ESPNs Finest

As the picture of me and my new best mate Durders has been so popular, I have taken the decision to publish the rest of the photos from the same day. Moody, Healey and a near hypothermic Matt Stevens all took the time to have a picture with fans who had braved monsoon conditions to witness Charlie Hodgson dish out a lesson in game management. Ignore the other clowns in the picture, I wanted a picture by myself and they totally jumped in on my moment. Bastards.

And another thing...

This was the proudest moment of my blogging life so far. Mark Durden-Smith, rugby presenting legend, habitual mickey taker of Austin Healey and Ben Kay, honoured me and my friends by posing for a picture after the Bath/Saracens water-polo game last week. We asked somewhat sheepishly when we arrived at the ESPN 'Kebab Van' post match if he would pose for a snap and to our elation he bounded down the stage, threw his arms around the group and said 'This has made my Christmas! A picture with the lads!'.

Wherever the rugby ends up on TV next season, I hope he's involved in its delivery.

The North-West - Sleeping Giant of English Rugby?

As I sit in my mother-in-laws home in Cheshire after a long and thoroughly enjoyable Christmas break, I find myself reflecting on last month and looking to the second half of what has so far been an action packed season.

The team I co-coach won the Hertfordshire U18 Schools Cup. A dramatic win against St Albans Boys (11-3) ended a very successful regular season for the St Columba's College 1st XV, a team that is still in the Daily Mail Vase, so watch this space.

My knee is getting stronger, I can now run on it for limited periods of time, but more on that in a specific blog later on.

My club Tabard are still unbeaten in London 2 North-West and looking strong. In all, apart from myself not playing things are coming up roses.

Looking forward though and having just watched the highlights of the Sale game at the weekend, I can't help but wonder at the state of rugby in the North-West. When doing my teaching qualification I played for a team in South Manchester, Altrincham Kersal. This would prove to be one of the most enjoyable seasons I'd ever played and I loved the variety of fixtures and edginess the Northern teams brought week in, week out. I once remember playing away in front of roughly 800 people at Westoe in one of the hardest games I've ever played in. It took me four days to get back to feeling normal.

It leads me to think how can a region with such passion, such grit and so many wonderful clubs, fail to provide one that can compete with the best in England, nay Europe?

Andy Powell: One of many good signings, so
why the poor league performance?

Sale should be a powerhouse of the English game. They are the premier club in a colossally deep pool of talent, so what precisely is going wrong?

The stats simply do not add up. Rugby Union in the North-West in terms of participation is second only to football so why oh why have the North-West ever had a dominant, or at the very least, consistently top-half side.

The first thing to get out of the way is the notion that a successful amateur game is somehow a precursor to elite success. If this was the case England would be top three in most sports across the world. It does however beg the question that a region so rich in strong junior 'semi-pro' type clubs doesn't seem to transfer to a more successful professional side.

Firstly, it may surprise some to learn that there are no teams from the North-West in the Championship. There are plenty from the North-East, Doncaster, Rotherham, Newcastle and Leeds collectively making up a third of the entire league. The North-West though, not a one.

Looking below that, Preston Grasshoppers, Sedgley Park, Macclesfield, Stockport, Caldy are all clubs well known beyond their localities and have all made their impact on the game in the last few years. But there are three teams there that have not been mentioned which 15 years ago would have probably been the first on the list. Orrell, once the top side in the North-West, fell through the leagues after poor business management. A club that had players as excellent as Dewi Morris and Austin Healey as well as a rich history, almost ceased to exist. Waterloo were a shining beacon of the oval shaped ball game in a hotbed of football and they are once again proving successful but they were another who during the amateur era were probably up there. Finally  Manchester Rugby Club. Their demise has been recorded by most rugby circulars but for what is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world to fall so dramatically from grace after a financial pulllout was heartbreaking to say the least. These clubs all still exist, but have all attributed to the Sale monopoly in the region.

And this brings me to my conclusion. Steve Diamond once said he wanted to be a northern 'Super Club'. I'd say this is precisely what they do not need. A monopoly breeds complacency and what Sale need is a good old dose of market forces and some competition. A second successful club in the region would not only make Sale work harder for fans (the North-West is a huge sports market, how else can St Helens, Wigan, Man Utd, City, Liverpool and Everton all sell out on a weekend whilst being within 30 miles of each other) but also playing resources making both player development more aggressive as well as external recruitment more competitive.

However, to have such a push would mean a massive financial (and emotional) investment and there have been too many teams in the region who have had their fingers burnt by aspirations of grandeur before and new teams would be reluctant to take such a gamble themselves. On top of this, looking at where the main pretenders to second NW team throne are at the moment in the league structures, this seems a long way off. So what will it take for this sleeping giant to finally wake up? Its hard to say, but as long as there is only one team at the top of the hill and the rest firmly with with their feet at sea level, there will be little incentive for those at the top to work any harder than they already do.

Ground Reviews: The Rec

The Rec is a micro version of the old Wembley/London conundrum. Great city with a shite ground as its sporting centre piece. People say Vicarage Road is the worst ground in the premiership. This is just untrue.

Review done.

Woke up on Sunday, no I wasn't dreaming

This will go down as one of the greatest victories in international rugby. As a technical and psychological challenge, England beating the Kiwis is not to be underestimated.

The breakdown was a very English affair. Whilst not resorting to be being offside at every given opportunity as our New Zealand cousins like to do, we simply challenged at the point of contact and made sure we got hands on the ball before anything was formed. Dan Cole was again instrumental in this and he has the skills of openside but unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look it) he is the build of a Kodiak Bear.

The back row were simply magnificent  Wood and Robshaw changed their approach and challenged with some conviction the belief that a team needs an out and out number seven. They simply out muscled their opposite number, carried until they could no more and made god knows how many close quarter tackles. Ben Morgan just does what Ben Morgan does week in week out and I still can't believe we left him out for the first two matches. I doubt, injury permitting, this will be the case in the Six Nations.

