#360view: Hartley a short-term fix as Jones plays long game

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  • In his own words Dylan Hartley admitted he had thought he had played his last game for England.

    But that said, his appointment as England captain on Monday was rugby union’s worst-kept secret (in terms of ones we can print without threat of legal ramifications).

    That alone emphasises the sheer dearth in leadership in English rugby at the top level. Had Stuart Lancaster kept his job for another 2-3 years, conceivably Hartley’s England career would have ended at 66 caps.

    Now, he’s first name on the teamsheet and set to be a mainstay of the side in Eddie Jones’ new era.

    The question surrounding Hartley isn’t necessarily whether he’s the right man for the job – time will tell and, let’s be honest, the only other realistic option was to retain Chris Robshaw as skipper and that was never going to happen – it’s for how long?

    He turns 30 in March and has been playing professional rugby for 10 years, with niggling injuries starting to creep in and in one of the most physically-demanding positions on the pitch.

    Given the length of his contract, Jones has four years to turn around the fortunes of the Red Rose by the time World Cup 2019 comes around. Assuming the Australian is still at the helm, Hartley will be 33.

    As controversial and debatable an appointment it was, taking all that into consideration, it doesn’t appear one for the long-term.

    Because surely the plan among all this is that by the 2018 Six Nations – when World Cup preparations begin in earnest – Maro Itoje will be 23 with 10-15 caps, Matt Kvesic and Josh Beaumont in their mid-20s, while Jamie George – whose gametime admittedly may be hindered by Hartley’s automatic selection – 27 and at his peak.

    This new generation of English talent, theoretically, should be in a position of being international regulars with sufficient experience also at domestic level.

    Handing the role of leader to Itoje or George, probably the two most likely successors to Hartley, now could end their international careers before they’ve even started.

    There is a generational gap and a leadership void Jones has to fill, and that can only be done through time and hard yards on the training ground and in match situations.

    International captains aren’t made, they’re grown and developed. Richie McCaw was 25 when he took over from Tana Umaga and had 36 caps to fall back on, Francois Pienaar 26 and Martin Johnson 29 with six years of international experience in his locker.

    Hartley is the common sense appointment for 2016, or maybe the best of a bad bunch, assuming he keeps himself out of trouble.

    The real debate will be in 2-3 years time when Jones’ options should improve dramatically.

    Leinster have plan for Irish revival

    The European Champions Cup pool stage drew to a close on Sunday with four fascinating quarterfinal line-ups revealed.

    That is, if you’re a fan of English or French club rugby.

    But while the inquest into how the Ospreys left their chance of a place in the last eight slip, the major absence from the knockout stages was that of the three Irish provinces: Ulster, Munster and Leinster.

    In the days of the Heineken Cup you could count on at least one of the Irish heavyweights making the semi-finals but with the exception of Ulster, who missed out by virtue of one point, the other two never came close.

    True, Leinster were undone by the tournament’s toughest group but Munster have failed to click all season in the Pro12 and their absence is no great surprise.

    The reasons are far and wide: World Cup burnout, losing talent to England and France to injuries. The increased salary cap in the Premiership and the glamour and wealth of the Top 14 are major temptations for Ireland’s best and it has led to a major lack of strength in depth. If their internationals aren’t firing, those around them simply aren’t up to standard.

    Financially the trio just can’t compete but Leinster may have shown the way as they have fielded a number of academy prospects of late.

    The rebuild won’t happen overnight but to be relevant once again in the future, Ulster and Munster must follow Leinster’s lead.

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