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?
Showing posts with label Rugby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rugby. Show all posts
Friday, 3 February 2012
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Elementary My Dear Watson
It's that weekend when the 24 teams in the Heineken Cup learn their fate. Well I say 24, but it's actually a lot less as some are already resigned to theirs: non-qualification for the Quarter Finals, not even descending into the Amlin Challenge as recompense for their efforts in the 5 Rounds so far. There are still many permutations though, so before the weekend starts, let's run through them Pool by Pool, team by team, to ensure that you know the score before the games kick-off.
Pool 6
A logical place to start obviously. Actually, these are the Friday night games, so as I've decided to attack this chronologically, that's where we begin. Connacht's debut season has been tough, and they unfortunately are resigned to their fate. 2 losing bonus points is scant reward for their efforts, and their final involvement this year will be to try and put a spanner in the works of Harlequins' well-oiled machine. Gloucester too know their finishing position; a tough pool for the cherry and whites and but for a couple of close defeats, they could well be preparing for a huge game at home to Toulouse. As it is, they are looking to finish on a high while doing their Premiership rivals a favour.
The real interest is in the other two sides. A Toulouse win sees them qualify. A home Quarter FInal will only be lost if Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Saracens all win, or if 3 of the 4 win and Edinburgh win with a bonus point, while Cardiff don't win. Home QFs are difficult to predict really, but if a gun were held to my head, I'd suggest Toulouse will get one.
Harlequins can qualify as Group winners if they win and Toulouse lose, if they win with a bonus point and Toulouse draw, or if they draw with a bonus point and Toulouse don't score any points. Runners-up qualification will be assured with a win and an Ulster loss (without bonus point) or an Ulster win.
Confused yet? Good, it gets better trust me.
Pool 3
Saturday kicks off with a relatively straightforward mathemetical case. Bath and Montpelier are adrift. Leinster have ruled the roost in this Pool, their highlight being a whooping of Bath, and a win would guarantee a Home QF. Glasgow are the current incumbents of second place, and a bonus point win would see them clinging to an Amlin Challenge lifeline which could become reality if 3 of the following 5 things happen (deep breath): Munster beat Northampton, Scarlets and Leicester don't get bonus point wins, Ospreys and Biarritz draw and Harlequins don't score a point and score 4 less tries than Glasgow themselves do.
So it's bye bye Glasgow
Pool 4
Aironi have long since been resigned to their fate. I could unkindly suggest that that has been the case since the balls came out of the bag at the draw, but I won't. Leicester can still qualify for the Amlin with a bonus point win and other results going their way (Harlequins defeat, Clermont defeat, Northamton defeat for example). The real interest though is at Stade Marcel Michelin, where ASM Clermont Auvergne host Ulster. An Ulster win will see them welcome a Quarter Final at Ravenhill. A loss with no bonus point will see them nervously looking at Harlequins, Cardiff and Edinburgh, as wins for all three would see them eliminated and into the Amlin Challenge. Clermont, theoretically, could still qualify with a draw or bonus point defeat, but that is highly unrealistic and defeat at home would probably mean Challenge Quarter Finals for them.
Pool 1
Saturday's final denouement is Pool 1, where Munster are qualified and with a win at Northampton will ensure another home Quarter Final at Thomond Park. Contrary to popular belief, Northampton can still theoretically qualify for the Quarters themselves. A bonus point win, allied to a 0 point defeat for Cardiff or Edinburgh, a 0 point defeat for Clermont, a 4 point win for Ospreys or Biarritz in their head-to head and defeat for Harlequins, and the Saints could even qualify as best runner-up. Odds please Mr Ladbrokes? Scarlets, by beating Castres comfortably and seeing Northampton lose at home to Munster, could also qualify for the Amlin Quarters. Castres are out.
Pool 5
Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Sentiments I am sure most of us feel as the weekend ends, yet this Sunday could be bloody for the Ospreys or Biarritz. Saracens need a mere losing bonus point in Treviso to qualify for the Quarters and dispel the gloom surrounding English rugby. Meanwhile, a bonus point win for either the Welsh or French side could see them qualify, if Clermont, Cardiff or Edinburgh slip up. Treviso will finish bottom, but have had their moments this year against Biarritz home and away, and continue to progress.
Pool 2
Cardiff and Edinburgh both know: win and they qualify. Both are at home against teams with other things on their minds as neither can qualify for even the Amlin Challenge, so really, this should be straightforward, if anything can ever be said to be straightforward in this crazy competition. A draw or losing bonus point could also be enough to qualify, depending on results in Clermont, Biarritz and Treviso.
London Irish and Racing Metro 92 are both left counting the cost of inconsistency and looking to qualify for next year's competition through their League placings.