Ben Young's kicking was off at points and didn't give his chasers much of a chance but his service was twenty times better, passing from the base rather than look for a snipe around the fringes where there was never likely to be space. Farrell was a steady head all game and looked like a 50 cap fly-half. Its unbelievable he looks so assured after just 12, never scared to change the flow of the attack or try something different.

Centres were excellent and the shut out they provided in the midfield was as key as the set-piece domination of the England pack. Barritt just loves hitting people and made a break which even Saracens fans don't get to see too often. Tuilagi carried with aggression and even showed some silky hands when he offloaded to Barritt and intercepted a pass that was not at all easy to get hold of.

Goode and Ashton both had solid games, but the standout was Brown. He simply refuses to go down at times and is deceptively fast. He eats up the ground and is hard as nails in a scrap, never shy to dish out some stoosh to anyone unlucky enough to get in his way. A great competitor, like Delon Armitage without the propensity to get sin-binned.

In all a proud day for the fans and players alike and so much to be positive about. I was despondent after the South Africa game, but things started to click on Saturday. About bloody time. The really exciting thing is the entire England team collectively had only slightly less caps than the entire New Zealand front row. Still so much room for potential.

In other news, our World Cup group looks unforgiving with both Wales and Australia in it. A few days ago this would have made me want to curl up in the corner and make darts my new favourite 'sport'. Now, it feels like more of a warm bath than a pool.

Also, well done to the England Womens team who whitewashed the Kiwis in a three match series. Great for them too and now they can rightly take their place as the best womens team in the world. No third round entry into the World Cup pools for them!

English rugby. How do you frustrate me, let me count the ways...

The huge tactical balls up that was Saturday's decision to go for the three points and then a drop goal against a) the best defence in the world b) a team we hadn't really looked like scoring against even when camped on their five metre line and c) Farrell's lack of previous success at drop goals, all seemed amateur at best. However, this was a small aspect of a problem that if we're honest started a lot earlier than two minutes from time.

Firstly, we simply don't do the basics. 2v1 and counter-rucking skills seems to be non-existent, mainly based on the fact we don't have an out and out 7 and most of our turnovers come from Dan Cole when he's on the pitch. This 'fanning out' concept of allowing the ball to be played by the attacking side was done wonderfully by the Aussies the other week and they totally snuffed out an England attack that rarely made it out from the fly-halves channel. When England do it against South Africa, it doesn't matter if you have 13 players in your defensive line, they will GO THROUGH YOU, get behind your defence and build from there. You need to snuff them out behind their own tackle line and put pressure on their service players. Didn't see this much on Saturday at all.

Secondly, attacking instincts are just totally vacant. We've become so concerned with phase play that we poo ourselves when someone makes a line break, or overrun when someone pops an offload behind the gainline. Instinct is not all about throwing a blind 30 pass out of the back-hand, instinct is when you see a prop, a centre and a flanker in support of the Dan Carter after he has made a break because they are hard-wired from a young age to attack in this way.

Finally, what exactly are we trying to do as a national side? It is very clear what South Africa are trying to do, and it doesn't matter if other teams know it because they do it very well. They punch holes, kick for territory and keep the points board ticking over every time they get in the oppo half. New Zealand are the same, they sling it wide at the first sign of an overlap and feed off the breaks or half breaks they know their entire back line can conjure. We seem lost out there at times and whilst the idea of the practising set-phases from set-piece sends a chill down my spine, we need a vague game plan at least.

Off the evidence of Saturday, I'm still scratching my head as to what it might be.

Lions Tour 2013: Form or Reputation?

John Bentley, part of the successful Lions Tour party of 1997 will always be remembered for his superb solo try against the Gauteng Lions. In the interview below, he emphasises the importance of picking players on form rather than reputation for next years Lions Tour down under.

It’s a straight forward argument and anyone in their right mind would agree whole heartedly. Warren Gatland aligns himself alongside Bentley’s argument pledging “we’ll pick the best players, and the captain after.” He went on to say “Someone may come through on tour whose form you can't ignore and who may force themselves into the Test side."

As sad as this may sound, I find this an intriguing concept. Can Gatland guarantee us that he’ll pick purely on form? His interview above was conducted on 31^st October before the Autumn Internationals began. The video below, from the 22^nd November looks at the selection dilemma at full back. Considering Rob Kearney is out injured and has only played 32 minutes of rugby all season and Halfpenny has performed quite well in a faltering side he does well (in my eyes) to dismiss the selection hopes of Alex Goode in favour of talking up the other players’ chances.

With more games in the Autumn Internationals and a 6 Nations to look forward to, I’m sure there will be many players who put their hand up for inclusion in the Lions Tour. As the pinnacle of anyone’s career, the selection process will not be taken lightly and with selection meetings scheduled throughout the next 6 months leading up the June/July tour, there will be plenty of headaches in deciding the right tour party.

I disagree that Gatland will pick purely on form and feel that reputation will guarantee some players a spot on the tour. With rugby pundits predicting a heavy Wales contingent in the Lions squad it baffles me they should have a majority share in the squad with two disappointing performances and losses to Argentina and Samoa. With the likes of Warburton playing below his best are we honestly going to see someone else taking his place should his poor form continue? I think not!

Another area where I feel there is a prime example is the fly half position. Sexton is nailed on to start at 10 in my opinion. If he has a poor 6 Nations, and is slightly off key for Leinster are we honestly going to leave him behind? The options outside of him are Priestland, Biggar, Flood, Farrell, Laidlaw and Jackson. In my eyes he is a different class and deserves a spot on the tour for his form over the past 2/3 years alone.

The other element we have to consider is the impact a Lion’s Tour place would have on your performance and form. Yes, you want to pick the best players but being the pinnacle of anyone’s career, you would leave nothing behind in every game you played. Ryan Jones optimised this in 2005. Called up to replace the injured Simon Taylor he gave everything, moving up from the midweek squad to the starting XV and was superb every minute he was on the field.  
 

You also have to be mentally as well as physically strong for the big games regardless of the opposition in front of you. I have it on good authority that on a recent trip to play London Welsh, another premiership side were so convinced they’d win, they went out the night before ‘to hit the beers’ A loss the next day tells you that the professional era does not give you a second chance and that a right frame of mind is also a key factor in the selection process.

