Matthew Syed's Times column has once again created controversy.
The piece, titled "Why Jonny Wilkinson realised his potential and Danny Cipriani didn’t" analyses the role of confidence in sporting performance and argues the reason Cipriani and former Wales centre Gavin Henson failed to live up to their potential is that their arrogance resulted in a lack of "sufficient need to knuckle down in practice."
Danny Cipriani was active on Twitter, in clear disagreement with Syed's take:
It’s very easy to make comment on a situation when you don’t know the truth. Shame such a top journalist wouldn’t do more due diligence
— Danny Cipriani (@DannyCipriani87) November 1, 2017
Timing is often one of the biggest things in sport. The entitlement and arrogance he shows to make comment without facts is poor.
— Danny Cipriani (@DannyCipriani87) November 1, 2017
Very misinformed and you say about a celebrity culture? What have you done but the same presumption as the daily star for example. Shame
— Danny Cipriani (@DannyCipriani87) November 1, 2017
Syed wrote:
Instead of continuous improvement, which can be driven only by a realistic appraisal of one’s weaknesses, they had lifestyles of continuous self-gratification. This undermined their ability to perform for club and country, creating self-doubt at the very moment they needed self-assurance. Their problem was not a lack of talent. Their problem is that — like so many other athletes who failed to live up to expectation — they applied swagger to the wrong part of the cycle.
Arrogance when practising; self-doubt when executing.
Various figures actually involved in the game have lept to the players' defence in response to Syed's attack, including Henson's current coach at the Dragons, Bernard Jackman:
I coach Gavin atm and have rarely seen anyone train as hard or with as much detail. Everyone i know says he has always been this way.
— Bernard Jackman (@bernardjackman) November 1, 2017
Very poor article by a man who seems to thinks a lot about himself.
— Jonathan Davies OBE (@JiffyRugby) November 1, 2017
Joke of an article,a lack of evidence regarding cipriani & Henson. Purely Based on what is portrayed in the media & not the training ground
— Alex Davies (@ADavies_10) November 1, 2017
Henson and Cipriani are two of the most professional trainers the game has seen. Incredibly hard-working. Shockingly written off here 👇 https://t.co/mRNQUrzKK5
— David Flatman (@davidflatman) November 1, 2017
Have played with both. Both class!
— Rob Webber (@robwebber2) November 1, 2017
Still does mate - was in a camper van outside training prepping turkey and broccoli the last time I was up there
— Steffan Garrero (@SteffGarrero) November 1, 2017
This is not the first time Syed has received criticism following an article.
Last August Syed wrote a piece defending former English ladies football manager Mark Sampson. Eni Aluko had alleged Sampson had made racist remarks towards her, including remarking that Aluko should make sure her visiting Nigerian family "don’t come over with Ebola."
Syed originally defended the comments:
The Ebola comment could have been a misjudged joke, assuming it was actually said, which Sampson denies. It might have reflected genuine fear, given the Ebola outbreak was at its height at the time.
Aluko was vindicated last month at a parliamentary hearing which outlined the shambolic FA handling of the entire case. The FA issued a public apology for their treatment of Aluko, including hiring a black actor to act badly in a role-playing exercise to demonstrate to the players what isn't "lioness behaviour."
Syed penned a column in the aftermath of the hearing titled "FA treated Aluko appallingly but be careful about calling someone a racist."
Aluko took particular issue with Syed's coverage:
"Little substantive evidence"? News to me. You've been poorly briefed. You're not in a position to comment on evidence w/out seeing it. https://t.co/noz0oXnX7h
— Eniola Aluko (@EniAlu) August 30, 2017
A forthcoming apology wouldnt go unnoticed @matthewsyed. The comments that u trivialized were made owing to evidence you said didn't exist.
— Eniola Aluko (@EniAlu) October 19, 2017
Should you wish to read it, Syed's piece is here, although it is no longer free access.