So there you have it. Clear as mud isn't it. Little by little, as each Pool reaches its conclusion, lines will be drawn through teams' names. 6 live games to behold on the box thanks to Sky, 6 more to be followed in parallel on the faithful iPad thanks to SkyGo. I don't think I've ever watched 12 games of rugby in a single weekend before.
Finally, my predicted QF line-ups as per last weekend's blog:
Toulouse (22) vs Clermont (20)
Munster (21) vs Cardiff (21)
And for completeness, my Amlin Challenge 8 Quarter FInalists:
Stade Francais, Toulon, Wasps, Perpignan, Sale, Northampton, Ulster, Biarritz
Check back over the weekend to see how I've done.
Pool 6
A logical place to start obviously. Actually, these are the Friday night games, so as I've decided to attack this chronologically, that's where we begin. Connacht's debut season has been tough, and they unfortunately are resigned to their fate. 2 losing bonus points is scant reward for their efforts, and their final involvement this year will be to try and put a spanner in the works of Harlequins' well-oiled machine. Gloucester too know their finishing position; a tough pool for the cherry and whites and but for a couple of close defeats, they could well be preparing for a huge game at home to Toulouse. As it is, they are looking to finish on a high while doing their Premiership rivals a favour.
The real interest is in the other two sides. A Toulouse win sees them qualify. A home Quarter FInal will only be lost if Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Saracens all win, or if 3 of the 4 win and Edinburgh win with a bonus point, while Cardiff don't win. Home QFs are difficult to predict really, but if a gun were held to my head, I'd suggest Toulouse will get one.
Harlequins can qualify as Group winners if they win and Toulouse lose, if they win with a bonus point and Toulouse draw, or if they draw with a bonus point and Toulouse don't score any points. Runners-up qualification will be assured with a win and an Ulster loss (without bonus point) or an Ulster win.
Confused yet? Good, it gets better trust me.
Pool 3
Saturday kicks off with a relatively straightforward mathemetical case. Bath and Montpelier are adrift. Leinster have ruled the roost in this Pool, their highlight being a whooping of Bath, and a win would guarantee a Home QF. Glasgow are the current incumbents of second place, and a bonus point win would see them clinging to an Amlin Challenge lifeline which could become reality if 3 of the following 5 things happen (deep breath): Munster beat Northampton, Scarlets and Leicester don't get bonus point wins, Ospreys and Biarritz draw and Harlequins don't score a point and score 4 less tries than Glasgow themselves do.
So it's bye bye Glasgow
Pool 4
Aironi have long since been resigned to their fate. I could unkindly suggest that that has been the case since the balls came out of the bag at the draw, but I won't. Leicester can still qualify for the Amlin with a bonus point win and other results going their way (Harlequins defeat, Clermont defeat, Northamton defeat for example). The real interest though is at Stade Marcel Michelin, where ASM Clermont Auvergne host Ulster. An Ulster win will see them welcome a Quarter Final at Ravenhill. A loss with no bonus point will see them nervously looking at Harlequins, Cardiff and Edinburgh, as wins for all three would see them eliminated and into the Amlin Challenge. Clermont, theoretically, could still qualify with a draw or bonus point defeat, but that is highly unrealistic and defeat at home would probably mean Challenge Quarter Finals for them.
Pool 1
Saturday's final denouement is Pool 1, where Munster are qualified and with a win at Northampton will ensure another home Quarter Final at Thomond Park. Contrary to popular belief, Northampton can still theoretically qualify for the Quarters themselves. A bonus point win, allied to a 0 point defeat for Cardiff or Edinburgh, a 0 point defeat for Clermont, a 4 point win for Ospreys or Biarritz in their head-to head and defeat for Harlequins, and the Saints could even qualify as best runner-up. Odds please Mr Ladbrokes? Scarlets, by beating Castres comfortably and seeing Northampton lose at home to Munster, could also qualify for the Amlin Quarters. Castres are out.
Pool 5
Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Sentiments I am sure most of us feel as the weekend ends, yet this Sunday could be bloody for the Ospreys or Biarritz. Saracens need a mere losing bonus point in Treviso to qualify for the Quarters and dispel the gloom surrounding English rugby. Meanwhile, a bonus point win for either the Welsh or French side could see them qualify, if Clermont, Cardiff or Edinburgh slip up. Treviso will finish bottom, but have had their moments this year against Biarritz home and away, and continue to progress.
Pool 2
Cardiff and Edinburgh both know: win and they qualify. Both are at home against teams with other things on their minds as neither can qualify for even the Amlin Challenge, so really, this should be straightforward, if anything can ever be said to be straightforward in this crazy competition. A draw or losing bonus point could also be enough to qualify, depending on results in Clermont, Biarritz and Treviso.
London Irish and Racing Metro 92 are both left counting the cost of inconsistency and looking to qualify for next year's competition through their League placings.