Role of the Media

The strength of the media is the other selection tool Warren Gatland will have at his disposal (whether he wants it or not). Their perception of players form will be circulating round homes through computers, newspapers, radios and TV’s worldwide. This adds even more pressure for Gatland to make the right calls. To have the nation behind him he needs to pick astutely but just how much media pressure will Gatland be able to withstand before they start impacting on his selections?
 

The 1998 football World Cup saw Brazil take on Italy in the final. Ronaldo entered the world cup as ‘the world’s best’ according to football experts and scored 4 goals and made 3 assists. On the eve of the final he was alleged to have suffered a convulsive fit and was ruled out of the game. With less than an hour to go, he was reinstated and played in a 3-0 loss to Italy. His performance was below par and he eventually went off injured. A professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University said “there is no way that he would have been able to perform to the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit”. Reports suggest that sponsors Nike forced Ronaldo to play to ensure their financial gains with the game being televised to millions of people worldwide.

You also have to argue that Brazil’s coach at the time Carlos Alberto Parreira was in a no win situation. Play Ronaldo and lose, his job is gone. Don’t play Ronaldo and lose, not only is his job gone but also his coaching credentials as well. Why would you rest your top striker for the biggest football match in the world? I remember the ‘fit’ was kept very quiet but eventually leaked out to the public. By this point it was irrelevant. The media cast its verdict on Parreira and he was removed from his post.

To an extent, this is true for Gatland. I’m thinking particularly about the back row in this respect. With injuries to Lydiate, Ferris and O’Brien, three nailed on tour party candidates when fit, can be without them if they only play a handful of games before selection? In my opinion they have to tour as we know what they are capable of. This is why we have to look at reputation as well as form.

I am going to stick my neck (and wallet) out on the line by saying that the following players below will be on the plane to Australia providing they are fit, regardless of form! For each player below which doesn’t tour, I will personally buy the founding father and co-editor of Rucking Good News a pint of beer!

Potential Pint Penalties David Denton Owen Farrell Tim Visser Ben Foden Gethin Jenkins Alun Wyn Jones Ben Morgan Alex Cuthbert Euan Murray Steffon Armitage Nathan Hines

Nailed on

Jonny Sexton

Sam Warburton

Manu Tuilagi

George North

Leigh Halfpenny

Rob Kearney

Dan Lydiate

Stephen Ferris

Dylan Hartley

Richie Gray

Jonathon Davies

Danny Care

Mike Phillips

Chris Ashton

Adam Jones

Dan Cole

Courtney Lawes

Brian O’ Driscoll

Toby Faletau

England Rugby: Lancaster’s Revolution?

On 22^nd November 2003 England re-wrote the history books and became the first Northern Hemisphere side to win the World Cup, beating Australia 20-17 in their own back yard. Fast forward 9 years and the story is very different. A new coaching team headed by Stuart Lancaster is currently undergoing a transitional period in an attempt to recapture England’s past glories.

In any transitional period, there are going to be ups and downs and this has certainly been the case for Stuart Lancaster’s men. Convincing victories over the French and Irish in the 6 Nations was enough for Stuart Lancaster to be appointed Elite Rugby Director on 29^th March 2012.  His mantra... ‘The challenge now is to take this squad and the players we will see emerge forward to 2015, It is one that I can't wait to get stuck into". With the help of Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt he has assembled a squad which he feels is capable of being world beaters. With this in mind I have decided to assess the merits of the England squad and analyse exactly whether or not they are on the right path for World Cup Glory in 2015.

Based on the 54-12 victory over Fiji and the 20-14 loss to Australia over the past two weeks, England have shown in glimpses that they are on the right track but with critics calling for ‘quicker ball’, ‘better skills’ and a ‘fly half with vision’ it looks like there’ll be more changes afoot. It’s very easy to sit in a pub with a pint discussing the finer points of rugby with your mates, but I honestly feel that at the moment the best players are not starting for England. I think that if we are building for 2015 we need to get rid of the ‘dead wood’ and look to blood our younger players who will be competing for starting spots come 2015. Yes Lancaster is including the likes of Launchbury and Vunipola in his match day 23, but these players need to start some of the big games to get more international experience rather than a 25 minute cameo role at the end.

It was clear on Saturday that Joe Marler and to an extent Dan Cole were struggling in the scrum. Marler offered a lot round the park but the introduction of Vunipola was vital in disrupting the Australian scrum and putting them on the back foot. Launchbury also added some much needed impetus with his performance and should provide Lancaster with a selection headache next week. I understand that a complete overhaul of the team is a very negative move and is unlikely to happen but I feel that some key positions need amending.

Props: We are lucky to have strength in depth in the front row department although I don’t think David Wilson is international class. Marler, Cole and Vunipola are excellent and with Dan Coles’ increased work rate round the field he provides an extra back row element at the breakdown. Marler and Vunipola’s strong running in the loose provides much needed go forward and with a fit Alex Corbisiero we have 4 props who can compete with the best in the world.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Marler, Cole, Vunipola, Corbisiero         Stand By: Mullan, Doran Jones

Hooker: Dylan Hartley has this position nailed down and is surely on the plane down under in June providing he can prove his fitness. Tom Youngs has proved his doubters wrong and is now a very suitable replacement in Hartley’s absence. One player I would love to be in the mix is Tom Lindsey of Wasps. He is still very raw as a player but with continued nurturing I feel he could be a great addition in the England set up. 

