RFU under fire for failing England Saxons

England‘s failure to extend their Saxons programme could have a catastrophic effect on player development, warns former RFU performance coach Jon Callard.
Callard, a driving force behind last summer’s successful Saxons tour of South Africa, which thrust the likes of Charlie Ewels, Sam Jones, Dan Robson and Mike Haley into the spotlight, is dismayed that no follow-up fixtures have been arranged for the second-strings during the Six Nations.
A staunch advocate of a development pathway beyond England U20s, Callard told The Rugby Paper: “That tour to South Africa last summer was absolutely first-class and the programme needed to continue, so why no Saxons fixtures are scheduled is a mystery.
“We cannot rest on our laurels. The first team is going great guns under Eddie Jones and his crew, but we’ve got to make sure that pathway doesn’t end at U20s level and there should always be a post-U20s programme in place for England’s elite players.
“Charlie Ewels went on that tour last summer and then played for England in the autumn, but where are the opportunities now for guys to prove themselves at international level?
“England have a wonderful squad, with longevity and huge depth which is the envy of the world now, but you need an opportunity for the next tranche of players – such as Joe Marchant, Will Evans, Harry Mallinder, Jack Walker and Jonny Williams, to show what they can do by taking them to hostile environments like South Africa.”
Callard, right, who was released by the RFU in June, argues that England should have expanded their Saxons programme rather than shelve it during a Lions year.
He said: “I hope this is just a blip, but there’s enough talent in England to supply players to the Lions, take an England team to Argentina, run a Saxons development tour … and put out a top class side in the U20s World Championship.
“Money shouldn’t be a problem, the RFU are well blessed there, so we should be running a programme that exposes all these players. When I was dealing with it Argentina, France, South Africa and Wales were all keen to arrange games, along with the Irish Wolfhounds, so there’s enough interest to make it happen.”
Callard, meanwhile, is back in coaching as a kicking consultant at Sale Sharks.
“It’s two days a week to help with kicking strategies and I’ll be supporting their coaches Paul Deacon and Mike Forshaw as much as I can,” he said.
“It’s good to be back in coaching after six months out. The game evolves quickly and new laws around the tackle have already affected it.
“I enjoyed my 12 years at the RFU and think I added to their programmes enormously, but a new chapter is opening and it’s very exciting.”
NEALE HARVEY