Former England captain’s enlightening autobiography could loosen a few tongues among his less forthright successorsIt was always likely that Dylan Hartley’s soon-to-be published autobiography would cause a ripple or two. Few rugby players have managed to divide opinion so reliably or reinvent themselves so successfully; dull anonymity has rarely been the former England captain’s speciality. The initial passages to emerge from his book, The Hurt, are both forthright and striking.Perhaps most significant of all, however, is the harsh light Hartley shines on rugby itself. Not since Jonny Wilkinson’s slightly disturbing autobiography has a high-profile England player made his day job sound more wince-inducing. “My generation of players have been crash dummies for a sport in transition from semi-professionalism,” he writes,...
Eddie Jones may ration Dylan Hartley’s England appearances but when the hooker plays the key decisions will be hisWill co-captains lead to co-ckups? Eddie Jones was asked the question – though not in so many words – after announcing that Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell will be England’s joint leaders until the end of the side’s involvement in the World Cup next year.Co-captains have become common in recent seasons: Jones put Chris Robshaw and George Ford in charge last year when England played the Barbarians at Twickenham but neither was considered a potential successor to Hartley, which made it easier for Jones to follow a path he has been reluctant to take. Related: New rugby union season makes Lions an...
The England coach’s choice of captain remains controversial but, as Sam Warburton and Gareth Edwards have proved, great leadership is about much more than what happens on the pitchA captain leads but is not always a leading player. Eddie Jones attracted scorn when he suggested some players were poor at club level but outstanding on the international field and vice versa, but history suggests he had a point.Jones was explaining why he intended to retain Dylan Hartley as his captain despite the hooker’s lack of form for Northampton and the perceived greater individual qualities offered by Saracens’ Jamie George. If his choice of language was suspect – anyone who was a poor club player would not stay in the first...
The case of the Northampton captain’s citing has once again shown the gap between how referees and disciplinary panels view the same incidentDylan Hartley in a jam again, the headlines might have read this week after the England captain was invited to tread a familiar path and plod to a disciplinary hearing to answer a charge of foul play.Indeed, on Wednesday, when Hartley was cleared of striking an opponent’s face, Northampton were indignant, insisting the citing, a result of reputation rather than the seriousness of the incident, should never have been brought. Related: England’s Eddie Jones picks Simmonds over Haskell and reprieves Solomona Continue reading...
The selection debate will be settled on Wednesday when experience and versatility are likely to be key factors in Warren Gatland’s thinking to face New ZealandWhen Warren Gatland named his squad for the 2013 tour to Australia it was evident that the Lions would be playing the power game that had delivered Wales consecutive Six Nations titles. As Wednesday’s announcement of the 37 players who will take on New Zealand this summer is awaited, a trip that will be considerably more demanding in the warm-up matches never mind the three Tests, the tactics are harder to discern.The international game has moved on appreciably in the past four years. It is faster because of a greater emphasis on retaining possession, kicking...