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Hartley, Youngs, Lindsey        Stand By: Webber, Gray

Second Row: With injury ruling out Courtney Lawes, Tom Palmer and Geoff Parling have been the second row axis for England. Joe Launchbury has been on the bench with Mouritz Botha released back to Saracens. I like Palmer and Parling but when paired together we lack an enforcer. Lawes would be my first pick at 4 and I would currently pair him with Geoff Parling for his line out awareness. Moving forward and with the tutelage of Dai Young, it won’t be long before Launchbury is a nailed on starter at 5.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Launchbury, Lawes, Parling, Palmer     Stand By: Kitchener, Botha

Back Row: The back row is on of the most contentious issues and despite the negativity surrounding a complete overhaul, I’m afraid I’m going to have to do it. Robshaw, Johnson and Waldrom were second best all afternoon against Australia and I feel there are better players who are eligible to play for England. At 6 I would play Tom Wood. He’s coming back into his best form and looked industrious when he came off the bench on Saturday. At 7 I would play Steffon Armitage. We need an out and out 7 and he is currently the best England has to offer. His performances for Toulon have been breathtaking and he is the only player capable of competing against the Pocock’s, Hooper’s, Louw’s and McCaw’s of the world. At 8 I’m going for Ben Morgan. He’s a more dynamic ball carrier than Waldrom and offers a blistering turn of pace for a back rower.  Obviously from a positive point of view there is a plentiful supply of back rowers available to England and add the likes of Billy Vunipola and Matt Kvesic to the mix and competition for places will be fierce.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Armitage, Wood, Robshaw, Croft, Johnson, Morgan, Vunipola  

Stand By: Kvesic, Saull, Clark

Scrum Half: Danny Care and Ben Youngs have this position sewn up to be honest but we must start with Danny Care. Youngs infuriates me by taking too many steps before he passes and he has lost some of his best form. Care provides the quick ball needed for momentum and has that sniping ability which keeps defences guessing. Outside of these two players, Joe Simpson has impressed me in the past and young Ben Spencer’s rise at Saracens is worth keeping an eye on.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Care, Youngs, Spencer      Stand By: Simpson, Dickson

Fly Half: Another difficult decision and one which some may disagree with! In an ideal world I would play George Ford at 10. I would also have Freddie Burns in the mix but only based on his current form. Previously I have been unimpressed with him but this season he has really paved the way for Gloucester’s success. To have Farrell in the team, we must play him as a centre. I don’t feel he offers enough attacking ability to create opportunities for the rest of the backline. Watching Carter play against Scotland, he was everywhere, playing flat and pulling the strings. He creates tries for others and takes players on himself. He really is the complete package. I feel that if we blood Ford early enough like the All Black’s did for carter, we could unearth a real gem.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Ford, Flood      Stand By: Burns, Twelvetrees

Centres: Despite my love of Brad Barritt, I’m afraid he drops out of my centre partnership. I feel that he and Manu Tuilagi offer a very similar style of play and we need someone more creative in the 13 shirt. For me Jonathon Joseph offered some promising glimpses in the test series in South Africa and gets the nod. I would also include Farrell in the squad as his kicking and defensive qualities would be good off the bench. Looking towards 2015, Elliot Daly has looked strong for Wasps and if Dominic Waldouck can find his old form at Northampton, he could be in contention too.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Tuilagi, Joseph, Farrell       Stand By: Barritt, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Waldouck, Daly

Wings: I feel this is another area of strength and would keep Chris Ashton and Charlie Sharples. I would drop Ugo Monye and start to work on Christian Wade’s defensive ability. His pace is staggering and he has the potential to be one of the world’s best finishers. I would also look at Jonny May from Gloucester who has played consistently well for a couple of seasons. In another controversial move I would also look at Tom Biggs from Bath. I have been really impressed with him this season and feel that he offers a huge amount in attack and defence.

World Cup 2015 Squad:  Ashton, Wade, Sharples,     Stand By: Biggs, May, Benjamin

Saturday seems to make more sense now

I know we can't expect miracles every match, although the NZ public seem to both expect and get it from their national team, but I can't help but be dejected by England's  Saturday performance. All it would have taken to mix up the game and maybe open it up a little would have been a cheeky chip behind a fanning out and very shallow Oz defensive line. Or, god forbid, an offload around the back of the tackler. I tell you whose quite good at it too, Ben Morgan. But he was too busy scoring a hat-trick for the Cherry and Whites so was unavailable for international duty. Also the one time we did it, Tuilagi scored.

I'm a front row forward, and I can see this. Then how in the hell couldn't the fly-half or the 1500 video analysts that enjoy the best seats available at HQ see it too. Passing and creativity still seem to be a problem. We are obsessed with pick and drives on the five metre line, it makes me want to cry. We have two bulldozer centres and a back-three who could skin an emu but we look to take on the opposition in the one area they had been dominant all day, the break down. See for yourself.

That's not to let the midfield off though, as creativity is not exactly streaming out of that area either. I really like Tuilagi and Barrett, and it brings me out in a cold sweat just thinking about the days when Hape and Tindall used to make the midfield appear like two hour drive in an average speed limit motorway. The below video may be an inkling as to why the ball barely got to the wings hands on Saturday.

Lancaster has made some good changes to the training squad though. Morgan is back in, Haskell too bringing much needed beef against a terrifying but not unbeatable Springbok pack. We were shown up by them last-year and this will be the best indicator yet as to how far this team has come. 

Lions Watch - Second Weekend of the Autumn Internationals

If Warren Gatland was struggling for positives after the first week of the Autumn Internationals, it wasn’t about to get any better after round 2. Losses for England, Scotland and Wales meant the only glimour of hope for Gatland came from the Irish whose spirited display against Fiji saw them romp home 53-0 winners.

I’ll start off with Wales who put in a very lacklustre performance against Samoa losing 26-19 at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night. It was a game Wales really should have won, but we must pay credit to Samoa whose performance meant they ran out deserved winners. We have to remember that the Pacific Isles are seeing increased representation across the leagues in Europe meaning their squad is that much fitter and stronger.  Players including George Pisi (Northampton), Census Johnston (Toulouse), Paul Williams (Stade Francais), Maurie Fa’asavalu (Harlequins), Ti’i Paulo (Clermont Auvergne) are all playing at clubs who are at the top level for their respective countries. This means the quality of rugby is better and victories over countries in the top 5 IRB rankings should not come as much of a surprise. Jonathon Davies called the performance ‘flat’ with ‘no deception at the line-out’ and the scrum ‘just disintegrated’. It does not bode well for Wales but with the likes of Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Sam Warburton and Dan Lydiate all missing you can begin to see how valued these players are in making Wales tick. Leigh Halfpenny continues to be a reassuring presence on the field and his reliable kicking must mean he is in contention for a Lions Tour place.

