England women’s head coach, Simon Middleton, believes the game’s high-tackle protocols need revisiting following his team’s heartbreaking defeat in Saturday’s World Cup final. The Red Roses were forced to play with 14 players for over an hour after Lydia Thompson was sent off and Middleton believes the winger was punished excessively.
While Thompson made clear contact with the head of her opponent, Portia Woodman, Middleton believes it was an accidental collision that should not have prompted the harshest sanction. “There has to be a penalty for a high tackle or head clash or things that endanger players,” said Middleton, who believes a 20-minute “orange card” would be a better option in such situations.
“I think that’s a great solution. Player welfare should be right at the top of the agenda but I just think you have to take intent into consideration. Maybe that’s the bit that’s missing as part of our protocols and consistency. Lydia Thompson is one of the most beautiful, caring people you will ever meet in your life. She did not deserve this.”
Middleton also suggested England, who have now lost two consecutive World Cup finals after leading at half-time, had done well to make the game such a tight contest following Thompson’s dismissal in the 17th minute. “If it hadn’t been for the character, commitment and determination of the side, it might not have been the spectacle it was,” he said.
“All the [sanctions] that have been brought in have had a huge impact on the game in terms of concussion and we should keep going as hard as we can to make the game as safe as we can. But there were some far more intentful incidents across this competition that didn’t receive what we got yesterday.”
Middleton’s future as head coach will now be the subject of a post-tournament review, with the Rugby Football Union’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, confirming other potential candidates for the job would be assessed. “We’ve got exactly the same process for coach succession planning for the women’s as we have for the men’s,” said Sweeney. “It’s about getting as many people that we know are on the radar and looking at what skills they’ve got.
“It wouldn’t be fair to name names now. We’ll need to get back and debrief with Simon and get his feedback on how things went and we’ll take it from there. He’s been doing it for a while now. We need to understand where he wants to go next and then look at other candidates who would like to come in. You can have people coming in as consultants, but I think a steady pipeline of people who understand the women’s game is probably the way we would go.”
Sweeney also indicated that Eddie Jones’s post-2023 successor as men’s head coach would be confirmed by May at the latest and has not ruled out a non-English coach taking charge. “We’ve got a list of candidates we think could do a very good job. It’s not just the head coach, it’s the whole coaching set-up,” he said. “I didn’t actually say our preference was for an English coach. What I said was that it has to be the best coach. If it was an English person it makes life a bit easier but the first priority is it’s got to be the right person.”
The men’s squad, says Sweeney, could also learn something from the way the Red Roses conducted themselves during their World Cup campaign. “They are really accessible and just very grateful for everything that’s going on. The men’s game tends to be a bit more serious, intense and structured. But I was down on the pitch watching them come off.
“There was an eight-year-old New Zealand boy fan who was looking for autographs. Tatyana Heard took her boots off and gave him her socks. I just thought it was a tremendous gesture and it comes very naturally to them. They want to engage, promote the game and do their best for it.”
