Watch: Stuart Lancaster Reflects On His Time With England In Telling Interview

Unfinished business.

Stuart Lancaster’s was a guest on Against the Head last night to discuss all things rugby, including his current role with Leinster and their academy prospects, and of course- his four-year spell as England head coach.

Lancaster’s time with England came to a very public and demoralising end when his side were dumped out of the Rugby World Cup as tournament hosts. Now under new boss Eddie Jones, England have gone on an amazing unbeaten run, and have transformed themselves into one of the best sides in the world.

Host Joanne Cantell put it to Lancaster that perhaps Jones has injected a necessary “nastiness” in the England team that was perhaps lacking under his rule. Lancaster seemed to take exception to this.

“We lost a game in the World Cup that we should have won and that changed everything,” he said.

The now Leinster coach goes on to perhaps suggest that Jones is now reaping the rewards of a young team that he and his side built. Lancaster joined England in 2008 as an Elite Rugby Director, before moving his way up to coach the Saxons and finally the senior side. He would have worked with the current set-up the whole way up the ranks, and he seems to believe Jones is now the one benefitting from years of hard work.

“I felt the team would peak between 2015 & 2019, and I think we’re seeing the experience to the fore.”

Seeing what Lancaster seems to be doing with youth at Leinster already in such a short space of time, it’s easy to see where he’c coming from. It seems Lancaster may have the best skills when it comes to being a team selector, but he’s damn good a coaching and getting the best out of young talent.

His time at Leinster could be massive for both the province and the Irish national side going forward.

I can say with confidence, having worked in the English program, the quality of the players coming through the Leinster program is very, very high.

Let Lancaster do the coaching, and perhaps Cullen can add some nastiness.