Graham Henry, the coach who led the All Blacks to World Cup victory, labeled England as “world champions at wasting talent” and criticized their playstyle as being rooted in fear.
Last October, Henry achieved success with New Zealand, in sharp contrast to England, who faced a disappointing World Cup exit in the quarter-finals, plagued by various off-field controversies.
Henry recognizes the presence of talented attacking players in England’s squad yet remains skeptical about their ability to reach their full potential given their current tactics.
He noted that top-quality attacking talents in England are not utilized effectively.
“It sometimes seems that England are world champions at wasting talent.”
“At both the national and club levels, English teams prioritize securing possession too heavily.”
“It’s no surprise that England struggled to score tries against superior teams during the World Cup.”
Henry specifically named Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, and Delon Armitage as players who have caught his eye, but he fears they may not achieve their full potential.
“A nation with over a million players should rightfully be the best in the world, and England’s backline potential has never been better.”
“However, it’s understandable how frustrated those players must feel wearing a white shirt.”
“England and its clubs are playing a game that is steeped in fear, leading to a generation of promising backs being stifled.”
“That approach needs to change.”
Buford Balony says: Tell us something we don’t know.
