Carling questions calibre of England coaching staff and ‘sensitive’ players

Will Carling, who spent time as a mentor to England under Eddie Jones, said the inexperience of current coaching staff may be restricting the players. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

The former England captain Will Carling has questioned the quality of the coaching within the national setup and suggested it is holding the team back. Carling, who was part of England’s backroom staff under Eddie Jones, has also rejected complaints from squad members such as Ellis Genge that ex-players are “out of touch” after their criticism of last month’s win over Scotland.

Carling, who captained England from 1988 to 1996 and presided over one of the country’s most successful periods, says the players look restricted by a gameplan that prevents them from replicating the ability they show at club level. “You look at the calibre of the England coaching team and you have to question whether that’s the best we can put out there,” Carling said on Radio 4’s Today programme.