So there you have it. Clear as mud isn't it. Little by little, as each Pool reaches its conclusion, lines will be drawn through teams' names. 6 live games to behold on the box thanks to Sky, 6 more to be followed in parallel on the faithful iPad thanks to SkyGo. I don't think I've ever watched 12 games of rugby in a single weekend before.
Finally, my predicted QF line-ups as per last weekend's blog:
Leinster (24) vs Harlequins (20)
Saracens (23) vs Edinburgh (21)Toulouse (22) vs Clermont (20)
Munster (21) vs Cardiff (21)
And for completeness, my Amlin Challenge 8 Quarter FInalists:
Stade Francais, Toulon, Wasps, Perpignan, Sale, Northampton, Ulster, Biarritz
Check back over the weekend to see how I've done.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
EPS, RBS and ERC
For the uninitiated, that's Elite Playing Squad, the sponsor of the 6 Nations and the European Cup.
So England have their first squad of the new (or temporary, who knows?) era. Stuart Lancaster and his team have perused the options on offer in the Premiership (primarily at the top end, but that is to be expected). The vast majority of the squad was as expected, though there was still the odd surprise, some welcome, some slightly less so if the Twittter traffic yesterday was anything to go by. I managed, when you take into account the 4 injury replacements for the 6 Nations, to get 26 names right, which is a fair stab, and in some cases, you could have given me 4 guesses and I wouldn't have plumped for the name selected.
Forwards
Corbisiero, Marler, Cole, Stevens, Wilson, Hartley, Mears, Webber, Lawes (Parling), Palmer, Deacon (Attwood), Botha, Wood, Croft, Robshaw, Morgan, Dowson, Clark
Without going into too much detail, the surprises are Mears and WIlson in the front row, Palmer, Deacon and Botha in the 2nd row and Dowson and Clark in the back row. In a squad which is full of youth and positive vibes for the future, Mears seems a strange selection. He has struggled with injury recently, resulting in major hooker headaches for Sir Ian McGeechan at Bath, and with younger talent around, such as Paice, Gray and George, such a stop-gap selection surprises me enormously.
Wilson is a solid option, but I fear that the 5 props selected mean more moving left and right for Matt Stevens, which will ultimately be to the detriment of both him and the squad.
The second row is full of surprises for me. Deacon I thought would have, and maybe should have, been jettisoned with the other older members of the squad. He is also injured. George Robson of Quins must be very disappointed to miss out, and I can't help feeling that Deacon has had his day. Palmer is a more than welcome surprise. The only reason I didn't select him was his current residence in France, which I believed meant he was not selectable. His line-out work is exemplary, and for that alone I am glad to see him selected. Parling and Attwood replace Deacon and Lawes for the 6 Nations while they recuperate from their injuries. A big chance for these two to prove they are the long-term answer that Deacon so clearly isn't.
The back row isn't without surprises either, as Dowson and Clark are 2 names that were not really considered ahead of the squad announcement, either by the tv experts or the various bloggers online. Both are solid options, but I can't help feel that Thomas Waldrom is a little hard done by. Already shamefully overlooked for the World Cup, and with many going so far as to say that Graham Henry maybe missed a trick by letting him slip through the net.
Backs
Youngs, Simpson, K. Dickson, Flood, Farrell, Hodgson, Tuilagi, Turner-Hall, Barritt, Ashton, Sharples, Strettle, Foden, Brown, (Trinder), (Goode)
The backs have a strange look to them, with only three centres and only three wingers. That said, Farrell, who seems to be the one the press are fixated with, has been playing centre all season and Trinder is added for the 6 Nations. Flood's injury may well force England to play Farrell at 10, but with Hodgson in the squad, it would be a shame not to use him. The inexperience of the back line would be eased by an older head at 10 while Flood recovers (if indeed he is out). It doesn't proffer much in terms of attacking rugby though, as Saracens, effective though they are, are not exactly purveyors of the beautiful game, and a line of Hodgson, Farrell and Barritt (in Tuilagi's absence) would suggest a dose of realism over expansive game.
The wings offer different things, Ashton with his finishing prowess, Strettle with his all-round game and Sharples with his electric pace. Brown will give continued pressure to Foden, who has never had it easy in terms of his place, as Armitage pushed hard while he was around. Foden is the incumbent, but Brown has impressed and will be ready to step in at the slightest sign of weakness.
Dickson has forced his way into the reckoning in recent weeks with some sterling performances, but I think Youngs holds the aces at scrum half still. Simpson can be considered lucky, as he hasn't performed well in recent weeks, and Danny Care's indiscretions have possibly given him one last go.
Finally, Trinder and Goode step up as cover for Flood and Tuilagi. Strange one that; Trinder for Tuilagi I get, but why Flood should be replaced by Goode (the one similarity is their rhyming names) I don't know. Full back for fly half...?
