If you squinted hard enough into the sunshine at Twickenham on Thursday you could almost see them. The sunlit uplands and, just beyond, the promised land of 2023 Rugby World Cup glory. But that’s the problem with mirages. You end up seeing what you want to see rather than the flashing amber warning signals seemingly visible to everyone except the Rugby Football Union.
In his first media briefing for 12 months – if he craves the spotlight he hides it well – the RFU’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, at least did his best to sell the official vision. All the critics, former coaches, ex-players and social media warriors had got their knickers in a twist unnecessarily. Emperor Eddie Jones is still the man, the England team is still on the right track, nothing to see here, blah blah.
