Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie stood "accused of a potential whitewash" of England’s failed Rugby World Cup campaign after "he revealed a five-man review panel that features only one independent figure," according to Alex Lowe of the LONDON TIMES. 2003 World Cup-winner and The Times Rugby Analyst Ben Kay "would appear to represent the only outside influence" on a panel that has been "given the task of reviewing the England coaching staff, the team’s World Cup preparations and their tournament performances." Ritchie will lead the review, "despite being the man who appointed Stuart Lancaster as head coach in 2012, promoted him to become head of international performance in 2013 and awarded all the England coaches six-year contracts in 2014." Ritchie will be joined by Ian McGeechan, "who was involved in the panel that recommended Lancaster" for the job in '12. McGeechan said that England is "unlikely to find a coaching team any better than Lancaster, Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell." Professional Game Board Chair Ian Metcalfe and former FA CEO and England Rugby 2015 Board Member Ian Watmore complete the panel, and both are "closely connected" to Ritchie. A senior rugby source said, “It is shocking to see Metcalfe and McGeechan [on the panel]. They cannot possibly be independent" (LONDON TIMES, 10/20). In London, Mairs & Schofield reported the panel formation "comes 16 days after" England was knocked out at the pool stage and there is "concern that taking another month to conduct the review will leave the RFU with little time to appoint a new coach before the start of the Six Nations Championship if Lancaster is sacked or resigns." The make-up of the panel and its scope "angered several senior RFU councillors, who claim that a root-and-branch review is required." One senior councilor said, "We are the laughing stock of world rugby. This review is a joke, we should be aiming for a complete overhaul and Ritchie should have nothing to do with it given that he appointed Lancaster and then gave him a six-year contract. Ritchie also said that the responsibility for England's World Cup campaign would lie with him, but appears nobody is going to be reviewing him" (TELEGRAPH, 10/19).
