Paul Rees, writing for the Guardian, argues that Martin Johnson has lost control of the England team.
"One of the concerns some on the Rugby Football Union had about putting Martin Johnson in charge of England three years ago was not so much his lack of management and coaching experience but that he would be the boss of players who had been his colleagues on the field, head boy turned headmaster.
If his three-year tenure ends next month, two of the men who were with him in Sydney when the World Cup was won in 2003 will have helped undermine him. Johnson kept faith with the player whose drop-goal won the World Cup eight years ago, Jonny Wilkinson, even though the outside-half was a more uncomfortable fit in the side than his rival, Toby Flood, and even when his goal-kicking form deserted him. Mike Tindall's failure to apologise immediately after being caught in a clinch with a woman on a boozy night out following the opening match against Argentina meant that an issue which should have been dealt with festered."
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