England full back Mike Brown has claimed that he has lost every bit of faith in his team mates, after the emergence of stories in the media from sources within the side about the disastrous World Cup campaign.
Brown has said that he has been left frustrated by team mates who have criticised Stuart Lancaster’s tenure, that too under the cloak of anonymity. He has went as far as saying that the aftermath of their World Cup exit has “completely shot” down the trust that once lingered in the English Rugby squad.
The 30 year old Harlequins full back has even admitted that he doesn’t think that “anyone was good enough in an England shirt”, in an interview with Telegraph Sport. After defeats to Wales and Australia, England crashed out of the World Cup and Brown has admitted that the pool stage exit was “hugely disappointing”.
Mike Brown has become disillusioned by the post-World Cup fall-out
“There has been a story at the weekend which is absolutely ridiculous so the trust has gone now as far as I am concerned,” Brown insisted. “I worked so hard to play in a World Cup and I am passionate about playing for England.
“It is just difficult because we have not left it in a good place and it doesn’t help with all these people deciding to pipe up in the squad that probably shouldn’t be, probably anonymously.
“I don’t think anyone was good enough in an England shirt to be piping up saying: ‘This was wrong, that was wrong’ and that sort of thing.
“If they are going to say something, I think they should put their name to it. That is going to make it even more difficult when we (the England squad) do meet up because I think the trust has been, as you can imagine, completely shot now.
“But it will come out who it was at the end of the day so it will be interesting when it does because I will be one of the first people to speak to them.”
Brown claimed the squad would now require a clear-the-air meeting when it reassembles in January ahead of the Six Nations Championship if it is to move on from their failed campaign.
“It is going to be hard for me to call anyone team-mates until we meet up,” Brown added. “Yes, it is going to be tough. Everything good is built on trust. Everything good at Harlequins is built on trust.
“There is no trust (with England) now, as far as I am concerned. But it will all get sorted out with whoever is in charge or whoever is there. It will get sorted out, to move the team forwards, it always does in team environments.
“It is disappointing. It will come quick for all of us but we have to focus on our clubs now and doing the best job we can.”
Brown will first turn his focus to his club’s opening fixture in the European Challenge Cup against Montpellier at The Stoop on Thursday, a game to be shown live on Sky Sports. He has also set himself new targets with England, and insists that the squad does not require a major overhaul going into the Six Nations.”
