BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

Woodward admits Lions mistakes

February 28 2006

Southampton boss says he has 'only just recovered'

Sir Clive Woodward has admitted he "wasn't himself" and got "fundamental things wrong" on last year's British & Irish Lions tour.

As head coach, Woodward oversaw a miserable trip to New Zealand last year as the Lions were thrashed 3-0 by the All Blacks during a tour dogged by media controversy and which many describe as the 'worst ever'.

Woodward was offered the job after guiding England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003 but he adopted different methods for the Lions and he concedes they did not work.

"I just wasn't myself. I was so conscious of trying to keep everyone happy and not cause any problems," said Woodward, now Southampton's director of football, to BBC Radio Five Live.

"A couple of England players said as much during the tour and an Irish player admitted that he was disappointed in me.

"A lot of people thought I was being too diplomatic. It didn't go well. I now have to live with it. I've only just recently managed to remove all the shrapnel from my body!"

Woodward said there were no mistakes in the Test team selection, but insists that the early loss of Brian O'Driscoll and Richard Hill had a devastating effect.

"The O'Driscoll incident was massive - in no way was that just one of those things," said Woodward

The spear-tackle was terrible and they didn't even cite the players responsible."

The most controversy on the tour was caused by press officer Alastair Campbell, who made no friends in the rugby media fraternity and was accused of spinning the O'Driscoll tackle so as to alienate the New Zealanders.

"The press told me that I was underpowered in terms of media management," insists Woodward.

"They said I needed a big hitter. So I asked my wife, Jane: 'OK, who's the heavy, big hitter in that game?'

"She mentioned Alastair, so that was it. I'd never met him before but I went for him and got him. I feel a bit sorry for him now. He wasn't able to do his job."

Woodward was also criticised for allowing Campbell to give a team talk before a Test, in which Campbell cited war images in Bosnia and compared them to the game ahead.

"Yes \[I agreed\], but that wasn't anything special," confirmed Woodward.

"If I felt any of the management team had anything good to say, I let them. No big deal."