Ireland by contrast were without many of their key players but still put in a very dominant performance against Fiji. Once again it’s hard to determine a player’s real worth against a weak Fiji side, but Declan kidney’s ambition to field his younger players has paid off with positive performances across the park. Particular highlights came from Craig Gilroy who scored a hat-trick of tries. His blistering pace was too much for the Fiji defence and he caused problems all night. Darren Cave and Luke Marshall performed well in the centres and Jonny Sexton’s protégé Paddy Jackson also played well and showed that there’s still a strong emphasis in youth development in Ireland. In the forwards, blind-side Iain Hendersen played particularly well and when you end the game with the likes of Strauss, Healy and Zebo on the park, the result was never in doubt.

Despite two losses, I feel Scotland can take some positives out of their performances over the past two weeks. A narrow 21-10 loss to South Africa was disappointing considering Scotland had 63% possession and 67% territory throughout the game. They were ‘bullied’ according to Andy Robinson but with dominance in the scrum, you’d expect more of a return. It goes back to my statement about Scotland a few weeks back, that they lack a cutting edge in the backs. It wasn’t until the introduction of Henry Pyrgos (ex-Loughborough rugby, standard - Ed) that Scotland got any ‘go forward’ but already being 21-3 down meant it was too big a mountain to climb. He reenergised the Scottish forwards and with the power of Euan Murray and the ever impressive Ryan Grant they began to dismantle the South African scrum. A well worked training ground move allowed Pyrgos to cross the line to make the score line look more respectable. I feel that a strong performance against Tonga next week would mean that they would enter the 6 Nations in a much stronger position and hopefully avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.

England’s performance against Australia was quite simply woeful. After witnessing my football team get dismantled in the North London Derby, I knew full well that England would romp home to victory against a struggling Australian side. Surprise surprise my afternoon of sport went from bad to worse and is probably the reason I still have a headache early on Monday morning.  England gained no parity in any area of the game on Saturday and were dispatched quite easily by an under strength Wallaby side. It was not so much their attacking prowess and well organised defence, but more a game plan which exposed England’s frailties. 

The re-introduction of Ben Alexander meant the Australian scrum caused England problems, an area previously identified as a weakness. They remained calm throughout the game and did the basics well. Cummins was strong on the wing both in attack and defence and Hooper in the back row was monumental. Robshaw and Johnson were second best all afternoon and despite his best efforts, Waldrom didn’t have the cutting edge or dynamism to produce a try at the cost of 3 kickable penalties. Lancaster will have to take a good hard look at his side over the next week as the two strongest teams still await them. Ben Morgan was in imperious form for Gloucester at the weekend and his hat-trick of tries showed he has real class. I would put him in to the starting line up against the South Africans in an attempt to nullify their big runners and create some attacking go forward. The backs looked static and despite some industrious work by the centres, their attacking game never got going. Goode once again showed some good glimpses as to why he’s staking a claim for the number 15 jersey but it wasn’t enough to stop a 20-14 loss at HQ. One area which did impress me was the use of impact players. 

Launchbury and Vunipola were both used to good effect for the second week in a row and showed that they have the skills to play with the best in the world. Launchbury has a great set of hands and is without doubt one for the future. Vunipola carried well and was a nuisance at the breakdown all afternoon.

Let’s hope Warren Gatland’s arrival back after his sabbatical to concentrate on Lions preparation spurs home nation players for bigger and better performances in the coming weeks. 

Let’s face it with the arrival of South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina for England, Wales and Ireland respectively, they’ll need it.

Once again I’ll pick my Lions XV based on the AI’s week 2 games and trust me, this week was difficult.

1. E. Murray 2. T. Youngs 3. R. Grant 4. J. Launbury 5. T. Palmer 6. I. Hendersen 7. D. Denton 8. J. Heaslip 9. H. Pyrgos 10. P. Jackson 11. C. Gilroy  12. D. Cave 13. L. Marshall 14. L. Halfpenny 15. A. Goode

Lions Watch - First Weekend of the Autumn Internationals

Last weekend saw the beginning of the Autumn Internationals and Warren Gatland’s first opportunity to look at all the home nations before the impending Lion’s Tour in the summer.

The Autumn Internationals give players the opportunity to convert their club form on to the world stage. In any other regular season, the AI’s allow coaches to ponder their squads ahead of the 6 Nations. In the year of a Lion’s Tour, the AI’s become that much more important, not just for the coaches, but also the players.

The desire to stay fit but also perform well means that there are bound to be some disappointed players after the AI’s and 6 Nations. Hartley, Lawes and Ferris are prime examples. With less than 2 weeks to the AI’s, all 3 players were sidelined with injury and look set to miss the majority, if not all the AI’s.

This is the key reason why the home nation squads must ‘blood’ fringe players to ensure they are subjected to rugby at the highest level. Take Alex Goode for example. Were it not for an injury to Mike Brown in the summer tour of South Africa he may not have got a chance to prove his worth as an England full back. Look ahead to the AI’s, an injury to Ben Foden and his first start at Twickenham and Alex Goode is now being touted as a possible Lions Tour candidate.  On a personal note,  unless Gatland wants to harness his ability to slot in to the fly half role as executed on Saturday against Fiji, he will chose Kearney, Halfpenney and Foden ahead of Goode (providing they are fit). Serious injuries to Kearney and Foden mean they have to prove their worth, not just in fitness levels, but also ousting the players who have superseded them in the team. This could mean that Goode’s continued rugby education in the AI’s could be crucial come June 2013.

The results from the weekend continue to emphasise the strength possessed by the Southern Hemisphere. Victories by South Africa and New Zealand showed why they are still the teams to beat in World Rugby. Add Argentina into the mix after their impressive outing in their maiden Rugby Championship and you see that southern hemisphere rugby is going from strength to strength. From a Lion’s perspective, Australia’s heavy defeat to the French continues to underline frailties in their set up and with Robbie Dean’s looking over his shoulder, could we see some fundamental changes ahead of the tour in 2013?

