YES – Dave Washington
It’s stupid not to want to win the Grand Slam. The idea that winning would potentially be a bad thing as it would lead to England peaking too early, is frankly ridiculous.
Of course some people will say that things can only go downhill from here, but it is a well-known fact that success breeds confidence, which will in turn help to boost performances enabling England to rack up further victories, and enter the 2015 World Cup in the best possible shape. Winning the Grand Slam this year would be a massive boost for everyone, and send out a signal of intent.
We talked earlier about success breeding confidence, and the same applies in reverse. A couple of defeats can quickly shatter the team’s morale and send the team into a downward spiral, therefore victory next week is a crucial step for this England side to progress to the next level.
So it would be unfounded to argue that it would be a good thing for England to fail to achieve the Grand Slam. The positive impact of the Grand Slam would be a colossal boost for all involved and a source of great pride, whereas defeat against Wales could well bring the team back down to earth with devastating implications for the future.
NO – James Scott
When I first heard Lewis Moody’s comments that it would be better if England didn’t win the Grand Slam this year, I thought he was mad; but on reflection he has a good point.
Sport is all about momentum but momentum is a fickle mistress, England’s current momentum could easily be turned on them in the future.
By winning the Grand Slam now, England might as well put a target on their back for the next two years as one of the big favourites for the tournament. The resulting increased pressure could wear them down, and potentially turn their momentum against them.
The Rugby World Cup is by far the premier tournament in World Rugby, and it should be this and this alone that the England management should be preparing for. Wales have won the Grand Slam three times since 2005, yet it hasn’t helped them with that elusive World Cup.
It’s no coincidence that under World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward’s management, we only won the Grand Slam in the same year we won the World Cup. Woodward had been building the team up to a crescendo for that tournament to perfection.