Wayne Bennett has failed as Great Britain Lions coach

Three straight defeats in New Zealand is bad enough, but Bennett has not even grasped what make the Lions specialBy Gavin Willacy for No Helmets RequiredThere is no shame in losing to the Kiwis in New Zealand. It has happened to the last 11 British international teams to go there. And, despite being at a rather low ebb, New Zealand were excellent in their 32-8 victory on Saturday. No, the damage done to the Lions has come off the pitch as much as on it – and it has been self-inflicted. It’s not the three successive defeats, or even the uninspiring attacking performances. It’s the attitude of Great Britain (and England) coach Wayne Bennett that grates. No one seems to have told him that this is not the England team. When asked about the defeat to New Zealand on Saturday, Bennett replied: “We’re back to where we were in 2016 when I first came in as coach. We’ve gone backwards a little bit from what last year and the World Cup year was, compared with how we’ve played this series.” Time and again he talks about the Lions as if they are England in different shirts, which, frankly, thanks to his selection decisions, they are. All 17 of the players in Christchurch represent England. Related: Great Britain's tour reaches new low with heavy loss to New Zealand Related: 'Rugby’s LeBron James': Toronto confirm Sonny Bill Williams signing Related: Rugby X is neither league nor union, but it might just catch on Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian

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