Share

Carling calls for overhaul

Auckland - Former England rugby captain Will Carling has called for a complete overhaul of the current national coaching structure after the team were eliminated by France in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"I think that certainly the coaching team has to change completely," Carling told reporters on Tuesday at a media event sponsored by Heineken.

"Whether Martin Johnson stays on as manager or not, I don't know. But the coaches need to go, they have had long enough and it was poor. Players will go as well."

Carling said former Italy coach Nick Mallett should join the England setup.

"He is a very, very impressive guy," Carling said. "There are some good young coaches in England. There are some good young footballers there and it's time they actually got picked."

Carling also condemned the off-field behaviour of some of the England team which has led to a formal investigation by the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

The RFU is examining reports of a night's drinking in Queenstown, a reported incident with a female member of staff in a hotel and Manu Tuilagi's decision to jump off a ferry into Auckland harbour.

"You are representing your country, you are in a World Cup and things aren't going well, for a young kid to jump off a ferry, that's just stupid," Carling said.

"It's all about the shirt, it's a huge honour to put that thing on and some of them need to sit down and say 'I let it down'."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Glasgow Warriors 14
Sharks 5
loading... Live
North West 131/4
Warriors RSA 145/7
loading... Live
Titans RSA 105/4
Lions 154/8
loading... Live
Western Province 173/4
Boland 110/10
loading... Live
Ulster 6
Cardiff Rugby 7
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE