Better late than never, here goes my Week 3 review.
I've been travelling a fair bit again recently, and time has been short so I didn't get a chance to preview the matches. I would have been vastly wrong on one, spot on on one and not far off on the other.... but which was which?
Ireland vs Italy should have been a home banker. Italy's away performances are a far cry from their home persona, where they have recently beaten France and given England and Ireland the fright of their lives. Ireland made heavy weather of things early on though, leading 17-10 at half-time thanks to two brave decisions by O'connell to kick to the corner, which led to tries by Earls and Bowe, these being the bread around a Parisse try for Italy.
It was only after the withdrawal of the hugely disappointing Murray that ireland kicked into gear, and Reddan provided pace, urgency and tactical nous, which saw a second try for Bowe, one for Court and one for Trimble. Italy were run ragged in the last half hour, and seriously need to find a kicker and some backs. Ireland know that, if they can beat France, Scotland and England, and Wales slip up against the French (Auckland anyone?) the title could still be theirs.
England and Wales was the tie of the round, if not the tournament. England's inexperienced young guns against the slightly over-hyped, but still good Welsh. The Welsh said they would hammer us, but that was never going to be the case at Twickenham. A hammering is 62-28 Welsh fans... remember that?
This was a proper game of rugby. Both sides at times tearing into the opposition and asking the sternest questions of two defences that creaked but ultimately did sterling work. England nudged 6 points clear early in the second half with 4 Farrell penalties to 2 of Halfpenny's. Priestland was sent to the bin but Wales re-grouped and allowed the clock to tick down, masterfully it has to be said. This laid the platform for them to return to 12-12 with 10 minutes to go.
England replacement Courtney Lawes was then stripped of the ball by Scott Williams, but under the pressure of two other Welsh tacklers, and Williams kicked ahead, won the race, gathered and scored a try which Halfpenny would convert. 19-12, England needing a converted score to dodge the bullet.
Credit where it's due, Flood put them in the right place and the line-out was won. Wales cynically collapsed an advancing England maul. Penalty advantage as the clock ticked. Flood swung it wide, Brown and Strettle had a seemingly open line, but Brown's pass was slightly mis-timed, Strettle still got over and touched down (for me) but Steve (Look at me, I'm great) Walsh went to the TMO. Little worry for me, if it's a try we take it, if not we go back the minute or so for the penalty from which we haven't gained advantage. 4 tortuous minutes a Welsh voice (yes, work that one out) announced the evidence was inconclusive and OJ Simpson was released (sorry, my mistake) no try was given. "Walsh went back for the penalty then" I hear you say. Oh no. Game over, Wales won a Triple Crown and England far from being losers had won back the support of their fans, who were rightly cheered by an ebullient, promising performance from the least experienced side ever to represent any country in the 6 Nations.
Scotland hosted Wales on Sunday and whether it was French indolence, Scottish joie de vivre or a combination of Scotland clicking and France suffering their club sides malaise (not travelling well across the Channel) it was hard to tell, but Stuart Hogg, who looks a fine prospect, opened the score with that rarest of things, a Scottish try. France hung in and Fofana, who is another fine young prospect, picked the perfect line, took an awkward pass and rocketed over. Lee Jones scored a second try for Scotland (they're like buses seemingly) to nudge them 17-13 ahead before Medard sauntered over for France's second try and Beauxis added a drop goal which saw the French home by a mere 6 points.
Positives for all the sides really this weekend, with the exception of Italy who took a massive step backwards. I had Ireland to win comfortably and England to keep it close against Wales, but the real surprise for me was the Scots getting so close to a somewhat underwhelming France.
Team of the Week
As ever, a Team of the week from me:
1. Jean-Baptiste Poux (FRA) - showed the Scots how to scrummage
2. Dimitri Szarzewski (FRA) - best game in blue for quite a while
3. Dan Cole (ENG) - a couple of penalties aside, he was magnificent
4. Mauritz Botha (ENG) - a real powerhouse in England's second row
5. Paul O'Connell (IRE) - a great all-round performance
6. Stephen Ferris (IRE) - matched his captain for effort, skill and determination
7. Sam Warburton (WAL) - back to his World Cup best
8. Toby Faletau (WAL) - while no number 8 truly shone this weekend, he was a real danger runner for Wales
9. Eoan Reddan (IRE) - while only a substitute, he turned the game for Ireland
10. Owen Farrell (ENG) - first game at 10. "He can't get a back line moving" sad many. How wrong they were.
11. George North (WAL) - danger personified.
12. Wesley Fofana (FRA) - fast running out of superlatives for this pocket rocket
13. Manu Tuilagi (ENG) - along with Barritt outshone their Welsh rivals
14. Tommy Bowe (IRE) - swooped twice to finish moves efficiently
15. Rob Kearney (IRE) - A Lions shoe-in at the moment, though in a year's time, Stuart Hogg (SCO) may be sniffing for his place after a great performance of his own.
5 Irish, 4 English, 3 Welsh and 3 French this week. Hogg and Rennie the unlucky Scots, no Italian anywhere near the side I'm afraid.
Right, I can hear the Tapas calling. Hasta la vista. Billy Bonus 6 Nations weekend next weekend as France meet Ireland (ice permitting). Catch you then.
Monday, 27 February 2012
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Something For (Almost) Everyone - Pick your XV
In so far as this is a week off from 6 Nations, this could be considered a relatively quiet week. There is still Aviva Premiership, Rabobank 12 and Top 14 rugby mind, so there will be plenty to occupy the Rugby nut's minds this weekend.
France and Ireland seem unilaterally unhappy with the staging of their cancelled game on Sunday March 4th. Ireland say this doesn't give them enough turn-around before their next game, while the French League are unhappy as they have to release their players for an additional game. 'Sacre bleu!' I guess if they're both unhappy, that's OK, but seriously, the way people are stressing that "this means 4 games in 4 weeks for the players" you would think that this is some superhuman task, when actually New Zealand, France, Wales and Australia played 7 games in 7 weeks back in the Rugby World Cup, and some of the players would be playing for their clubs anyway during that weekend 'off' so I fail to see the issue.
The weekend off allows England's wounded more time to prove their fitness to Stuart Lancaster. Toby Flood, Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes all put in a shift for their club sides while England were stuttering and spluttering in Rome (all in losing causes coincidentally) and have re-joined the squad at Pennyhill Park for the remainder of the tournament. Serious selection headaches for Lancaster? Maybe. Any additional impetus prior to the Welsh game though is welcome, given the stop-start nature of their campaign so far.
Jonathan Davies has said that Wales "might stuff England" in ten days time. As I've said, that may be the case, but then again it may not. I used to like Davies as an expert. He used to be insightful, gave a great view on what players were thinking and, most importantly, was fair. Now though, his totally biased and openly fervent favouritism of Wales, and his seeming boiling hatred for anything in a red rose, does him no favours on TV. He is fast becoming a caricature of himself as can be seen when Wales lose and he sits in the studio like a brooding 13 year old who has had his mobile phone taken off him, been grounded and had the controller to his X-Box 360 simultaneously ungrafted from his hands.