Aside from Australia’s drubbing, there aren’t a huge amount of positives to take from the first weekend of the AI’s. Wales looked very sluggish and were put to the sword by a very efficient Argentine side. From a forward’s point of view, Faletau was monumental across the field. 122m from 18 runs and a heroic defensive effort meant his name was not tarnished. Warburton had a relatively quiet game and without Lydiate Wales lost some of their back row dominance. The front 5 had a relatively quiet game with no one really putting their hand up for selection. In the backs, Priestland continues to disappoint me and struggled to ignite a static backline littered with errors. Roberts carried quite well until he got injured but handling errors across the Welsh backline meant it was a poor day at the office.

It is staggering how much flack Brad Barritt gets for playing a game very similar to that of Jamie Roberts. Roberts is being touted as the next Lions inside centre for his direct running and strong defence yet Brad Barritt does exactly the same job and is criticised for his inclusion in an England jersey. For me, Roberts is passed his best and is very much injury prone. I like the idea of a direct runner from 12 and a more creative spark at 13 and feel that Brad Barritt should definitely be in contention next June.

This brings me on to England. A dominant win against a weak Fiji team is really nothing to write home about. They butchered chances across the field and probably should have been more in command. You will always get great passion and spirit from the Pacific Island side and Fiji optimised this on Saturday. They scored the best try on the day, a fantastic individual effort from Matawalu and showed at times could be very creative in open spaces.  There were some positives to take on the day and Lancaster’s desire to field younger players has been his best decision yet. Allowing players such as Launchbury Vunipola and T. Youngs to experience international rugby means their expected rise up the ranks will be a much smoother transition than an unexpected call up due to injury later on.  Good performances from Sharples and Goode as well as T. Youngs proving his doubters wrong will give Lancaster a selection headache and with Australia currently struggling England should be identifying their next match as an opportunity to scalp one of the big southern hemisphere nations.

Ireland were another team forced into changes. Withdrawals from Lions’ hopefuls Ferris, O’Brien, O’Driscoll and O’Connell meant that Ireland’s younger/fringe players were given an opportunity to shine. In the first half Sexton stole the show and punished weak South African handling and discipline by kicking Ireland to a 12-3 lead. Despite his defensive frailties he has probably ensured his inclusion on the Lions Tour already. His ability to attack the gain line and kicking % means he is the form fly half and will almost certainly be on the plane in June. Cian Healy is another player who continues to impress me. His scrummaging was strong and his work rate around the ruck area was good leading to key turnovers throughout the game. Ireland’s other players failed to ignite Dublin despite positive performances from Earls and Zebo, who tirelessly tried to evade the South African defence. Their pack was very much subdued in the second half leading to a 16-12 loss and Ireland will be hoping they have their key players back in time for the Six Nations.

Scotland were the last team to play on Sunday and faced the toughest test of all….New Zealand at Murrayfield. Despite resting some key players, New Zealand still harnessed the skills of Carter and McCaw and set about dispatching their opponents 51-22. Scotland, lead by the ever impressive Kelly Brown scored 3 tries against the All Blacks which is the most anyone has scored against them all season. Like Fiji, they possessed a staggering amount of heart and passion and this was very much evident in their play throughout the game. Their front row of Grant, Ford and Cross were all over the park and were rewarded with a forwards try just before half time. The rest of the pack worked tirelessly against a ruthless All Black outfit, with Gray and Brown carrying strongly throughout. In the backs, Tim Visser very much stole the show. His huge 6”5 frame alongside blistering pace meant he scored twice on his Murrayfield debut. 4 tries in 4 games for a team who struggle to score tries is a very good return.  I strongly feel he could be an outside bet for the Lions Tour and should be added to the mix of players including Ashton, North, Bowe and Cuthbert. 

It will be an intriguing next few weeks in the AI’s as players looks to push their case forward for inclusion in the 6 Nations and 2013 Lions Tour. If I was Warren Gatland and had to pick my best Lions XV based solely on last weekend’s matches here is my team selection:

1.  Cian Healy 2. Tom Youngs 3. Ryan Grant 4. Geoff Parling 5 Richie Gray 6. Kelly Brown 7. David Denton 8. Toby Faletau 9. Danny Care 10. Jonny Sexton 11. Tim Visser 12. Brad Barritt 13. Manu Tuilagi 14. Charlie Sharples 15. Alex Goode 

First Weekend of Autumn Internationals

It annoys me greatly how people are calling the Welsh loss an 'upset'. Argentina are awesome, an all action pack with the following names in the backs: Tiesi, Hernandez, Contepomi Camacho. They were finding their feet in the newly formed Championship this year but they pushed a few teams close and actually had some time to prepare for these autumn internationals unlike previous years. And unlike a lot of the Welsh team, they play in the Premiership and Top 14, are far tougher existence I think we can all agree. Not an upset, about right actually. 

France put their hammering last year by the Aussies to bed in a brutal display of forward power against the waning star of Robbie Dean's side. It's hard to think this was the team that used to be simply breathtaking with their attacking prowess and Robbie Deans must be looking over his shoulder despite drawing with New Zealand only weeks earlier. No player sums up the French team at the moment like Picamoles. He is probably the most complete backrower in Europe at the moment and he when he is on the front foot he is borderline unstoppable.

England showed glimmers of potential against and undercooked and undermanned Fijian side. Some nice hands but ultimately butchering some very scorable chances will ring a few alarm bells, Joe Marler's howler being amongst the worst. However lots of positives too. Sharples finally got his chance and took it with no second invite. Flood looked back to his best and Alex Goode fulfilled all the promise he had shown at Saracens and will give Lancaster a genuine headache with Brown on fire too and Foden still to come back. Good all round but room for improvement. 

Ireland put in a gutsy performance mixing it up with the big lads but ultimately came up short against the Springboks. They looked great going forward and went toe to toe with South Africa but they couldn't last the distance in a dominant and controlled performance from the away side in the second half. A lesson will hopefully be learnt by Ireland as they witnessed first hand what 'securing a result' looks like.

