squad can still do something special."
Comments
jose_jones says...
The English players themselves mostly Mr Thompson.
Act like a professional, be treated like one.
Posted 16:04 19th October 2011
RuckingKiwi says...
People are out to get me too....
.. the government mainly!
Posted 23:07 18th October 2011
StunTheMullet says...
If the media out to get them consists of the UK tabloids then guess it was an own goal.
Posted 21:41 18th October 2011
pastetaster says...
Thompson really should give the media a break. They were just doing their job and the English team provided all the content required.
By far the most interesting and newsworthy aspects of England's RWC were off the field (semi-royal philandering, dwarf throwing and unprofessional boarishness).
They were a load of rubbish on the field.
Posted 19:46 18th October 2011
irishinlondon says...
What a tool!! Actually made me laugh though, its up there with a PDV interview
Posted 19:42 18th October 2011
KiwiRooster says...
I think the author of this article meant:
"England out to get some"
Posted 16:57 18th October 2011
APV1 says...
I think I've understood this with a different view of his point - wasn't he trying to suggest that the media were out to get us, not the fans, ref's or other teams? If that was his point, I have to agree.
Whilst we did, admittedly, give the bloodsuckers opportunities for sensational headlines, regardless of their merit and truth, they were also looking for it. However, perhaps we should have been better prepared than this? Wood Clive Woodward have let the players get in these situations? Probably not. Because he and his (enormous) entourage had every base covered in 2003. We had lawyers (which were needed - 16 men on a pitch, for example), peripheral vision coaches, massage therapists, doctors, logisics specialists, etc, etc, etc. At the time I thought it was all a bit OTT, but now I wish MJ had done the same. If we had a PR expert - the England Team Spin Doctor - we would have managed the press better.
I'm not saying we didn't do things, or that we didn't deserve to be pulled up about them. But the Tindall thing was a storm in a tea-cup, as was the ferry jump. The bouncer sold the cctv footage and has been repremanded for this since. But if it weren't for the tabloids, he wouldn't have had a buyer. I've critisised those who did it, as they let themselves and England down and left us all open to critisism and ridicule. The hotel thing's a bit difficult... Honey-trap? Perhaps. Idiots who should have known better? Certainly.
Our press are some of the best and some of the worst. Our paps are, on occassion, dispicable - phone hacking springs to mind. So we should know that we're going to be under the spotlight. And, as many have pointed out, people love to hate us. And love to beat us - when we let them..!!! ;-)
@ cuw31 - England are # 1 ranked Test cricket Team in the world, India are # 3. England are ranked # 5 in ODI's, India are # 4. Prat.
Posted 16:05 18th October 2011
jamesliveinhope says...
Odd view of England's play - To suggest England have been poor throughout the tournament is disrespectful to Scotland and Argentina who did a very professonal spoiling job on them. That England still won those games is a credit to England.
Which makes the performance against France all the more inexplicable - they played like they were chasing the game from the kick-off.
I do agree with the "out to get us" remarks though. Although I'm not sure what England expected.
It started with the fuss over the kit, (no such problems apparently for the Welsh). The having a good time (Cory Jane and Israel Dagg hardly got a mention). The penalty count - about the same or less than everyone elses.
I actually quite enjoy the pantomime villain thing but the press have been pretty vicious this time around. The doorman caught selling the CCTV footage kept his job, I wonder what bonus he got for selling the stuff (which just showed people having a good time) which could have cost a guy his marriage. It makes you wonder if the lady "humiliated" by the behaviour of Haskell at al would have been quite so hurt if it had been an All Black group making the lewd suggestions.
Nothing to do with the rugby but I can't help feeling that the behaviour of the host press overstepped the mark a little.
Posted 14:35 18th October 2011
lawynd says...
@cuw31 - what 'pompous poms' are you referring to? The headline is actually rather misleading, and Thompson does have a point - no other team had nightclub bouncers going out of their way to steal CCTV footage to sell or had national newspapers jumping on everything, something many non-English posters on here were quick to join in with the condemnation of as well. England made plenty of mistakes and, if you read the article and others from the England management, you'd have seen that these were acknowledged. Don't let the facts get in the way of your well-honed and nursed gripe though.