Best XVs
I thought, given the break, I'd try to pick my ideal XV for each of the Home Nations, and consequently for the British Lions too. I have assumed full fitness and availability for all, and current form, rather than historical form, has also been used to select people where appropriate. If you agree or disagree, join the debate, or more accurately probably start the debate, at the bottom of the article (Click on Comment, then Comment - doddle)
Here we go:
England
Corbisiero, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Botha, Wood, Robshaw (capt), Morgan, Dickson, Farrell, Barritt, Tuilagi, Ashton, Sharples, Foden
Talking points:
10: Farrell, Flood or Hodgson - all have plus points, but the goal is 2015 and Farrell should be the man them (unless George Ford grows into senior rugby as quickly as Farrell has done)
12: Barritt or Farrell - decisions, decision. Pass me the coin
14: Strettle or Sharples - Sharples got my nod for the same reason as Farrell at 10. If we are going to build towards 2015, let's build to 2015
Ireland
Healy, Best, Ross, O'Connell, Ryan, O'Brien, O'Mahony, Heaslip, Murray, Sexton, McFadden, O'Driscoll (capt), Trimble, Bowe, Kearney
Talking Points:
6: Ferris or O'Brien - to pick Ferris, you need to play O'Brien at 7, and that isn't working consistently
7: O'Brien or O'Mahony - O'Mahony needs to be given a go with 2015 in mind
9: Murray or Reddan - Murray is still raw but I believe can grow into a Mike Phillips type player
12: McFadden, D'Arcy, Earls, Trimble, anyone? - Lots of names, but 12 is Ireland's biggest problem
Scotland
Murray, Ford, Jacobsen, Gray (capt), Hamilton, Strokosch, Rennie, Denton, Cusiter, Weir, S. Lamont, De Luca, Hogg, Evans, R. Lamont
Talking Points:
9: Cusiter, Blair or Laidlaw - tempting though it was to throw Laidlaw in there, I like Cusiter and thought he did well against Wales till the second half kick-off
10: Jackson, Laidlaw or Weir - I am always impressed by everything Weir does
Captain: While Ford has done little wrong, I think Gray could be the sort of inspirational leader Scotland have always required to take it to the next level
Wales
Jenkins, Rees, Jones, Wyn Jones, Charteris, Lydiate, Warburton (Capt), Faletau, Phillips, Priestland, Roberts, Davies, North, Halfpenny, Byrne
Talking Points:
2: Rees or Owens - Without Rees Wales' line-out has been nothing short of abysmal, though Owens improved things second half against Scotland
14: Cuthbert or Halfpenny - I'm convinced Halfpenny is a better bet on the wing than at 15
15: Halfpenny, Hook or Byrne - Byrne has always been strong under the high ball, quick and has a massive boot. Very similar to Kearney, I pick him every day of the week
Flexibility - Wales have 'ruined' players in the past by throwing them in at different positions (Hook springs obviously to mind). They need to avoid doing the same with halfpenny and Priestland. Pick them in their best positions and be done.
British and Irish Lions
Corbisiero, Best, Jones, Gray, O'Connell (capt), Lydiate, Warburton, Morgan, Phillips, Sexton, Roberts, Davies, North, Halfpenny, Kearney
Front Row:
Corbisiero edges out Healy and Jenkins, while Best is the first name on the teamsheet currently. Cole and Jones is a close call at 3, but I see Cole returning to his best and he could edge out Jones by the end of the season
Second Row:
Picks itself at the moment, with maybe Wyn Jones, Lawes and Ryan forcing their way into the reckoning
Back Row:
Given a run at 6 for Ireland, it is feasible that O'Brien could nudge out Lydiate at 6. Warburton is up there with Best as the first name on the sheet, and Morgan edges out Denton at 8.
Half Back:
Phillips has no real competition at the moment at 9, while at 10 there is an interesting battle between Sexton, Priestland and Farrell brewing
Centre:
How can you split up the pair of Roberts and Davies at the moment? O'Driscoll back to fitness and form could fight Davies for a place, and Tuilagi will be in the mix, but current form sees me keep these two together
Back three:
North is a shoe-in, with the other position being more open. I'd take Halfpenny's dancing feet and secure kicking game and defence on that wing at the moment, with Kearney seeing off Foden at full back.
That would mean 8 Welshmen, 4 Irishmen, 2 Englishmen and 1 Scot at the moment; and people say I lack in objectivity....
Right. Over to you? Wherever you're reading this you must have an opinion on at least one of these teams. So get commenting and discussing this. I expect to see at least 4 stand up rows brewing within a day, either here or on Twitter, where you can find me as @theeggchaser
France and Ireland seem unilaterally unhappy with the staging of their cancelled game on Sunday March 4th. Ireland say this doesn't give them enough turn-around before their next game, while the French League are unhappy as they have to release their players for an additional game. 'Sacre bleu!' I guess if they're both unhappy, that's OK, but seriously, the way people are stressing that "this means 4 games in 4 weeks for the players" you would think that this is some superhuman task, when actually New Zealand, France, Wales and Australia played 7 games in 7 weeks back in the Rugby World Cup, and some of the players would be playing for their clubs anyway during that weekend 'off' so I fail to see the issue.
The weekend off allows England's wounded more time to prove their fitness to Stuart Lancaster. Toby Flood, Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes all put in a shift for their club sides while England were stuttering and spluttering in Rome (all in losing causes coincidentally) and have re-joined the squad at Pennyhill Park for the remainder of the tournament. Serious selection headaches for Lancaster? Maybe. Any additional impetus prior to the Welsh game though is welcome, given the stop-start nature of their campaign so far.
Jonathan Davies has said that Wales "might stuff England" in ten days time. As I've said, that may be the case, but then again it may not. I used to like Davies as an expert. He used to be insightful, gave a great view on what players were thinking and, most importantly, was fair. Now though, his totally biased and openly fervent favouritism of Wales, and his seeming boiling hatred for anything in a red rose, does him no favours on TV. He is fast becoming a caricature of himself as can be seen when Wales lose and he sits in the studio like a brooding 13 year old who has had his mobile phone taken off him, been grounded and had the controller to his X-Box 360 simultaneously ungrafted from his hands.
Best XVs
I thought, given the break, I'd try to pick my ideal XV for each of the Home Nations, and consequently for the British Lions too. I have assumed full fitness and availability for all, and current form, rather than historical form, has also been used to select people where appropriate. If you agree or disagree, join the debate, or more accurately probably start the debate, at the bottom of the article (Click on Comment, then Comment - doddle)
Here we go:
England
Corbisiero, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Botha, Wood, Robshaw (capt), Morgan, Dickson, Farrell, Barritt, Tuilagi, Ashton, Sharples, Foden
Talking points:
10: Farrell, Flood or Hodgson - all have plus points, but the goal is 2015 and Farrell should be the man them (unless George Ford grows into senior rugby as quickly as Farrell has done)
12: Barritt or Farrell - decisions, decision. Pass me the coin
14: Strettle or Sharples - Sharples got my nod for the same reason as Farrell at 10. If we are going to build towards 2015, let's build to 2015
Ireland
Healy, Best, Ross, O'Connell, Ryan, O'Brien, O'Mahony, Heaslip, Murray, Sexton, McFadden, O'Driscoll (capt), Trimble, Bowe, Kearney
Talking Points:
6: Ferris or O'Brien - to pick Ferris, you need to play O'Brien at 7, and that isn't working consistently
7: O'Brien or O'Mahony - O'Mahony needs to be given a go with 2015 in mind
9: Murray or Reddan - Murray is still raw but I believe can grow into a Mike Phillips type player
12: McFadden, D'Arcy, Earls, Trimble, anyone? - Lots of names, but 12 is Ireland's biggest problem
Scotland
Murray, Ford, Jacobsen, Gray (capt), Hamilton, Strokosch, Rennie, Denton, Cusiter, Weir, S. Lamont, De Luca, Hogg, Evans, R. Lamont
Talking Points:
9: Cusiter, Blair or Laidlaw - tempting though it was to throw Laidlaw in there, I like Cusiter and thought he did well against Wales till the second half kick-off
10: Jackson, Laidlaw or Weir - I am always impressed by everything Weir does
Captain: While Ford has done little wrong, I think Gray could be the sort of inspirational leader Scotland have always required to take it to the next level
Wales
Jenkins, Rees, Jones, Wyn Jones, Charteris, Lydiate, Warburton (Capt), Faletau, Phillips, Priestland, Roberts, Davies, North, Halfpenny, Byrne
Talking Points:
2: Rees or Owens - Without Rees Wales' line-out has been nothing short of abysmal, though Owens improved things second half against Scotland
14: Cuthbert or Halfpenny - I'm convinced Halfpenny is a better bet on the wing than at 15
15: Halfpenny, Hook or Byrne - Byrne has always been strong under the high ball, quick and has a massive boot. Very similar to Kearney, I pick him every day of the week
Flexibility - Wales have 'ruined' players in the past by throwing them in at different positions (Hook springs obviously to mind). They need to avoid doing the same with halfpenny and Priestland. Pick them in their best positions and be done.
British and Irish Lions
Corbisiero, Best, Jones, Gray, O'Connell (capt), Lydiate, Warburton, Morgan, Phillips, Sexton, Roberts, Davies, North, Halfpenny, Kearney
Front Row:
Corbisiero edges out Healy and Jenkins, while Best is the first name on the teamsheet currently. Cole and Jones is a close call at 3, but I see Cole returning to his best and he could edge out Jones by the end of the season
Second Row:
Picks itself at the moment, with maybe Wyn Jones, Lawes and Ryan forcing their way into the reckoning
Back Row:
Given a run at 6 for Ireland, it is feasible that O'Brien could nudge out Lydiate at 6. Warburton is up there with Best as the first name on the sheet, and Morgan edges out Denton at 8.
Half Back:
Phillips has no real competition at the moment at 9, while at 10 there is an interesting battle between Sexton, Priestland and Farrell brewing
Centre:
How can you split up the pair of Roberts and Davies at the moment? O'Driscoll back to fitness and form could fight Davies for a place, and Tuilagi will be in the mix, but current form sees me keep these two together
Back three:
North is a shoe-in, with the other position being more open. I'd take Halfpenny's dancing feet and secure kicking game and defence on that wing at the moment, with Kearney seeing off Foden at full back.
That would mean 8 Welshmen, 4 Irishmen, 2 Englishmen and 1 Scot at the moment; and people say I lack in objectivity....
Right. Over to you? Wherever you're reading this you must have an opinion on at least one of these teams. So get commenting and discussing this. I expect to see at least 4 stand up rows brewing within a day, either here or on Twitter, where you can find me as @theeggchaser
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Wales Raise The Roof (so to speak)
#Team of Week 2 now added at the bottom#
After yesterday's icy debacle in Paris, the bandwagon moved to Cardiff where Wales were big favourites to beat Scotland, who, while they had played better against England last weekend, still offered as much tooth as a new born child.
That this game would be played was never in doubt due to the exceptional roof at the Millennium Stadium. I remember being there for the opening game of the 1999 Rugby World Cup and have been lucky to experience it with roof both open and closed, great atmosphere and very patriotic (bordering on nationalistic if I'm honest).
Scotland showed well in the first half. The young triumvirate of Gray, Denton and Rennie really have a bright future ahead of them. There must be something warming for Scottish fans to see a mop of blond hair rampaging in attack and defence as it used to when John Jeffrey ruled the roost at Murrayfield; but now there are two! Wales countered with the excellent Lydiate, Faletau and Schengler (deputising for Warburton, a late withdrawal) and the first half never really caught fire with both sides snuffing the other out when it came to the nitty-gritty of play in the 22. The highlight was a huge hit by Hamilton on North, who was triple-teamed when possible by Scotland, and penalties were exchanged by Laidlaw and Halfpenny as the sides changed round at 3-3.
There must have been belief in Scotland's side as they entered the arena for the second half, but if there was, they extinguished it in a catastrophic fifteen minutes. Denton and Cusiter left the kick-off to each other, Wales won the line, one missed tackle and Cuthbert was in for the score. Halfpenny converted and added a penalty after Di Luca needlessly tackled Davies late (receiving a yellow card for his troubles) to make it 13-3, before Laidlaw kicked one back to make it 13-6 after just 8 minutes of an already engrossing second half. The 14 men defended valiantly, but numbers told and Halfpenny went round the outside and scooted under the posts to make it 20-6 two minutes later.
Just as they were about to return to full strength though, a third awful piece of play saw Rory Lamont tackle Jamie Roberts from a massively offside position, meaning 13 men briefly for Scotland. De Luca returned, but to no avail as Halfpenny looped round Phillips to score his second, which he also converted to push Wales 21 points clear after just 16 second half minutes. Wales were rampant with Lydiate, Roberts, Cuthbert, Halfpenny and Phillips pulling the strings and you would not have backed against a 5 or 6 try win, but to their credit, Scotland dug in when back up to full strength and Wales benefitted from a dodgy refereeing decision (no comment) when Hogg scored but was deemed to have knocked on. No bother though, as Laidlaw evoked memories of his Uncle with a cheeky sneak under Faletau's defence to score Scotland's first try since the mighty Romania back in September.
The game ebbed and flowed with both sides looking to score at every opportunity. Such a contrast to the dour first half and a welcome injection of incisive quality after the cold-induced stuttering of Saturday's game. It finished with another pacey Welsh break, capably snuffed out by Scotland, as Wales made it two out of two.
Final Score Wales 27 Scotland 13
Wales have now thoroughly outplayed both Ireland and Scotland, 2 very different sides, and head the table after 2 games. England away is up next and they and their supporters will be highly confident that they have the game to beat the English in their own back yard. George North limped off with a severely sprained ankle though and his absence would hurt them. England showed enough green shoots in their win in Italy to have confidence themselves, so another cracker could be in store at Twickenham in two weeks time. I would actually make Wales favourites, but England have designs on a triple crown too and won't be taking the challenge lightly.
Scotland host France in two weeks time. Things don't get any easier for Andy Robinson's men. At this moment you can't see anything but a wooden spoon decider for them against the redoubtable (at home) Italians in Rome. At least there won't be snow on the pitch then.
I'd normally here say "Great weekend. Rugby was the winner." Given what happened yesterday though, that may be a little wide of the mark.
Team of Week 2
1. Alex Corbisiero (Eng) - another much improved performance from England's new cornerstone
2. Dylan Hartley (Eng) - greatly improved, and to be honest, none of the other hookers really played that well
3. Adam Jones (Wal) - solid scrummaging and effective (sometimes even legally) in the loose
4. Richie Gray (Sco) - another fluent loose performance from the big man
5. Mauritz Botha (Eng) - not at the height of last week's efforts, but still a solid performer
6. Dan Lydiate (Wal) - held Wales's pack together
7. Ross Rennie (Sco) - an immense performance in defeat, which deserved Man of the Match for me
8. David Denton (Sco) - with Rennie and Gray, the future is bright for the Scottish pack
9. Mike Phillips (Wal) - busy and buzzing at the base as ever. I thought he refereed the game excellently too.
10. Rhys Priestland (Wal) - shorn of the kicking duties, he was much more assured in Cardiff than he was in Dublin
11. Stuart Hogg (Sco) - no left wing shone this week, so Hogg as replacement gets in. His quick feet scored a try that wasn't given and created problems for Wales in defence (were you watching England?)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wal) - outshone by his centre colleague Davies last week, Roberts was much better this week
13. Brad Barritt (Eng) - the one England back who had a good all-round game
14. Alex Cuthbert (Wal) - having been substituted at half-time in Dublin, some were surprised he retained his place, but a much better performance, topped with a try showed his promise
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wal) - A great all-round performance, defensively, attacking and with the boot
After yesterday's icy debacle in Paris, the bandwagon moved to Cardiff where Wales were big favourites to beat Scotland, who, while they had played better against England last weekend, still offered as much tooth as a new born child.
That this game would be played was never in doubt due to the exceptional roof at the Millennium Stadium. I remember being there for the opening game of the 1999 Rugby World Cup and have been lucky to experience it with roof both open and closed, great atmosphere and very patriotic (bordering on nationalistic if I'm honest).
Scotland showed well in the first half. The young triumvirate of Gray, Denton and Rennie really have a bright future ahead of them. There must be something warming for Scottish fans to see a mop of blond hair rampaging in attack and defence as it used to when John Jeffrey ruled the roost at Murrayfield; but now there are two! Wales countered with the excellent Lydiate, Faletau and Schengler (deputising for Warburton, a late withdrawal) and the first half never really caught fire with both sides snuffing the other out when it came to the nitty-gritty of play in the 22. The highlight was a huge hit by Hamilton on North, who was triple-teamed when possible by Scotland, and penalties were exchanged by Laidlaw and Halfpenny as the sides changed round at 3-3.
There must have been belief in Scotland's side as they entered the arena for the second half, but if there was, they extinguished it in a catastrophic fifteen minutes. Denton and Cusiter left the kick-off to each other, Wales won the line, one missed tackle and Cuthbert was in for the score. Halfpenny converted and added a penalty after Di Luca needlessly tackled Davies late (receiving a yellow card for his troubles) to make it 13-3, before Laidlaw kicked one back to make it 13-6 after just 8 minutes of an already engrossing second half. The 14 men defended valiantly, but numbers told and Halfpenny went round the outside and scooted under the posts to make it 20-6 two minutes later.
Just as they were about to return to full strength though, a third awful piece of play saw Rory Lamont tackle Jamie Roberts from a massively offside position, meaning 13 men briefly for Scotland. De Luca returned, but to no avail as Halfpenny looped round Phillips to score his second, which he also converted to push Wales 21 points clear after just 16 second half minutes. Wales were rampant with Lydiate, Roberts, Cuthbert, Halfpenny and Phillips pulling the strings and you would not have backed against a 5 or 6 try win, but to their credit, Scotland dug in when back up to full strength and Wales benefitted from a dodgy refereeing decision (no comment) when Hogg scored but was deemed to have knocked on. No bother though, as Laidlaw evoked memories of his Uncle with a cheeky sneak under Faletau's defence to score Scotland's first try since the mighty Romania back in September.
The game ebbed and flowed with both sides looking to score at every opportunity. Such a contrast to the dour first half and a welcome injection of incisive quality after the cold-induced stuttering of Saturday's game. It finished with another pacey Welsh break, capably snuffed out by Scotland, as Wales made it two out of two.
Final Score Wales 27 Scotland 13
Wales have now thoroughly outplayed both Ireland and Scotland, 2 very different sides, and head the table after 2 games. England away is up next and they and their supporters will be highly confident that they have the game to beat the English in their own back yard. George North limped off with a severely sprained ankle though and his absence would hurt them. England showed enough green shoots in their win in Italy to have confidence themselves, so another cracker could be in store at Twickenham in two weeks time. I would actually make Wales favourites, but England have designs on a triple crown too and won't be taking the challenge lightly.
Scotland host France in two weeks time. Things don't get any easier for Andy Robinson's men. At this moment you can't see anything but a wooden spoon decider for them against the redoubtable (at home) Italians in Rome. At least there won't be snow on the pitch then.
I'd normally here say "Great weekend. Rugby was the winner." Given what happened yesterday though, that may be a little wide of the mark.
Team of Week 2
1. Alex Corbisiero (Eng) - another much improved performance from England's new cornerstone
2. Dylan Hartley (Eng) - greatly improved, and to be honest, none of the other hookers really played that well
3. Adam Jones (Wal) - solid scrummaging and effective (sometimes even legally) in the loose
4. Richie Gray (Sco) - another fluent loose performance from the big man
5. Mauritz Botha (Eng) - not at the height of last week's efforts, but still a solid performer
6. Dan Lydiate (Wal) - held Wales's pack together
7. Ross Rennie (Sco) - an immense performance in defeat, which deserved Man of the Match for me
8. David Denton (Sco) - with Rennie and Gray, the future is bright for the Scottish pack
9. Mike Phillips (Wal) - busy and buzzing at the base as ever. I thought he refereed the game excellently too.
10. Rhys Priestland (Wal) - shorn of the kicking duties, he was much more assured in Cardiff than he was in Dublin
11. Stuart Hogg (Sco) - no left wing shone this week, so Hogg as replacement gets in. His quick feet scored a try that wasn't given and created problems for Wales in defence (were you watching England?)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wal) - outshone by his centre colleague Davies last week, Roberts was much better this week
13. Brad Barritt (Eng) - the one England back who had a good all-round game
14. Alex Cuthbert (Wal) - having been substituted at half-time in Dublin, some were surprised he retained his place, but a much better performance, topped with a try showed his promise
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wal) - A great all-round performance, defensively, attacking and with the boot
Time For A Reality Check
Usually on 6 Nations weekends, or big weekends of rugby in general I suppose, I treat events chronologically. Events yesterday don't let me do that.
The 6 Nations tournament is the second most prestigious tournament in Rugby. The level of play is high. The desire to win is unmatchable. The camaraderie surrounding every single game is phenomenal (there may be banter surrounding such entrenched rivalries as England and Scotland, but after the game, pints are shared over banter, and while friendship may be a strong word, acceptance of rival passions is par for the course). The Tournament Committee can not lose sight of this as time goes on, or we will end up with more situations like yesterday just outside Paris.
Playing games at 2100 in February in the Northern hemisphere is frankly ridiculous. You only have to think back to previous years where Gabby Logan, Keith Wood, Jonathan Davies and Andy Nicol amongst others spend 3 hours perched high in the Stade de France freezing their backsides off in relatively acceptable conditions to realise that any cold snap could be critical in terms of a game being cancelled or not. Well now a cancellation has happened. Now the uproar has started. Now the committee must react.
They tried Friday evening games. They were criticised. They should now revert to afternoon games only (certainly in February) when evening temperatures mean not only poor pitch conditions, but bitterly cold fingers leading to a lower quality game. With 2 games on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday, there are more than enough kick-off times to go round without having one as late as 2100. 1400 and 1700 for example. Time to do your analysis, time to show brief highlights between, time to build up to the second game too. It really is a no-brainer (so expect it in 10 years time).
There was rugby yesterday though, and England took the field with Italy in an icy Rome with the Italians smelling victory. England started very well though, playing simple rugby on a snow covered pitch (though the sponsors had ensured that at least the part of the Stadio Olimpico which bore their name had the snow cleared. The pitch was not the only icy thing on show though, and Owen Farrell continued to prove that his veins have that same property, kicking perfectly for England, giving them a 6-0 lead as half-time aproached. Then, though, a mad ricochet from a grubber kick followed by a moment's madness from Ben Foden, and Italy had unbelievably scored 2 tries in 2 minutes and went into the dressing rooms with a 12-6 lead.
I'm pretty honest when it comes to this sort of thing and I have to say that I never feared losing. That may sound strange, but Italy had showed very little and had picked up two messy tries from poor defending and decision-making. With Farrell available to kick the points (Burton is far from an International kicker, and as to his replacement, no comment). The way England continued to capitalise on Italian errors was impressive. The biggest compliment you can pay Farrell is he appears to be like Jonny Wilkinson at his pomp. Wilkinson didn't used to just kick goals, he used to split the posts. Farrell does the same. Metronomic in his accuracy, he has a massive future ahead, especially when England find a centre who will allow him to move to fly half, which is so clearly his position. For the moment though, the incumbent fly half, Charlie Hodgson, is doing all that is asked. His defence is much better than it was, he kicks well and with intelligence, he stands deep and orchestrates his backs (when allowed to - see later) and he charges down kicks and scores tries. 2 in 2 games is a freak statistic, but England aren't complaining. England edged 19-15 ahead as a result of this pair, and with Botes kicking like a one-legged prop forward, gladly shut the game out to make it 2 wins out of 2, both away from home. A promising start but let's not get carried away.
There were negatives: Youngs looks a shadow of the player of 2 years ago, and when replaced by Dickson, England moved noticeably up through three gears. Dowson was better than last week at 8, but the instant pep and thrust provided by Morgan when he replaced him was evident to all. Foden made those mistakes at the end of the first half, Ashton was very quiet too, but on the whole the positives far outweighed the negatives:
Corbisiero - fast becoming the first name on the teamsheet
Hartley and Cole - cemented front row places with solid performances
Botha and Croft - solid
Parling - a much better option than Palmer currently
Robshaw- captain fantastic he isn't but he's not far off
Barritt - definitely a step up from last week
Strettle - good in everything he does
Finally, Italian TV may as well have given the Man of the Match award to Sergio Parisse before the game kicked off. He IS Italian rugby and performed manfully... most of the time. I have a gripe though. After being nudged in a line-out he stayed on the ground and milked the penalty, gingerly getting to his feet and limping like a lame horse. When England missed touch shortly afterwards though, he caught, put up a high ball himself and hared after it like a thoroughbred, before running into the back of an Englishman and going down like he was shot. You're bigger and better than that Sergio. Man-up.
Wales and Scotland today. Roof closed to keep the pitch from freezing, so guaranteed rugby. Happy days.
The 6 Nations tournament is the second most prestigious tournament in Rugby. The level of play is high. The desire to win is unmatchable. The camaraderie surrounding every single game is phenomenal (there may be banter surrounding such entrenched rivalries as England and Scotland, but after the game, pints are shared over banter, and while friendship may be a strong word, acceptance of rival passions is par for the course). The Tournament Committee can not lose sight of this as time goes on, or we will end up with more situations like yesterday just outside Paris.
Playing games at 2100 in February in the Northern hemisphere is frankly ridiculous. You only have to think back to previous years where Gabby Logan, Keith Wood, Jonathan Davies and Andy Nicol amongst others spend 3 hours perched high in the Stade de France freezing their backsides off in relatively acceptable conditions to realise that any cold snap could be critical in terms of a game being cancelled or not. Well now a cancellation has happened. Now the uproar has started. Now the committee must react.
They tried Friday evening games. They were criticised. They should now revert to afternoon games only (certainly in February) when evening temperatures mean not only poor pitch conditions, but bitterly cold fingers leading to a lower quality game. With 2 games on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday, there are more than enough kick-off times to go round without having one as late as 2100. 1400 and 1700 for example. Time to do your analysis, time to show brief highlights between, time to build up to the second game too. It really is a no-brainer (so expect it in 10 years time).
There was rugby yesterday though, and England took the field with Italy in an icy Rome with the Italians smelling victory. England started very well though, playing simple rugby on a snow covered pitch (though the sponsors had ensured that at least the part of the Stadio Olimpico which bore their name had the snow cleared. The pitch was not the only icy thing on show though, and Owen Farrell continued to prove that his veins have that same property, kicking perfectly for England, giving them a 6-0 lead as half-time aproached. Then, though, a mad ricochet from a grubber kick followed by a moment's madness from Ben Foden, and Italy had unbelievably scored 2 tries in 2 minutes and went into the dressing rooms with a 12-6 lead.
I'm pretty honest when it comes to this sort of thing and I have to say that I never feared losing. That may sound strange, but Italy had showed very little and had picked up two messy tries from poor defending and decision-making. With Farrell available to kick the points (Burton is far from an International kicker, and as to his replacement, no comment). The way England continued to capitalise on Italian errors was impressive. The biggest compliment you can pay Farrell is he appears to be like Jonny Wilkinson at his pomp. Wilkinson didn't used to just kick goals, he used to split the posts. Farrell does the same. Metronomic in his accuracy, he has a massive future ahead, especially when England find a centre who will allow him to move to fly half, which is so clearly his position. For the moment though, the incumbent fly half, Charlie Hodgson, is doing all that is asked. His defence is much better than it was, he kicks well and with intelligence, he stands deep and orchestrates his backs (when allowed to - see later) and he charges down kicks and scores tries. 2 in 2 games is a freak statistic, but England aren't complaining. England edged 19-15 ahead as a result of this pair, and with Botes kicking like a one-legged prop forward, gladly shut the game out to make it 2 wins out of 2, both away from home. A promising start but let's not get carried away.
There were negatives: Youngs looks a shadow of the player of 2 years ago, and when replaced by Dickson, England moved noticeably up through three gears. Dowson was better than last week at 8, but the instant pep and thrust provided by Morgan when he replaced him was evident to all. Foden made those mistakes at the end of the first half, Ashton was very quiet too, but on the whole the positives far outweighed the negatives:
Corbisiero - fast becoming the first name on the teamsheet
Hartley and Cole - cemented front row places with solid performances
Botha and Croft - solid
Parling - a much better option than Palmer currently
Robshaw- captain fantastic he isn't but he's not far off
Barritt - definitely a step up from last week
Strettle - good in everything he does
Finally, Italian TV may as well have given the Man of the Match award to Sergio Parisse before the game kicked off. He IS Italian rugby and performed manfully... most of the time. I have a gripe though. After being nudged in a line-out he stayed on the ground and milked the penalty, gingerly getting to his feet and limping like a lame horse. When England missed touch shortly afterwards though, he caught, put up a high ball himself and hared after it like a thoroughbred, before running into the back of an Englishman and going down like he was shot. You're bigger and better than that Sergio. Man-up.
Wales and Scotland today. Roof closed to keep the pitch from freezing, so guaranteed rugby. Happy days.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
On To Weekend 2
A weekend of interesting action last weekend sets up weekend 2 even more. Why? Read on to find out.
Before we move on the games themselves, it was a busy day for the disciplinary panel today, with the citing hearings from the weekend. Bradley Davies was given a 10 week ban, which was lengthened by 2 weeks due to the seriousness of the incident, then somewhat counter-intuitively reduced by 5 weeks for previous good-behaviour. I'm puzzled by the mixed message this gives, but what it does mean is Mr Davies will be absent for the rest of the tournament.
Following this, Stephen Ferris was hauled in front of a panel, who decided not only that he had no case to answer, but also that it should not have been a penalty in the first place, according to the Irish Team Manager. Quite why the Citing Commissioner felt the need to call him in front of this panel is beyond me. Some good news finally for the Irish then.
We start this weekend in Rome. Tempting as it was to fly over for the game, the impending arrival of Valentine's Day saw the price of flights and hotels soar and meant it wasn't do-able. Still, England will go to Rome with a win in the bag, and a hard-fought one at that. Italy, will be relatively confident too I think. Strange to say that after a 4 try defeat in Paris, but Rome is different. They may be slightly less advantaged compared to previous years given the relocation to the Stadio Olimpico from the Stadio Flaminio, but there will still be a fervent belief that, now that they have beaten France at home, England will follow on as they continue to build a competitive side. England should still have too much though, and with the only likely change being Morgan in for Dowson at Number 8, some continuity could see a more confident and open performance. 2 sides desperate for a win for very differing reasons. It won't be a classic game of open rugby, the forecast freezing conditions and the high tension will see to that, but I expect another close game.
From Rome we cross the border into France as Ireland, stung by their home defeat to Wales, know that if they have any desires on the trophy, then an elusive win in Paris is an absolute necessity. The pack should see changes, even though Ferris has not been suspended following his citing for his "tip tackle" against Wales which ultimately cost Ireland the game. Ryan is a possible to replace O'Callaghan in the second row, though expecting the unexpected has become the norm with Declan Kidney. I'd like to see Ryan alongside O'Connell and O'Mahony brought into the back row. We'll see. Philippe Saint-Andre has rung the changes in the French pack, with Debaty, Servat, Nallet and Bonnaire making way for Poux, Szarzewski, Maestri and Harinordoquy. The backs remain the same, and will be looking to exploit the holes they did against Italy, which coincidentally were the same holes Wales exploited against the Irish last weekend. As usual, Ireland will need to boss the game up front and perform at 9 and 10 if they are to have a chance. Last chance saloon for the Irish, while the French will want to serve up another classy performance for their home fans, before their trip to Murrayfield in a fortnight. An interesting side show will be the refereeing of Dave Pearson, who correctly identified the tip tackle by Davies, but incorrectly advised as to the punishment. Best behaviour boys; anything borderline red and you'll be walking....
Sunday sees the euphoric Welsh host the downtrodden Scots. Scotland were rocked this week with the surprise retirement of Dan Parks. Andy Robinson has chosen between Laidlaw and Weir at 10, with Laidlaw getting the nod. The young pack showed well against England, but are up against a more confident, experienced and capable pack (arguably) in the Welsh. Murray sits this one out for religious reasons (Sunday) and is replaced by Cross. As for their opponents, the second row could be a problem area for the Welsh with Bradley Davies suspended adding to those already absent, though rumours are circulating of a return for Wyn Jones. In the backs, the centre partnership of Roberts and Davies grows stronger with every game, and with the mighty North on the wing, hard to believe isn't it that he is still growing, Wales have the firepower that England didn't show in Murrayfield and as a result the Scots will need a miracle to come away with anything this time around. Everything points to a comfortable Welsh win.
Now it's Friday, I feel prepared to divulge my actual Predictions, with a little footnote:
Italy vs England - a fresh day in Rome should see England run out victors, but they need to be wary of over-confidence, as Treviso have proved what a tough task it is to win in Italy this year. England by 9
France vs Ireland - much as I would love to see it, I can't find a way that Ireland can win this game. France have too much across the park. France by 12
Wales vs Scotland (Sunday) - A week of turmoil for Scotland, amid much soul-searching and self-doubt as to how they didn't beat England last weekend. The Welsh look stronger, more mobile, quicker and better organised. Wales by 14
Before we move on the games themselves, it was a busy day for the disciplinary panel today, with the citing hearings from the weekend. Bradley Davies was given a 10 week ban, which was lengthened by 2 weeks due to the seriousness of the incident, then somewhat counter-intuitively reduced by 5 weeks for previous good-behaviour. I'm puzzled by the mixed message this gives, but what it does mean is Mr Davies will be absent for the rest of the tournament.
Following this, Stephen Ferris was hauled in front of a panel, who decided not only that he had no case to answer, but also that it should not have been a penalty in the first place, according to the Irish Team Manager. Quite why the Citing Commissioner felt the need to call him in front of this panel is beyond me. Some good news finally for the Irish then.
We start this weekend in Rome. Tempting as it was to fly over for the game, the impending arrival of Valentine's Day saw the price of flights and hotels soar and meant it wasn't do-able. Still, England will go to Rome with a win in the bag, and a hard-fought one at that. Italy, will be relatively confident too I think. Strange to say that after a 4 try defeat in Paris, but Rome is different. They may be slightly less advantaged compared to previous years given the relocation to the Stadio Olimpico from the Stadio Flaminio, but there will still be a fervent belief that, now that they have beaten France at home, England will follow on as they continue to build a competitive side. England should still have too much though, and with the only likely change being Morgan in for Dowson at Number 8, some continuity could see a more confident and open performance. 2 sides desperate for a win for very differing reasons. It won't be a classic game of open rugby, the forecast freezing conditions and the high tension will see to that, but I expect another close game.
From Rome we cross the border into France as Ireland, stung by their home defeat to Wales, know that if they have any desires on the trophy, then an elusive win in Paris is an absolute necessity. The pack should see changes, even though Ferris has not been suspended following his citing for his "tip tackle" against Wales which ultimately cost Ireland the game. Ryan is a possible to replace O'Callaghan in the second row, though expecting the unexpected has become the norm with Declan Kidney. I'd like to see Ryan alongside O'Connell and O'Mahony brought into the back row. We'll see. Philippe Saint-Andre has rung the changes in the French pack, with Debaty, Servat, Nallet and Bonnaire making way for Poux, Szarzewski, Maestri and Harinordoquy. The backs remain the same, and will be looking to exploit the holes they did against Italy, which coincidentally were the same holes Wales exploited against the Irish last weekend. As usual, Ireland will need to boss the game up front and perform at 9 and 10 if they are to have a chance. Last chance saloon for the Irish, while the French will want to serve up another classy performance for their home fans, before their trip to Murrayfield in a fortnight. An interesting side show will be the refereeing of Dave Pearson, who correctly identified the tip tackle by Davies, but incorrectly advised as to the punishment. Best behaviour boys; anything borderline red and you'll be walking....
Sunday sees the euphoric Welsh host the downtrodden Scots. Scotland were rocked this week with the surprise retirement of Dan Parks. Andy Robinson has chosen between Laidlaw and Weir at 10, with Laidlaw getting the nod. The young pack showed well against England, but are up against a more confident, experienced and capable pack (arguably) in the Welsh. Murray sits this one out for religious reasons (Sunday) and is replaced by Cross. As for their opponents, the second row could be a problem area for the Welsh with Bradley Davies suspended adding to those already absent, though rumours are circulating of a return for Wyn Jones. In the backs, the centre partnership of Roberts and Davies grows stronger with every game, and with the mighty North on the wing, hard to believe isn't it that he is still growing, Wales have the firepower that England didn't show in Murrayfield and as a result the Scots will need a miracle to come away with anything this time around. Everything points to a comfortable Welsh win.
Now it's Friday, I feel prepared to divulge my actual Predictions, with a little footnote:
Italy vs England - a fresh day in Rome should see England run out victors, but they need to be wary of over-confidence, as Treviso have proved what a tough task it is to win in Italy this year. England by 9
France vs Ireland - much as I would love to see it, I can't find a way that Ireland can win this game. France have too much across the park. France by 12
Wales vs Scotland (Sunday) - A week of turmoil for Scotland, amid much soul-searching and self-doubt as to how they didn't beat England last weekend. The Welsh look stronger, more mobile, quicker and better organised. Wales by 14
Sunday, 5 February 2012
What Might Have Been
So there it was. The first weekend of the Six Nations 2012. The pundits had it down as a straight fight between France and Ireland, with Wales a shoe-in for third and England, Scotland and Italy fighting out for the also-ran places. It re-affirms my belief that you don't have to have played International rugby to have a reasonable opinion, but that just because you have played it, doesn't mean you're an expert.
Enough of the build-up, let's look at the action.
France welcomed Italy to a baltic Stade de France, and Italy were like a diesel car which struggles to start on a cold morning. France were their usual Rolls Royce selves though, purring into action quickly as Rougerie ghosted under the posts to give them the lead. The dogged Italians were determined to build on last year's win though and took their chances (penalty and drop goal from Burton) to stay close, but Malzieu, who had lready made a stunning break from his own 22, was on hand to take a pass from the excellent Picamoles and stroll over to give France a 15-6 lead.
The second half saw a chip through and chase by the French, with Trinh-duc further kicking ahead with the help of the outside of his ankle and then Rougerie thighing the ball for sniffer Clerc to get his try. Still enough time for Fofana, who had an excellent second half, to show his class and go in the corner. 30-12 the Final score, and the French had showed enough to be installed as hot hot favourites for the tournament.
England and Scotland served up a bit of a damp squib in perfect conditions for rugby. England started well, belaying fears that their inexperience would see them nervous. The points didn't come though as they had difficulty penetrating deep into Scottish defences. Dan Parks kicked the necessary points to give the hosts a 6-3 lead, Farrell responding with a trademark cool penalty.
The second half burst into life, with Hodgson charging down a Parks kick and diving on the loose ball to score a try that Farrell converted. Scotland though were picking holes in England's defence on frequent occasions. Denton, Gray and Rennie all went through but failed to find hands when the try line beckoned. England's defence was patchy. Some stunning hits from Barritt and Turner-Hall when he replaced him, but some falling off of the tackle leading to a need for first Foden with a last ditch tackle, then Ashton with a classy piece of sweeping and a touch find, to keep the line intact. Farrell's late penalty saw England stretch to a 7 point lead, and try as they might, Scotland could not cross the line. That's 4 Internationals in a row without a try - their last 5 pointers coming late in a stuttering win over Romania in the World Cup.
To Sunday, the most anticipated game, and the best. Ireland hosted Wales hoping to reverse the World Cup Quarter Final result and to avenge the controversial loss in Cardiff last year (when the whiter than white Welsh unknowingly scored a try having taken a quick line-out with the wrong ball). This sort of thing makes me go against Wales when watching as a neutral, as I am sure many Welsh say about the English. Hey... if it's good for the goose....
Wales started very well against Ireland, in everything except the set-piece, which Ireland's experienced line-up dominated. Jonathan Davies ghosted in the corner after Ryan Jones thought he had opened the score, and it was no less than the Welsh deserved. Priestland hit the post with the conversion though, and it looked like the home side, with Sexton kicking slightly the better and Priestland missing again from close in, would take a stranglehold when Best finished a good move and Sexton converted to add to an earlier penalty. 10-5 to the Irish at half-time in a close and high quality game.
Wales made changes at half-time, with Warburton limping off and Cuthbert savagely culled for sloppy defence leading to Best's try. Ireland's midfield looked porous with D'Arcy known weakness in defence seeming to transfer to McFadden, who proved that it isn't a given that you will take club form to international level. Davies added a second try for Wales, and with Halfpenny taking over kicking duties and knocking over a couple of penalties, Ireland needed a Bowe try and 2 more Sexton penalties to maintain a short lead. Then it all kicked off! Bradley Davies got involved with Donnacha Ryan off the ball and spear tackled him into the ground. Worse, much worse, than Warburton's in the RWC Semi Final. Pearson, the touch judge, saw it and advised yellow card, ridiculously and Davies wandered off shaking his head and swearing. The citing commissioner will almost certainly see that that is Davies's last involvement in this year's 6 Nations. 4 minutes from time, North bullocked over and gave Wales hope, though Priestland's missed conversion left Wales 1 point adrift. There was still time for a twist though as Wayne Barnes gave a late penalty to Wales for a Ferris dangerous tackle. This was never a dangerous tackle, never a penalty and certainly not a yellow card. Halfpenny slotted the 3 points and that was that. Wales edged a quality encounter 23-21.
Let's not get this wrong. Wales thoroughly deserved to win. They were by far the better side. That said, being the better side isn't everything. Scotland proved that the day before. For Wales, having thrown the chance away, to be given a lifeline with such an awful piece of late refereeing, especially given the shenanigans in Cardiff last year, was appalling. Still, it's done and dusted. Ireland blew their chances, Wales made the most of theirs, and the history books will show Wales won.
Team of Week 1
Alex Corbisiero (Eng) - Best performance for England so far
Rory Best (Ire) - Try topped off a performance that deserved a win. Best hooker in Britain
Mike Ross (Ire) - Set solid platform with his tight five partners. String in scrum.
Paul O'Connell (Ire) - Led from the front, but lacking in support from behind
Richie Gray (Sco) - Offered a lot at set-piece and in loose
Ryan Jones (Wal) - Best game in a Welsh shirt in years.
Julien Bonnaire (Fra) - Quietly efficient in a solid French back row performance
Louis Picamoles (Fra) - Back with a bang, leaving Harinordoquy on the bench.
Mike Phillips (Wal) - Bossed Murray and used his size and pace to great effect
Francois Trinh-Duc (Fra) - He can't kick, but as a running fly half with a touch of genius, he continues to prove his doubters wrong
Julien Malzieu (Fra) - Returned to the side with a stunning Man of the Match performance
Wesley Fofana (Fra) - After a slightly dodgy start, a stunning second half performance capped with a try. 2 words - The Future
Jonathan Davies (Wal) - 2 tries and a performance that simply ground the Irish centres into submission
George North (Wal) - Lomu-esque at times. He has a very bright future if he can stay fit and keep his pace
Rob Kearney (Ire) - Back to his very best, defending and attacking under high balls and offering danger whenever he had the ball in hand
5 Frenchmen, 4 Welshmen, 4 Irishmen, 1 Scot and 1 Englishman. A fair reflection on the quality of the teams' performances I would say.
Incredible tension and drama then to start the show. Next weekend sees Italy host England then France host the Irish, before Wales take on Scotland in Cardiff.
God I love this time of year!
Enough of the build-up, let's look at the action.
France welcomed Italy to a baltic Stade de France, and Italy were like a diesel car which struggles to start on a cold morning. France were their usual Rolls Royce selves though, purring into action quickly as Rougerie ghosted under the posts to give them the lead. The dogged Italians were determined to build on last year's win though and took their chances (penalty and drop goal from Burton) to stay close, but Malzieu, who had lready made a stunning break from his own 22, was on hand to take a pass from the excellent Picamoles and stroll over to give France a 15-6 lead.
The second half saw a chip through and chase by the French, with Trinh-duc further kicking ahead with the help of the outside of his ankle and then Rougerie thighing the ball for sniffer Clerc to get his try. Still enough time for Fofana, who had an excellent second half, to show his class and go in the corner. 30-12 the Final score, and the French had showed enough to be installed as hot hot favourites for the tournament.
England and Scotland served up a bit of a damp squib in perfect conditions for rugby. England started well, belaying fears that their inexperience would see them nervous. The points didn't come though as they had difficulty penetrating deep into Scottish defences. Dan Parks kicked the necessary points to give the hosts a 6-3 lead, Farrell responding with a trademark cool penalty.
The second half burst into life, with Hodgson charging down a Parks kick and diving on the loose ball to score a try that Farrell converted. Scotland though were picking holes in England's defence on frequent occasions. Denton, Gray and Rennie all went through but failed to find hands when the try line beckoned. England's defence was patchy. Some stunning hits from Barritt and Turner-Hall when he replaced him, but some falling off of the tackle leading to a need for first Foden with a last ditch tackle, then Ashton with a classy piece of sweeping and a touch find, to keep the line intact. Farrell's late penalty saw England stretch to a 7 point lead, and try as they might, Scotland could not cross the line. That's 4 Internationals in a row without a try - their last 5 pointers coming late in a stuttering win over Romania in the World Cup.
To Sunday, the most anticipated game, and the best. Ireland hosted Wales hoping to reverse the World Cup Quarter Final result and to avenge the controversial loss in Cardiff last year (when the whiter than white Welsh unknowingly scored a try having taken a quick line-out with the wrong ball). This sort of thing makes me go against Wales when watching as a neutral, as I am sure many Welsh say about the English. Hey... if it's good for the goose....
Wales started very well against Ireland, in everything except the set-piece, which Ireland's experienced line-up dominated. Jonathan Davies ghosted in the corner after Ryan Jones thought he had opened the score, and it was no less than the Welsh deserved. Priestland hit the post with the conversion though, and it looked like the home side, with Sexton kicking slightly the better and Priestland missing again from close in, would take a stranglehold when Best finished a good move and Sexton converted to add to an earlier penalty. 10-5 to the Irish at half-time in a close and high quality game.
Wales made changes at half-time, with Warburton limping off and Cuthbert savagely culled for sloppy defence leading to Best's try. Ireland's midfield looked porous with D'Arcy known weakness in defence seeming to transfer to McFadden, who proved that it isn't a given that you will take club form to international level. Davies added a second try for Wales, and with Halfpenny taking over kicking duties and knocking over a couple of penalties, Ireland needed a Bowe try and 2 more Sexton penalties to maintain a short lead. Then it all kicked off! Bradley Davies got involved with Donnacha Ryan off the ball and spear tackled him into the ground. Worse, much worse, than Warburton's in the RWC Semi Final. Pearson, the touch judge, saw it and advised yellow card, ridiculously and Davies wandered off shaking his head and swearing. The citing commissioner will almost certainly see that that is Davies's last involvement in this year's 6 Nations. 4 minutes from time, North bullocked over and gave Wales hope, though Priestland's missed conversion left Wales 1 point adrift. There was still time for a twist though as Wayne Barnes gave a late penalty to Wales for a Ferris dangerous tackle. This was never a dangerous tackle, never a penalty and certainly not a yellow card. Halfpenny slotted the 3 points and that was that. Wales edged a quality encounter 23-21.
