Woodward coy on soccer move

Clive Woodward

Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward tried hard yesterday to sidestep speculation in Britain that he would be joining Southampton as their director of football in August.

Woodward offered one nifty sidestep, saying he would make no comment because he was here to coach the Lions and would wait until he returned to England to speak about his future.

But one shimmy was not enough for the media, especially when Woodward had kissed and made up with most after midweek finger-pointing about blurred information, over-sensitive security and lack of player access.

What about the Mail on Sunday story that he was ditching rugby for soccer at Southampton?

Woodward resumed like Torvill and Dean, gliding around the topic, stating his only objective was moulding a successful Lions voyage. But then:

"I think I told everybody that once this tour was over, I was stepping away from rugby for a short period of time," he said.

"I am going to work in another sport and with all intentions of one day coming back into rugby union. But after this tour I am taking a break. I have been given an opportunity to work in another sport, not in a high-profile position, just behind the scenes.

"It gives me time really to look at another sport and also to develop myself as a coach, so it is a great opportunity for me. I did it with regret because I did not want to leave rugby, but I had no choice because they [England] were clearly not going down the path I thought they needed to go to remain successful, so I am going to work in another sport.

"But I don't really want to go down that line too much apart from just stating that, and I think I have said that many, many times in the past.

"I am not paid to say exactly what I am doing until after the tour once I am back in England. I just want to focus on this and make sure everyone's minds - players, coaches, myself - are focused on trying to win over here, which is a pretty difficult task in itself."

After that brief no-comment, Woodward switched into a defence of bringing his massive tour squad and their lack of match play. The players would set the standards and it was commonsense these days to give them proper recovery time.

In the professional era, there were no easy midweek matches. Every game was a huge physical contest which sapped the players.

"If you want to arrive at test matches in peak, then you have to give the majority of those players the time to prepare mentally," he said. "I am not alone in that, when you see how the New Zealand teams prepare."

The All Blacks had not played for 15 days and even that game against Fiji, said Woodward, was just a training run.

"There is always an argument, but you tend to find if you win that you have prepared properly, if you lose you are not prepared properly and that will be the same this week."