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Mailbox: England`s tour to New Zealand

Monday 23rd June 2008

Take us home: England were not so keen to hang around in New Zealand

England arrived home in London on Monday with their tails between their legs and less than fond memories of their tour to New Zealand.

It was never going to be easy, that much we all knew before they even left, but not many would have predicted the three weeks that England have just endured.

Beaten in the first Test without too much effort, England's tour was turned into a nightmare with serious sexual allegations laid against four members of the squad.

To top it all off New Zealand put the final nail in their coffin with an emphatic second Test victory on Saturday.

We have all had our say, and the debates will rage on for a long time yet, but this is what you the readers made of the tour...

"Andrew and Baron should resign now. The so-called management have a lot to answer for. This was a short tour and for them not to be able to control the players over the three weeks that they were in NZ shows that they are incapable of doing their jobs.

"These players are supposed to be professionals and are paid well for that. They are not schoolboys on a jolly but are supposed to be representing their country. They should never play for England again. Irrespective of the woman not making a formal complaint they are supposed to be professionals representing their country. And the management who were so obviously not in control should resign."

Jane

"Where to? Well to start with start limiting the foreign players, maybe two per team, and start developing home talent. The likes of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are laughing their heads off as more and more English player slots are being used up by their 'older' players.

When will the British rugby world wake up to the fact that you cannot select a strong team from limited resources, every foreign mercenary employed is a nail in the international side. If you don't have the brains to see the problem then have a long look at the British football scene and look at the dismal English teams showing from the mainly foreign player-populated, coached, and in a lot of cases owned, so-called British premier league.

"The multi-national teams in the league look good, but it is the death knell for national sides, so if the way forward is with the multi-national teams then don't bother playing internationals, money vs. national pride?

John Korn

"Given the Saxons' play in Chicago, by 2011 they will have a good chance at topping the table at the RWC. Certainly the Kiwis must be favoured at home, yet they may choose players a bit too old. It is way too soon to prune the rose."

Tamara Johnson

"Directors are responsible by law for the decisions that they make, Rob Andrew should be tried for fraud, he went to NZ without a backs coach and the best move he could think of was to go back to his playing days and kick up and under, our Elite Director considers it prudent not just to read history books but to re-enact the past as well.

"Perhaps he should be wandering around the countryside dressed in an English Civil War costume rather than leading the development of young athletes. Now that he has done the job that the RFU wanted and brokered the deal with the clubs they should get rid of him, he has shown them how, all they have to do is follow his Brian Ashton blueprint."

Baz

"Not that I will ever have any sympathy for England, I have to respectfully question a certain amount of the role of the referee. I understand that there are certain irreconcilable differences as to the ELVs, but the refereeing performance - this week and last week - really was weak."

Real Dog

"Hopefully those in England who believe that Rugby Union is solely about dull forward play, up and unders, killing the ball, kicking penalties and sing-a-longs will see the light and adopt the new experimental laws. Then we may see some form of attractive attacking play by England."

Geoff Williams

"When it is realised that winning the ball is only the start of play will England be truly competitive on a consistent basis. It's almost as if the players relax now that the ball has been won. Over to the backs to do their thing as they peer from their prone position on the ground, which is a worry if the answer is supposedly Stephen Jones' recipe for success of more size, Noon and Tindall.

"The English back row was adequate, Danny Care a breath of fresh air, Borthwick and Palmer very good at the set-piece and snaffled quite a bit of turnover ball. Tait looked lively and should be closer to the action. The Varndell try was an excellent piece of teamwork putting the man into space. However, the static second phase ball made for tackling practice for the All Blacks.

It will be a good match at Twickers later this year as a refreshed and wiser England take on the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup champions.

Perry

"Do you think it might be time to re-introduce fox hunting and start using terms like 'damn colonials' to get England back on track. Watching players of such poor calibre as Mike Tindall and a back-line that thinks that passing the ball is all that is required highlights the gulf in playing standards.

"I suggest that UK rugby be consigned to a place where Kiwi and Australian players go to set up their retirement packages. But the Southern Hemisphere should not be interested in reciprocity, and I hope that we see the re-emergence of such games as the North Island v the South Island, perhaps England could provide a team for the curtain raiser?

Fergus Gardiner

"I hope those England players who are alleged to have misbehaved in Auckland are given some form of punishment from the RFU and England Management Team. Never have I been so ashamed of my beloved team than I am right now. True or not, these allegations would not have been made if certain members of the England squad had behaved themselves. England rugby players always used to have a good reputation both at home and abroad and now this has been tarnished.

I hope Martin Johnson comes down on the squad like a ton of bricks when they return, antics like this would never have come to light in his day. Saturday was the first day I was ashamed to wear my white shirt when watching the game. I hope those responsible and those affected learn from this incident.

Caroline Dixon

"Is Mike Tindall the worst centre ever to play international rugby? the man attacks the line like a prop, a very slow prop!"

Alan Taylor