Let's not get this wrong. Wales thoroughly deserved to win. They were by far the better side. That said, being the better side isn't everything. Scotland proved that the day before. For Wales, having thrown the chance away, to be given a lifeline with such an awful piece of late refereeing, especially given the shenanigans in Cardiff last year, was appalling. Still, it's done and dusted. Ireland blew their chances, Wales made the most of theirs, and the history books will show Wales won.
Team of Week 1
Alex Corbisiero (Eng) - Best performance for England so far
Rory Best (Ire) - Try topped off a performance that deserved a win. Best hooker in Britain
Mike Ross (Ire) - Set solid platform with his tight five partners. String in scrum.
Paul O'Connell (Ire) - Led from the front, but lacking in support from behind
Richie Gray (Sco) - Offered a lot at set-piece and in loose
Ryan Jones (Wal) - Best game in a Welsh shirt in years.
Julien Bonnaire (Fra) - Quietly efficient in a solid French back row performance
Louis Picamoles (Fra) - Back with a bang, leaving Harinordoquy on the bench.
Mike Phillips (Wal) - Bossed Murray and used his size and pace to great effect
Francois Trinh-Duc (Fra) - He can't kick, but as a running fly half with a touch of genius, he continues to prove his doubters wrong
Julien Malzieu (Fra) - Returned to the side with a stunning Man of the Match performance
Wesley Fofana (Fra) - After a slightly dodgy start, a stunning second half performance capped with a try. 2 words - The Future
Jonathan Davies (Wal) - 2 tries and a performance that simply ground the Irish centres into submission
George North (Wal) - Lomu-esque at times. He has a very bright future if he can stay fit and keep his pace
Rob Kearney (Ire) - Back to his very best, defending and attacking under high balls and offering danger whenever he had the ball in hand
5 Frenchmen, 4 Welshmen, 4 Irishmen, 1 Scot and 1 Englishman. A fair reflection on the quality of the teams' performances I would say.
Incredible tension and drama then to start the show. Next weekend sees Italy host England then France host the Irish, before Wales take on Scotland in Cardiff.
God I love this time of year!
Friday, 3 February 2012
It's The Most Wonderful Time... Of The Year
6 Nations is back folks! Well it will be tomorrow afternoon when 2 of the 3 shades of blue the tournament has to offer confront each other in St Denis, France. The rugby season still builds to this event for me. Yes, the Heineken Cup has provided much needed intrigue and interest through the season, ensuring that February is not the first time we see a Frenchman. Terrestrial tv coverage, and matches starting at different times, ensures that this is, for some, their only involvement with rugby for the year.
In my youth (who am I kidding, I'm still young!) the highlight was Grandstand heading over to the great Bill McLaren at Murrayfield, or Nigel Starmer-Smith and his well-spoken enthusiasm at Twickenham, for 90 minutes of blood and thunder rugby. Now coverage is as professional as the players who play the game. Huge teams of analysts pick their way through previous encounters, highlight the ones to watch and show us the sites of the evocative cities which host games. These analysts wouldn't know a fence to sit on if it existed (watch the post-game wind-up with the sound off and it is instantly obvious by the face of Jonathan Davies or Jeremy Guscott whether England or Wales have won. And that sums up the Six Nations.... 1 word: PASSION.
So what of the 2012 version? England, let us not forget, are the reigning champions. Defeat in Dublin did not take away that trophy and a changed side, led by new skipper Chris Robshaw and under the coaching of Stuart Lancaster will defend the title won by Martin Johnson's side and raised by Lewis Moody. Only the most fervent fan would have them as favourites to retain the trophy though, as that honour goes to the French, with the Welsh second favourites in the bookmakers', if not my, eyes.
So to my predictions. A list for you to cross off as they are made to be false. We will see how close I am at the end of the tournament in a little over 7 weeks time:
1. France will win the title. World Cup Finalists, strength in depth, friendly fixture list. Everything in their favour.
2. There will be no Grand Slam in 2012. France will slip up once.
3. Ireland will win the Triple Crown. An away win at Twickenham will seal this.
4. England will win 3 games. The first 3.
5. Scotland will lose in Italy. Italy's tournament will build to this final game.
6. Vincent Clerc will be the leading tryscorer. Pace and a pure sniffer (France will use him too)
7. Jonny Sexton or Owen Farrell will be leading points scorer
8. Wales will disappoint their supporters who expect way more after their World Cup than they have to offer
9. Wesley Fofana of France will make a massive impact
10. William Servat will underline why is by far the best hooker in world rugby
11. England's discipline will be much better under Lancaster
12. Scotland will continue to struggle to score tries
13. The finishing order will be France, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy, Scotland
14. There will be 1 drawn game
15. There will be no red cards
I must dash. Feel free to add any predictions to this list by using the comments below. I will have a review of each game here, but you can also follow me on http://therugbyblog.co.uk/ for whom I am following Ireland this year. Follow me also on Twitter @theeggchaser or you can e-mail me on marktheeggchaser@googlemail.com
That's all for now. Happy 6 Nations everyone, may the best team win! Do you think I mean that?
In my youth (who am I kidding, I'm still young!) the highlight was Grandstand heading over to the great Bill McLaren at Murrayfield, or Nigel Starmer-Smith and his well-spoken enthusiasm at Twickenham, for 90 minutes of blood and thunder rugby. Now coverage is as professional as the players who play the game. Huge teams of analysts pick their way through previous encounters, highlight the ones to watch and show us the sites of the evocative cities which host games. These analysts wouldn't know a fence to sit on if it existed (watch the post-game wind-up with the sound off and it is instantly obvious by the face of Jonathan Davies or Jeremy Guscott whether England or Wales have won. And that sums up the Six Nations.... 1 word: PASSION.
So what of the 2012 version? England, let us not forget, are the reigning champions. Defeat in Dublin did not take away that trophy and a changed side, led by new skipper Chris Robshaw and under the coaching of Stuart Lancaster will defend the title won by Martin Johnson's side and raised by Lewis Moody. Only the most fervent fan would have them as favourites to retain the trophy though, as that honour goes to the French, with the Welsh second favourites in the bookmakers', if not my, eyes.
So to my predictions. A list for you to cross off as they are made to be false. We will see how close I am at the end of the tournament in a little over 7 weeks time:
1. France will win the title. World Cup Finalists, strength in depth, friendly fixture list. Everything in their favour.
2. There will be no Grand Slam in 2012. France will slip up once.
3. Ireland will win the Triple Crown. An away win at Twickenham will seal this.
4. England will win 3 games. The first 3.
5. Scotland will lose in Italy. Italy's tournament will build to this final game.
6. Vincent Clerc will be the leading tryscorer. Pace and a pure sniffer (France will use him too)
7. Jonny Sexton or Owen Farrell will be leading points scorer
8. Wales will disappoint their supporters who expect way more after their World Cup than they have to offer
9. Wesley Fofana of France will make a massive impact
10. William Servat will underline why is by far the best hooker in world rugby
11. England's discipline will be much better under Lancaster
12. Scotland will continue to struggle to score tries
13. The finishing order will be France, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy, Scotland
14. There will be 1 drawn game
15. There will be no red cards
I must dash. Feel free to add any predictions to this list by using the comments below. I will have a review of each game here, but you can also follow me on http://therugbyblog.co.uk/ for whom I am following Ireland this year. Follow me also on Twitter @theeggchaser or you can e-mail me on marktheeggchaser@googlemail.com
That's all for now. Happy 6 Nations everyone, may the best team win! Do you think I mean that?
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