IT IS not working, despite yesterday’s defeat of a poor Ireland team. The first requisite in the affairs of any international sporting team is leadership, leadership of booming and even dictatorial proportions. When I think of England, I sense only confusion, mixing and muting of messages on and off the field, from Rob Andrew down through Brian Ashton and into the team itself.

I have to say that it was almost the last straw for me last week when Ashton contended that it was all going well in training. Apologies to a bunch of decent men, but your leadership had failed. There is a theory that the current set-up will be allowed to shamble its way Down Under for the New Zealand tour in June, and that any changes will be made afterwards. No. Enough already.

History will judge this era with savagery. It was wrong to allow Sir Clive Woodward, the consummate sporting leader, to walk away without giving him what he wanted; wrong to promote Andy Robinson from within; wrong to appoint Ashton from within again; and unless Andrew acts with real electricity, then history will judge that to appoint him to the director post was also wrong. We have a dead silence when we wanted boldness and bold words. It is no wonder that the team itself has been playing without focus; no wonder that so few players appear to be taking a lead on the field.

And the crazy waxing and waning of performance, the ability of this England side to be decent and then tragic inside the same half of one match, is merely a symptom of the lack of boldness and focus. It is like the struggling golfer who suddenly begins to strike the ball well, but then loses it again. He has no grasp of his own swing faults, so knows not why he is suddenly striking the ball well and then shanking. England’s shankers have given us at least two performances this season which betrayed the national rugby heritage.

Consider the leadership dream team that was there to be realised. Woodward’s talents were so precisely tailor-made for the directorship of elite rugby that it seemed for all the world the job description had not so much been written for him, as by him. Martin Johnson was the choice of Woodward – and around 98% of the country – as an inspiring team manager but again, the appointment was not made. And Ashton’s possessed hierarchy are still seeking a manager, apparently to count heads on the bus and lick some stamps. Preposterous.

Consider also a set-up with those two big-hitters, and with Jake White in charge of team affairs, and a coaching panel including Shaun Edwards, Dean Ryan and possibly Ashton. A dream of course, but in all their cases – and in the cases of Woodward and Johnson – Twickenham gave up at the first sign that they might not be interested, instead of doing what Woodward does, and finding a way to get what you desperately need.

Remarkably, Woodward, Johnson, White and Ryan are still in the frame, and yet I wonder if England have the boldness of thought, the sense of urgency, to rise from the pit and consider going out to get them.

Andrew must be bold this morning, and he cannot pass up another chance. He cannot simply lift a Russian doll and pull out a lesser doll from underneath. It is a total shake-up that is needed, and no more talk of hanging on until July when the England players are available to the coach for a little longer. The time that has been spent so far has been ill-used and it is difficult to justify giving the same coaching staff even longer.

It may also be time for boldness in terms of team captaincy. These days, it is cruel to lay at the hands of any rugby captain a failure of leadership on the field because, as England proved in 2003, you need at least six key leaders out there as lieutenants to the captain. But Geoff Cooke, the England manager of the 1980s and 90s, boldly pulled Will Carling out of thin air to end the captaincy debate for years with a long-term appointment. I put my hands up at this point and admit that when invited by a colleague to identify Cooke’s selection I arrived at Carling as my 13th choice.

Where is the Carling? With fingers crossed, I would appoint James Haskell to captain England on tour in New Zealand this summer. Haskell, when he returns to full fitness, is a potentially outstanding player. But he is also personable, direct, bold and (in the most constructive way) full of himself.

England, once they have their own coaching hierarchy sorted, should boost up players such as Harry Ellis, Mike Tindall, Olly Barkley, Josh Lewsey, Lewis Moody and – with a warning to be more noisy – Andrew Sheridan. The current England squad is not only badly selected with an eye to playing talents, but also with an eye to proper leadership.

It seems to me that England’s players are in a comfort zone in which far too few coaches are being far too easy with them. Warren Gatland and Edwards – incidentally, both were available to England – have spent the season putting the wind up the Welsh squad.

Contrast that to the words of Toby Flood. England’s centre issued a fervent message of support for John Fletcher, who was dismissed as Newcastle’s director of rugby last week. Flood complained bitterly, hinting at a view that Newcastle would not have taken the action had the senior players not been away with England.

Flood reminisced on the grand

years in which Fletcher has been his mentor, in various junior teams and academies and also at the Falcons. Frankly, if I were Newcastle I would be furious. Coaches these days are not meant to be pally-pally with their charges, and long friendships are no excuse for results – and Newcastle’s results have been shocking given their outlay.

There is a definite parallel with England. It all seems cosy, there is a lack of barking, and it seems that easy choices and friendships and the need not to rock the boat are getting in the way of honesty, focus, leadership and true international rugby standards.

Whoever is the next England coach, you would sincerely hope that none of the team greet his passing with a sadness based on mateship.

At present, rudderless England are making too many friends amongst opposing teams.

England’s dream team

THE MANAGEMENT Clive Woodward (Director of Elite Rugby) The visionary coach who persuaded the RFU to splash enough cash for England to rule the world in 2003

Martin Johnson (team manager) Respect. The giant Johnno demanded it in bucketloads as a player for Leicester, England and the Lions. Still does

Jake White (head coach) Proved pedigree by steering South Africa to World Cup glory

Brian Ashton (coach) Time to bin the suit and get back to what you do best, Brian: out on the training pitch

Shaun Edwards (coach) A natural born winner and has been inspirational for Wales

Dean Ryan (coach), inset Has worked wonders with his talented youngsters at Gloucester

ON THE FIELD

James Haskell (captain) A spiky character well worth a gamble as long-term leader