Is Stuart Lancaster the man for the England job?

The 2012 Six Nations is now at its’ halfway point and England have a respectable 2 wins and 1 loss. 3 games in, we have a better idea of how to judge the current management's ability. However, while support for Stuart Lancaster is gaining momentum, the position of England Head Coach/ Manager/ Emporor(or whatever wishy washy title the RFU decide to give) is still up for grabs. Today i’m going to have a look at how the incumbent Coach has fared thus far.

Stuart Lancaster (incumbent)

Is Lancaster a good fit for England?

It is often too easy to look at results rather than performance when judging the credibility of a candidate, but results don’t always convey the whole picture.  Narrow wins against Scotland and Italy away suggested that England were far away from the finished article. In fact, while some gave England leeway due to the number of debutants on display...there were many (myself included) who found it difficult to see a bright future with the current regime in place. What they did show though was a resoluteness and a ‘we will not be beaten’ attitude in defence which perhaps defines the team culture Lancaster is trying to create. 

Successful sides in rugby history have been able to develop their own team culture. Just look at the last decade and one can name the Crusaders, Bulls, Leicester and Wasps as teams which succeeded consistently as a result of the identity/ culture which was created around the teams. One can add Saracens to that distinguished list too (whether you appreciate their style or not). England though, have repeatedly failed create their own unique team culture (unless your definition includes dwarf throwing, harbour diving or some form of sexual harassment). Lancaster has been a shining light in this regard.  Humble and approachable, he has restored some pride and dignity to the English shirt following the World Cup debacle. From a media point of view, he seems a very accomplished technician.

Back to the rugby though...England’s loss against Wales last weekend was disappointing but arguably inspires far more optimism than the previous two wins. One could see the vision Lancaster had for England in attack for the first time. Sure some changes in personnel may have been forced, such as Farrell at 10, but it paid off. Sometimes it is ‘better to be lucky than good’.

If one remembers....it was only less than a year ago that Wales were dealt similar blows with injuries to Matthew Rees and Stephen Jones prior to the World Cup. They had been struggling for form up until that point. It was their forced replacements (positionally and captain-wise) which began their turn around in fortunes though and how rosy does it look now? Rhys Priestland took over the fly half duties, while Sam Warburton received the captain’s armband. Gatland may be good...but he was lucky too. That's not a bad thing in sport.

I’m sure people's views will change throughout the Six Nations (perhaps even my own). For now though, I personally am willing to give Lancaster the chance to prove his worth.

Until next time....

Update:

For former England coach Brian Ashton's take on his performance, have a read of the article linked. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17187007