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No s**t: Woodward says he would have handled England WC campaign differently

Clive Woodward has sympathised with Martin Johnson but says the recently deposed coach got things wrong both on and off the pitch.

FORMER ENGLAND COACH Clive Woodward says he would have taken a ‘different’ approach to the country’s failed World Cup campaign in New Zealand, which saw Martin Johnson forced out of the top job.

Woodward led England to success in 2003 in Australia and he believes Johnson paid the price for failing to control what happened both on and off the pitch.

He told the Independent on Sunday: “Johnno did it his own way as every coach does. I am not saying the way I did it was right or wrong but it would have been different.

“Okay, I was successful but it would be wrong to say that was the blueprint.

“But you are judged on results off the pitch as well as on it and you have to get that right.”

Woodward has offered his full support to interim coach Stuart Lancaster and believes that England will come out of their current bleak spell.

“You wish him well. He’s got a great opportunity and I just hope he picks the team that every England fan says, ‘Wow, I am looking forward to watching this’.”

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