England Rugby
Rowntree: I felt ashamed
ESPNscrum Staff
December 29, 2011
The interim England coaching team of Graham Rowntree, Stuart Lancaster and Andy Farrell, England press conference, Twickenham, England, December 8, 2011
Graham Rowntree is the only coach to remain from England's poor World Cup campaign © Getty Images
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England assistant coach Graham Rowntree has revealed he felt 'ashamed' at being part of their disastrous World Cup campaign.

Rowntree was the only coach to survive the fallout from the highly-criticisesd campaign, in which England crashed out at the quarter-final stage after being caught up in numerous off-field controversies.

The former England and Leicester prop, who has been promoted to assistant coach in England's new coaching set-up, has spoken of the shame and embarrassment he felt when arriving back in England after the World Cup.

"When we landed, for the first time in my life I felt ashamed," he told the Daily Telegraph. "Ashamed of being a part of it. We got back on the Monday and I didn't go to pick the children up from school for a few days, or drop them off, because I didn't want to see anyone. "I didn't want to see friends who know what job I do, or mates in rugby. I just wanted to stay away from people."

There is little doubt Rowntree, alongside fellow assistant coach Andy Farrell and head coach Stuart Lancaster, are hoping to press their claims for full-time roles in England's future coaching set-up. However, for now he is enjoying the privilege of coaching England and focusing on securing success in the upcoming Six Nations.

"If we're successful I'd like to think they'll strongly consider us," he said. "But we don't think about it. Christ, you're coaching England, you're a kid in a sweetshop. And I've been in enough sweetshops.

"We have a duty now to get the show back on the road. I want that pride back. We want them [the players] to go out there with real energy and play how they do with their clubs and not feel inhibited about making a mistake. We'll back them. We want excitement, energy, pride."

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