Oh, and as for the cricket, England are the number one ranked test team in the world. They are currently playing ODI against a team ranked above them in that format, so I don't even know why you mentioned it, given that you clearly know nothing.
Posted 13:50 18th October 2011
Stevester says...
Oh Please! What a load of grovel and puke.... Your attitudes are the most arrogant and your off field behaviour is the worst in world rugby, the old days of getting hammered on grog on tour's and playing the fool are well and truly ancient history. It's called the professional era.... Hello!
Sorry @Jaystarr nothing comes close to the laughable subjective "cry me a river" conspiritorial sour grapes tripe that you and a few other posters have been dishing out! Nice attempt at defelction though..... pffffftttttt!
Posted 13:30 18th October 2011
JayStarr says...
LOL @ all those people who I've had to listen to over the last 2 weeks saying South Africans are conspiracy theorists...
Some of our fans might go in that direction sometimes, but not once has one of our players come out with rubbish like this (or like that Samoan dimwit)...
So please suspend your selective memories right now and take note.
Posted 12:51 18th October 2011
JamieTheProp says...
Well the England team certainly haven't made it easy for those of us who travelled half way around the world to watch them play defend them. They were abject on the pitch and behaved appallingly off it.
That said we English know that all teams love to beat us and that nobody particularly likes us (for historic and attitudinal reasons). But do we really care? No!
At the end of the day we failed in this World Cup - but then so do every team who don't win it - what's the point in coming if you don't think you have a chance? A loss in a semi is just the same as a loss in the groups and second is effectively nowhere (as France will find out).
At least the farce at the RFU can't continue and we should have a much changed structure moving forward - that mixed with our huge resources, our player numbers and the upcoming World Cup should ensure we are a force again in the future.
It is so much sweeter winning when you know it annoys EVERYONE else so much!
And my final point is roll on the next World Cup - at least the stadiums will be full!
Posted 12:43 18th October 2011
nakedirishman says...
A river in Egypt....
Posted 12:42 18th October 2011
admack says...
I don't even want to comment on this as I am scared I may get banned for saying what I think...
England are just making it worse for themselves...
Posted 12:39 18th October 2011
steveh says...
Precious much? Poor little England.
Posted 12:00 18th October 2011
USARugbyFan says...
It has been proved if you do not accept you have a problem it will never get fixed. So England with all the resources you have (even from other parts of the world :-) are you serious about getting better.
Or will the next four years be more of the same, "Not our fault, we play well but too many critics and we don't understand why".
Finally, Wales v NZ would have been a great final...Sam W you have been great, really an unfortunate incident.
Posted 09:20 18th October 2011
blindmice says...
Oh dear, i stopped using the dog ate my homework excuse a long time ago.... Time for the English to front up and accept they were a poor team in this tournament and were probably as lucky as the Bokke to get out of their pool stages. They carried no form into the tournament and very little through it, much like the South Africans. Yet now the "people that were out the get them" are the issue for the English and the Bokke is the referee. As an old coach of mine used to say after a poor team performance, look no further than yourselves. Which in respect of the English and South African teams would include the coaching and selection hierarchy as well. Their unions issues are far more deep rooted at present than one or 2 incidents in the RWC.
Posted 05:47 18th October 2011
cuw31 says...
If at all people want to see England beaten black and blue is becoz, the game was invented in UK. Its the same with cricket like the hammering they are getting in INDIA right now. England as they have invented the game walk with the nose in air with that aristrocratic superiority complex.
Only problem is other countries have moved ahead of hem and now take pleasure in bashing them at every given opportunity. For example SRI LANKA hammered the english cricket team by 10 wickets at the cricket world cup (it was just a matter of 230 odd runs in 50 overs!) yesterday India did similar making 230odd for 2 wickets.
On the rugby field any battering they receive is widely appreciated by all except the english fans. the neutrals feel sad when some teams lose or praise the winner for the achievement when a team beats say all blacks or springbocks. But when england get beat their is pleasure at their misery; maybe the pompous pom attitude is the reason:)
Posted 05:17 18th October 2011
jonesy2 says...
have a cry. maybe you shouldnt be a bunch of dirty hacks who rate themselves as a half decent rugby nation, then you might enjoy your stay.
Posted 04:26 18th October 2011
jmanngod says...
...victims...losers...what's the difference again?
Posted 03:40 18th October 2011