Whether you agree with him or not, his response is impressive.
Stuart Lancaster named his extended 50-man World Cup training squad, essentially calling up every home-based Englishman with two hands and legs.
However, as usual the focus was on the players not in the squad, namely Steffon Armitage, Nick Abendanon, both of whom play in France.
Lancaster has long supported English rugby’s rule of only selecting players based at home, and before opening the floor of his press conference to questions, he specifically addressed the pair’s omissions, going into great detail why he is a firm believer in keeping England’s stars at home.
While rugby fans all over the world are happy for Lancaster to be so stubborn on the rule, one can only be impressed by the passion in his statement, and his eagerness to address the issue, rather than sweep it under the carpet.
