The RFU face further criticism and humiliation as it emerged that representatives of the elite clubs have apologised to New Zealand officials on behalf of English rugby for the disciplinary problems which marred the national team’s World Cup.
Quentin Smith, chairman of Premiership Rugby Ltd, revealed that he and the organisation’s chief executive Mark McCafferty felt obliged to say sorry to the host nation ‘in the absence of any contrition’ from the RFU.
The shameful development for the governing body came as they were savaged by the clubs’ delegation in Auckland for their shambolic conduct in the aftermath of England’s quarter-final defeat by France last weekend.
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Explaining the attempt to show some belated English remorse, Smith said: ‘Mark and I found the opportunity to apologise to the All Blacks, to the management, the chairman and chief executive in the absence of any contrition (from the RFU).
‘It is not our team, we are here as representatives of the Premiership and all the players, but we felt embarrassed that there hadn’t been an acknowledgement that the event had been tarnished by bad behaviour.
‘We spoke to Steve Tew (chief executive) and Mike Eagle (chairman) and they thanked us. It was not a big statement. It doesn’t have to be very much but it has to demonstrate acknowledgment of what has gone on. They should not have such a wonderful tournament tarnished by bad publicity and bad behaviour.’
Having gone some way to building bridges with the NZRU, Smith and McCafferty then took a very different approach with their own national union.
They tore into acting chief executive Martyn Thomas for his unilateral decision to put former Lions prop Fran Cotton in charge of an ‘independent’ review of England performances for the last three years and the whole professional game operation at Twickenham.
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Sportsmail can reveal that this move has caused consternation among the embattled management of the national team. They have been asked to report to HQ on November 9 for the start of a formal review process but fear they will soon be the victims of a pre-meditated ‘stitch-up’.
News of Cotton’s recruitment to chair a review panel has stunned the coaches and Rob Andrew. Andrew is in charge of an internal RFU review of the World Cup and thought he was about to be appointed as director of the professional game in England. The news also shocked the PRL representatives.
Smith said: ‘They didn’t warn us. We discovered by accident. We were at a meeting in the Sky Grand Hotel with others and out of the corner of our eye we saw Martyn Thomas talking with Bill Beaumont, Paul Murphy and Jamie Salmon. Martyn came over to see Mark and me.
‘He said, “I have something to tell you”. I thought he was going to say, “I have handed in my resignation”. But he said, “I have instigated an external review and I have appointed Fran Cotton and I think this is going to go down well because this will show we are not doing something that is cosy and internal”.
‘We said, “Wait a minute, Martyn. The Professional Game Board is the environment at which this has been discussed. On September 8, at a meeting you attended and at which you agreed to all decisions that were made, we set up a review group of five people representing the players, the RFU, the Championship and Premiership Rugby”.’
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That acrimonious and animated exchange in the lobby of the hotel where the IRB’s high command are staying left the PRL pair aghast at the latest example of what they see as shambolic governance from the rudderless union.
‘This is not crisis management, this is panic management,’ said Smith. ‘Any company that wants to stay alive is not going to manage that by panicking.
‘I think there is a complete lack of focus in what to do. The RFU have performed badly on and off the field as a representative body, in the eyes of the IRB and the host nation.
‘It is about time the Rugby Football Union realised that the professional game has to be managed by professionals.’
Five of England’s failed World Cup squad could be in action this on Saturday in either the LV Anglo-Welsh Cup or French Championship matches.
Jonny Wilkinson has been included in the Toulon squad to face Perpignan while flanker Tom Wood is set to start for Northampton and Matt Banahan for Bath away to Gwent Dragons.
Northampton, who face Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens, have also named hooker Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes as substitutes.
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