Scotland also showed a lot of heart. However, New Zealand ignored this for the most part and ran in tries at will and showed the world why they are seen as a cut above. They conceded a few mind and cracks were present in their defence, but its about who scores most and the Kiwis certainly did that. On the plus side for the Scots, Visser looked class and Denton and Gray seemed back to their rampaging best.

A great weekend all round with plenty to digest. 3 and 3 in the North vs South contest, counting the Italy vs Tonga match, so all to play for next week.

Autumn Internationals - YES!

Unfortunately I shall not be attending Twickenham this year but the early nights, crisp air and visible breath have all given me the warm fuzzies about the next few weeks and the genuinely fascinating next few tests England are about to face.

Youngs is in the team. Not Ben, but his stockier  brother Tom. The centre convert who has only been playing in the front row for a couple of years looks raw but is very much the future of English hooking. How on earth did he end up in the centre built like that! If he sorts his throwing in out, he could be the find of the series.

Alex Goode is in too which is also a great shout. I know people will shout about Brown and I'm sure he'll get his chance but Goode has all of Brown's skills and can step in at first receiver. I still think he's a 10 but I'm a front row and my opinion is rarely taken into consideration on such matters.

RGN is not all happy though. Waldrom as supposed to Morgan has particularly annoyed us. No doubting Waldrom's class and Morgan may just be being rested for the next test, but Morgan puts the fear of god into defenders and this would count for the something against an international side not known for the effective tackling. Big hits yes, getting the man to the ground, not really.

RGN's prediction - 3 wins from 4. Lose to the Kiwis. They are quite simply awesome at the moment and can't see us get a look in unless we bring our very top game.

More to follow after the matches.

Toulon - Money, Money, Money

Whoever coined the phrase ‘Money can’t buy you happiness’ obviously didn’t have Mourad Boudjellal, Toulon’s multi millionaire owner in mind. His Toulon team is perched at the summit of the Top 14 French table after winning 9 of their opening 10 matches.  A points difference of 148 and 5 bonus point victories means that they are setting the pace early on in the season. Couple this with 2 from2 in the Heineken Cup and you begin to see that the team from the Provence-Alpes-Cote-D’Azur means business.

His desire to sign ‘great players’  often came at a great cost and rumours in France claimed Tana Umaga and George Gregan cost Boudjellal 700,000 Euros of his own money. A self made millionaire from a comic strip business, Boudjellal’s desire was always to build a ‘big club’. It must be argued that his early years mirrored that of Saracens of old whose desire to sign high profile players didn’t always mean victories on the pitch. Since then he has built a team which has class oozing through it from 1 to 22.

It has not been all plain sailing for Boudjellal’s men who under achieved last season finishing 3^rd in the table. They then went on to lose the Amlin Challenge Cup Final to Biarritz and the Top 14 final to Toulouse. Many people would claim that their mere presence in the two finals could constitute a success but it is argued that owners like Boudjellals who invest millions of their own money into a sports team expect instant results. 

With a bottomless pot of money and the desire for instant results there is often a revolving door regarding player recruitment. Players who don’t make the grade are discarded and new players brought in. On a recent trip to the Peak District and in relation to football my friends discussed the importance of allowing players to ‘bed in’ and get used to the requirements of a different football style/system.  The same could be said for Toulon. Not only do players need to adapt to a new team and new players but they also need to adapt to their new surroundings. A very temperate climate where it can be sunny from as early as February is very different to travelling to Sale in the middle of December on a cold, wet Friday night.

Peter Bills wrote an interesting article in the Independent claiming that the desirable location of Toulon in the South of France alongside exuberant wages would cause players to ‘mentally drop a notch or two in commitment’. Looking at the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Carl Hayman, Matt Giteau and many more it’s hard to believe such a comment about people who are consummate professionals of the modern era. For me, last season’s recruitment of Gavin Henson was Toulon’s lowest point and emphasised their desperation for success. He contributed nothing to the team on or off the pitch and left yet another club in controversial circumstances.

It is since then that Toulon has really begun to grow into a European force. Despite 21 players leaving, they have kept the core of the squad and allowed them to gel together.  Alongside this they have recruited well in the off season and added to an already richly talented squad. The likes of Gethin Jenkins, Frederic Michalak and Danie Rossouw will add vast international experience and Delon and Guy Armitage alongside Maxime Mermoz demonstrates a desire to build for the future. Add to this a relatively new coaching structure headed up by Bernard Laporte and you begin to see that all the ingredients are in place.

This season has been Toulon’s best. Jonny Wilkinson continues to find his best form and with a Lions call so close, can we rule him out of the tour? Steffon Armitage continues to show that England finally has an out and out 7 which can go toe to toe with the best in the world and with the likes of Simon Shaw, Andrew Sheridan and Bakkies Botha turning back the years they seem almost unstoppable.

Obviously the real test will be against Europe’s elite teams like Leinster but after beating some of France’s top teams you must argue they are on the right track. Coincide this with the loss of very few players for the Autumn Internationals and next year’s 6 Nations and you begin so make an easy prediction who will be sitting top of the pile come the end of the season. 

I go away for the week...

Just got back from a lovely few days in Cyprus. I land, go onto my phone, check scrum.com.

Can someone tell me...

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AT SALE?

At first it sounds like Bryan Redpath has been ousted after the arrival of John Mitchell. Then he's offered the backs coach job, then Steve Diamond takes some kind of rugby role and now Bryan Redpath is the head coach?!

Anyway I'm sure more will come out in the wash in the next few days. Apologies for a lack of blogging recently but a man needs a holiday, especially teachers. We simply don't get enough time off as it is. 

A game for all sizes, but a game for all?

Jonathon Joseph and
Chris Robshaw (opposite)
are both products of
Millfield's excellent
rugby program

Firstly, before I go on let me say that I am not suggesting some communist agenda within rugby. The independent schools in the UK are the lifeblood of the history of the game and it was at one of the most prestigious, Rugby School, that our beautiful game was born. As a player and now as coach, going to away fixtures with my team to schools such as Cokethorpe, Haileybury and Merchant Taylors were always great events. Mostly because of the great post match dinners they would put on but also because of the sense of history and place these schools had. What I am suggesting in this article is not the dumbing down of their role in player and game development but a raising in profile of schools who are not as traditionally associated with rugby union.

