South Africa vs Argentina - yup about exciting as it sounds

Where exactly are all the fans? That's right, they must have realised this game was about as fun as stepping on an upward facing plug. 

Todd Stupid to Clever in one movement

Skip to the slowed-down version at 2:21 on the slider. You can see Todd Clever's realisation that he is about to do something amazingly illegal then recover to 'safely' land the muppet who decided to start on one of the hardest US players outside of Samu Manoa.

I know I haven't updated in a loooooong time. Please forgive me, between newly pregnant missus and promotions at work, blogging has recently played third fiddle. However, thankyou for those 30 or so readers who keep logging on and checking daily. I look forward to repaying your loyalty over the coming weeks!

Ross

Premiership Final Day - Toby Flood can hardly contain himself

Why can't it always be like this?

I feel exhausted just watching. I am definitely going for a run tomorrow.

Oh sweet sanity!

Pretty soon I can stop referring to them as 'Wycombe Wasps'. If this comes off I will be the happiest man in North London, and have three premiership teams within an hours travel.

http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2012-13/rugby/story/179241.html

'Don't get me wrong, the Welsh would have won anyway'

This is phrase that has been winding me up the past week.

Most commentators/columnists/armchair generals (a group I am clearly part of) have been saying it. 'Dont get me wrong, Wales would have won anyway, but that (insert expletive here) Walsh couldn't ref a scrum to save his life, and he clearly hates the English!'.

My annoyance is twofold. The statement of the title is, at its basis, true. Regardless of who was reffing thaty day, (deep swallowing of pride) Wales were simply awesome. The front-row on a good reffing day would have probably torn the South African scrum apart and their backs man for man (maybe with the exception of Farrell and Biggar) were, and simply are, better than us. Their back-row was electric. I have not seen balance to a back-row like that since Hill/Back/Dallaglio. And here it goes, I think they might actually be better. The old England trio used to just dog it, there was no where they would not put their head in the effort to get a turnover or slow opposition ball down. The Welsh boys do that, with the added bonus of them all being 'footballers'. With Lydiate still to return, this could well be the best back-row of modern times.

So this is my first point, Wales ARE the better team. That should be the first and last thing out of any commentators mouth. So why is it always used as a caviat to the main complaint about Walsh?

This leads me to my second point. The scrums have been a mess for about 4-5 seasons now. I was there in Swansea last year when Saracens played the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in the H-Cup. This was the infamous game that sarries DoR Mark McCall announced:

"The scrums were carnage tonight. In the old days you used to practice scrum moves but coaches have stopped doing that as there is a free-kick or penalty at every scrum so there is no need for those moves."

You could argue things have got marginally better. You could but you'd be an idiot. Thanks to being able to hear the refs calls nowadays, you could clearly hear Walsh putting a pregnant pause in between the 'touch-set' phase of the scrum call, precisely what the new calls were brought in to get rid of!

So my second point, why are we surprised this area was poorly managed? The character that is Steve Walsh aside, refs have not got a bleedin clue how to manage a scrum, and haven't had for some time. The reason as to why it has become an issue again is because England lost. The same England that two seasons ago would have bitten your hand off it offered a second place finish (something they went on to achieve) whilst being in this transition phase. An England team that despite the result last weekend, I'm still very excited about.

Rant over. Wales are better. That is all that matters in the short term and its great for the British Lions. Yes the Welsh game was a lesson for England, but let it be exactly that. As in education, when a lesson is delivered you take the positives you can from the experience and look to see what areas you can improve on. You don't wail and bitch about the teacher regardless of how poor they were as compensation for your own shortcomings.

Woodward criticises Lancaster/Media relationship. Blogger laughs very hard indeed.

 

This from the man who employed Alistair Campbell to 'manage' media relations during the Lions series to NZ  in 2005, also announcing at a press conference he believed the Lions had the edge over the Kiwis because 'winning teams play in red'. The 2003 World Cup win has never felt so long ago.

http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/179118.html