In the realm of Twickenham, Sir Clive Woodward reigned supreme for an impressive seven-year stretch, spanning from 1997 to 2004.
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His indelible mark on the annals of history was solidified when England emerged victorious in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
While his legacy is celebrated for the era during which the Englishmen in white surged to global dominance, securing numerous Six Nations trophies and boasting some of the world’s finest players, Woodward’s tenure wasn’t without its share of disappointments.
Here, we delve into the five notable underachievers of the Woodward era, individuals who failed to live up to the considerable hype that surrounded them.
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#1. Olly Barkley
- Caps: 23
- Position: Fly-half, Centre
The prodigious talent earned 23 caps for England between 2001 and 2008. Such was his early acclaim that Woodward granted him his England debut even before making his club appearance with Bath.
Blessed with a graceful left foot and the ability to excel as a fly-half or inside-centre, Barkley seemed destined to become a fixture in England’s midfield following Will Greenwood’s retirement.
Curiously, the enigma surrounding Barkley lies in the uncertainty of where it all went awry. Though lacking blazing speed, he compensated with impressive kicking accuracy both from the tee and out of hand. Moreover, he proved to be a skilled playmaker, a superb distributor, and a robust defender.
Woodward later labelled him as arrogant, yet even with that perspective, Barkley’s career remains one of the most perplexing mysteries in English rugby during the 2000s.
After retiring, he revealed that his heart wasn’t always in rugby as he always dreamed of playing football.
#2. James Simpson-Daniel
- Position: Winger
- Total caps: 10
The speedster was always a fan favourite and narrowly missed out on selection for the 2003 World Cup, despite being involved in the all-conquering England team of the 2002 Autumn Internationals.
Although heralded as a potential world-class wing by Woodward on more than one occasion, injury constantly blighted his career and he ended his career with a pitiful 10 caps.
#3. Michael Lipman
- Position: Flanker
- Total caps: 10
Lipman was born in London and raised in Australia, representing the New South Wales Waratahs at youth and ‘B’ levels before agreeing a switch to play for Bristol in the Premiership.
After a successful introduction to English rugby he moved to Bristol’s West Country rivals Bath in 2003. His form at the club led to a call up for England’s 2004 summer tour, and he made his international debut in a loss to New Zealand in Auckland with Woodward labelling him a special talent..
However, Injuries and a loss of form curtailed his progress at international level.
#4. Ollie Smith
- Position: Centre
- Total caps: 5
Woodward tipped the centre to be a global superstar towards the end of his England reign. Although he was initially ignored by Andy Robinson, Smith came into the reckoning for the 2005 Six Nations and was named as part of an enlarged British and Irish Lions squad in 2005.
However, Smith struggled to nail down a regular spot in England squads and he left Leicester Tigers in 2008 after a loss of form.
#5. Will Green
- Position: Prop
- Total caps: 4
Green had previously played for various England youth teams alongside the likes of Will Greenwood, Matt Dawson, Simon Shaw and Richard Hill.
After making his England debut against Australia in November 1997, Green went on to make 4 appearances for the national team. He was considered an outside candidate to be part of Clive Woodward’s ultimately victorious 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad.
However, he was overlooked in the end, despite getting his 4th and final cap against Wales in one of England’s warm up games prior to the World Cup, and being in the wider 43-man squad.
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