Secondly, when referring to state schools, I know there are state schools and state schools and the variety in ethos, intake and success is a veritable smorgasbord of educational marketization. Put simply, some are better than others and this can often but not always be differentiated by selective and catchment area schools and this can also breed a mix of successes on the rugby field.

Right disclaimers out of the way to get the educational political correctness police off my back, I can get on with it. Firstly have a look at the table below.

Josh Lewsey	Watford Grammar	Selective
Jason Robinson	LEAGUE
Will Greenwood	Stonyhurst College	Independent
Mike Tindall	Queen Elizabeth Grammar	Independent
Ben Cohen	Kingsthorpe Upper School	State
Jonny Wilkinson	Lord Wandsworth College	Independent
Matt Dawson	RGS High Wycombe	Selective
Trevor Woodman	Liskeard School	State
Steve Thompson	Northampton School for Boys	State
Phil Vickery	Budehaven School	State
Martin Johnson	Robert Smyth School	State
Ben Kay	Merchant Taylors School Crosby	Independent
Richard Hill	Bishop Wordsworth's School	Selective
Neil Back	Woodlands School	State
Lawrence Dallaglio	Ampleforth College	Independent
Dorian West	Ashby Grammar	Selective
Jason Leonard	Warren Comprehensive	State
Martin Corry	Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar	Selective
Lewis Moody	Oakham School	Independent
Kyran Bracken	Stonyhurst College	Independent
Mike Catt	NON UK
Iain Balshaw	Stonyhurst College	Independent

38% of the 2003 World Cup winning team came from private education backgrounds. Now look at this table.

Alex Goode	The Leys. Oakham	Independent
Chris Ashton	LEAGUE
Jonathan Joseph	Millfield	Independent
Manusamoa Tuilagi	Mount Grace	State
Ben Foden	Bishop Heber, Bromsgrove	State/Independent
Toby Flood	King's School	Independent
Danny Care	Prince Henry's Grammar	Selective
Joe Marler	Heathfield Community College	State
Dylan Hartley	NON UK
Dan Cole	Robert Smyth School	State
Tom Palmer	Boroughmuir High School	State
Geoff Parling	Ian Ramsey School, Durham School	State/Independent
Tom Johnson	Dean Close School	Independent
James Haskell	Wellington College	Independent
Thomas Waldrom	NON UK
Lee Mears	Colston's School	Independent
Paul Doran Jones	Old Swinford Hospital/Wellington College	State/Independent
Mouritz Botha	NON UK
Phil Dowson	Sedbergh	Independent
Lee Dickson	Barnard Castle	Independent
Owen Farrell	St George's	State
Brad Barritt	NON UK

This is the last England team from their final outing against South Africa in the summer tour. 68% of the team have had all or some of their education in the private sector. That’s a 30% increase.

Now I know some get offered sports scholarships and that their independent education may not be reflective of socio-economic background, but this is not a question of class. This is a question of access.

One of the main things that needs to end is the competition between school and clubs. Most of the students I coach turn out for school on a Saturday and their club on a Sunday. Throw in a few county games and the training sessions that come with this and you have got a rugby load that even the most impassioned player would struggle to adore. I once played three games in a weekend, school Saturday morning, men’s rugby Saturday afternoon and Colts on Sunday. I wouldn’t get away with that in these times, and rightly so. But it gives you an idea about the potential problems posed.

Here are two options we could explore as a possible solution.

Option 1 – Chunk the season

1^st Term – School Rugby – Saturday fixtures, all schools.

2^nd Term – Club Rugby – Local side, get rid of the leagues and play friendlies with a cup competition

3^rd Term – County and Representative – Gives a whole year of assessment rather than packing assessment into 4/5 disjointed games as they are currently assessed on. Not as serious players have a whole summer to play other sports and train for the new season.

This means schools get their players without increasing the risk of injury from multiple games in a week, they get a full weeks training again without interruptions of representative rugby.

Option 2 – National Sports Structure

All schools sports have allocated days, Year 7 Monday, Year 8 Tuesday, Senior Squads Wednesday, Year 9 Thursday and Year 10 Friday. Training takes place at lunchtimes and after school on off days and all the schools across England play fixtures on their allocated afternoon. Rugby first term, football second term, cricket third term. This leaves weekends for club and representative rugby and other sports if not a rugby nut like myself.

The problem at the moment is that all schools to different things, some are one term rugby, some are two term, some do a mixture of sports across the terms. The beauty of these systems is that the independent schools can keep hold of their traditional fixture lists which are rightly precious to them, new rugby schools can log on to fixture sites like schoolsrugby and find other teams of a similar standard and the mid ranked schools can pick up fixtures above and below their standard to drive up standards across the board.

The end product. Higher standards and consistency in coaching. Higher participation at the countries junior clubs which will have an positive impact on player retention as they become the sole source of rugby post education. Higher standards of football in schools as those good at football and rugby are not being made to choose until they get to the elite end. Schools are maximising their athletic assets whilst not exhausting them. A greater sense of belonging both at school at their clubs.

This is obviously pie in the sky and will almost definitely not happen because of the egos of various people in various sports looking out for their own. However, there is genuinely no need to compete with each other, there IS space for all, and all that is needed is consensus and an open mind.

To summarise, the options are there, as long as we give and take a little. Socialism in rugby, not quite. At its essence rugby is meritocratic, you get out what you put in. This is a message that all schools should benefit from, not just a few. Maybe in the future we can see more rugby players from Queen’s School, Bushey complimenting those from Millfield, Somerset, making rugby both inclusive, but at its core still a game for those who are looking for the ultimate in physical and mental competition. Also, it could mean plugging gaps in our teams with players who have played most of their rugby in England, rather than looking at overseas players qualified through residency. But that’s another article…