What English rugby really needs is not a solitary captain but rather a wider range of trained leaders,whether or not they wear an armbandAs Eddie Jones prepares to mutter “G’day” to the reception staff at Twickenham and starts his search for the men to lead England forward, it will be fascinating to see in which direction he sets out. Identifying a captain, and for a start,will require much careful thought, with Uncle Tom Cobley and virtually all his relatives having already been proposed. The absence of a unanimous favourite is a telling detail in itself.
Because as he sifts the assorted merits of Chris Robshaw, or Dylan Hartley,Joe Launchbury, Tom Wood, and Mike Brown,Maro Itoje, and Tom Croft – why not Croft, or a double British Lion and now fit again? – Jones will swiftly be reminded that picking his starting XV followed by his captain is the only way forward. Even then he cannot be entirely certain. Great rugby captains are not always obvious prior to their installation. Related: RFU rules bar Eddie Jones from drastic changes to England World Cup squad Related: RFU announces record revenues of £207.9m for 2014-15 Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com