SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: I was shocked and astonished by the revelations about how Eddie Jones treated his England players – here is what must change now

When I was England head coach we had something called the little black book.

This set out the rules and behavior that the team would adhere to on and off the field. Crucially, these standards were agreed by both players and management. It was a joint approach that worked well. My opinion was that as coaches we couldn’t just tell the players how to behave. They had to set their own boundaries.

I never liked a ‘tell’ coaching style as a player and I wanted to make sure those who worked under me had the opportunity to shape how we would work. Having input from players also makes it easier to meet those standards, because they have agreed and established those standards themselves. It’s a system I call ‘teamship’.

The two held each other accountable when needed and I think the team culture we created played a huge role in the success we had on the field.

You can have the best players in the world, but if your team’s culture isn’t right, you’re doomed to failure.

Former scrum-half Danny Care’s comments on what it was like to work under ex-coach Eddie Jones as a player show that the culture of the England team has been lagging behind for a number of years. That has to change.

I really hope it’s over with Steve Borthwick taking over from Jones. I have no reason to doubt Care’s version of events, but even if even half of it were true, it would still be unbelievable. Care’s book excerpts made me shake my head. Some of his revelations about how players were treated by Jones were truly shocking.

There were undoubtedly times when I was England head coach when I would have said something I regretted – perhaps by being too strong in a team meeting. Players will also have moments in their careers when they wish they could take back something they said.

But those things were always cleared up very, very quickly in my time. In our playing group we had strong voices, like Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio, who spoke up when they thought what I said or did was wrong.

Furthermore, I was also well aware at the time that I reported to Francis Baron as CEO of the RFU and was responsible for everything surrounding the national team. It seems very clear to me that the Jones era spiraled out of control, with players unable to say how they felt at the time and no senior figures in the RFU holding the head coach to account.

This reflects very, very poorly on those involved. On Sunday evening I attended a wonderful gala dinner in honor of the England team that won the 2003 World Cup. More than twenty years later, I feel lucky that we still share evenings like this. I am extremely proud of the players, the coaching team and the environment we have created.

Care’s allegations about the way players like Kieran Brookes and Sam Jones were treated by Jones are hugely worrying. It’s not good enough. I was shocked and disappointed when I read them. It’s actually remarkable that Jones had the same success he had with England when this kind of behavior was going on.

Did the RFU know this was happening? Only they can answer that. But knowing what we’re doing now, it’s amazing that English rugby bosses investigated Jones’ coaching and decided to give him a new contract. In the interests of transparency, the RFU should actually name the people who were involved in that investigation and came to that conclusion.

I would like to know if they were qualified to make that decision in terms of their rugby expertise. I have no doubt that Borthwick, as the current head coach, operates very differently to Jones. He is also demanding, but has a much lighter, more empathetic streak.

However, the question still needs to be asked: will Borthwick be held to account by his RFU bosses? The English players seem happy in the environment. But even if they weren’t, would they speak out?

This summer Borthwick had to undergo a coaching overhaul after Aled Walters, Felix Jones and Tom Tombleson left. Did anyone at the RFU ask Borthwick why that happened?

They must do that. If there is one thing to be learned from Care’s honest revelations about the Jones era, it is that checks and balances need to be made regularly in the international setup.

Doing this is only healthy. It holds the organization’s leaders accountable and ensures the highest possible standards are maintained. I would also urge today’s players to find a voice, as difficult as that may be.

It’s all very well to comment in books a few years later on how the environment was doing at the time, but that doesn’t really help anyone. Top sport is a highly competitive environment in which you operate under great pressure and no one is perfect. But that solidarity that underpins team sports, and especially rugby, must always prevail.

You can feel a lot of regret at Care and I’m sure others feel the same, which is very sad.

While workplaces around the world are increasingly subjecting ‘bosses’ to better standards, this does not appear to have carried over to the intense environment of professional rugby.

Therefore, head coaches must be held accountable by management who understands the game, the pressure and the environment. We hope things can change thanks to Care’s revelations.