So now, the pontificating can move on a level. For ten days or so, the game has been to pick 32 from a list of 200 or so. Now, we have to pick 15 (or 22) from 32. This should be a lot easier, given positional limitations, but there are those (Farrell being the obvious candidate) who can function effectively in more than one position. I'm sure this will provoke much more animated discussion as the lead up to the first weekend of the tournament continues.
A brief thought of that first weekend now: when the fixtures were established, little could people have known that the first round would involve three big grudge matches (so to speak) with very recent (2011) history. Scotland vs England sees a repeat of the match which sealed Scotland's World Cup fate back in late September. On home territory, and with a much more settled squad, they will be confident of going one better. Wales and Ireland go head to head on the same weekend. A repeat of a World Cup Quarter Final which, beforehand, most people had Ireland winning. Ireland though were clearly reading their own press and over-confidence saw them failing to reach their first World Cup semi final. 4 months later and they have a chance to right that wrong, to a certain extent.
Finally, France welcome Italy in what is traditionally a relatively innocuous game in Paris. France won't be troubled, but given the defeat in Rome last year, Italy will be brimming with confidence in Paris for the first time. That said, that Rome defeat being so fresh in many memories will ensure that complacency will not be an issue. Given that it will also be the first game in charge for new coach Philippe Saint-Andre, I think you can safely say the French will be ready.
A more detailed preview will follow later of course...
Finally to Europe and Round 5 this weekend of the two trophies. The English sides showed sides of improvement last time round and Leicester will need to continue that progress in Ulster if they are to progress. Clermont should romp home against Aironi to put themselves within a Home win against Ulster of the Quarter Finals. Much could be decided this weekend, but traditionally, Round 5 sets the experts going and the graphic designers of Sky Sports will be creating "What if?" slides from Monday onwards. Another weekend of non-stop action awaits though, and as ever, you can read all about it, and the various qualifying permutations, here on either Sunday night or Monday morning.
I will hopefully have some more news to divulge to you then too. (That's called a teaser) ;-)
So England have their first squad of the new (or temporary, who knows?) era. Stuart Lancaster and his team have perused the options on offer in the Premiership (primarily at the top end, but that is to be expected). The vast majority of the squad was as expected, though there was still the odd surprise, some welcome, some slightly less so if the Twittter traffic yesterday was anything to go by. I managed, when you take into account the 4 injury replacements for the 6 Nations, to get 26 names right, which is a fair stab, and in some cases, you could have given me 4 guesses and I wouldn't have plumped for the name selected.
Forwards
Corbisiero, Marler, Cole, Stevens, Wilson, Hartley, Mears, Webber, Lawes (Parling), Palmer, Deacon (Attwood), Botha, Wood, Croft, Robshaw, Morgan, Dowson, Clark
Without going into too much detail, the surprises are Mears and WIlson in the front row, Palmer, Deacon and Botha in the 2nd row and Dowson and Clark in the back row. In a squad which is full of youth and positive vibes for the future, Mears seems a strange selection. He has struggled with injury recently, resulting in major hooker headaches for Sir Ian McGeechan at Bath, and with younger talent around, such as Paice, Gray and George, such a stop-gap selection surprises me enormously.
Wilson is a solid option, but I fear that the 5 props selected mean more moving left and right for Matt Stevens, which will ultimately be to the detriment of both him and the squad.
The second row is full of surprises for me. Deacon I thought would have, and maybe should have, been jettisoned with the other older members of the squad. He is also injured. George Robson of Quins must be very disappointed to miss out, and I can't help feeling that Deacon has had his day. Palmer is a more than welcome surprise. The only reason I didn't select him was his current residence in France, which I believed meant he was not selectable. His line-out work is exemplary, and for that alone I am glad to see him selected. Parling and Attwood replace Deacon and Lawes for the 6 Nations while they recuperate from their injuries. A big chance for these two to prove they are the long-term answer that Deacon so clearly isn't.
The back row isn't without surprises either, as Dowson and Clark are 2 names that were not really considered ahead of the squad announcement, either by the tv experts or the various bloggers online. Both are solid options, but I can't help feel that Thomas Waldrom is a little hard done by. Already shamefully overlooked for the World Cup, and with many going so far as to say that Graham Henry maybe missed a trick by letting him slip through the net.
Backs
Youngs, Simpson, K. Dickson, Flood, Farrell, Hodgson, Tuilagi, Turner-Hall, Barritt, Ashton, Sharples, Strettle, Foden, Brown, (Trinder), (Goode)
The backs have a strange look to them, with only three centres and only three wingers. That said, Farrell, who seems to be the one the press are fixated with, has been playing centre all season and Trinder is added for the 6 Nations. Flood's injury may well force England to play Farrell at 10, but with Hodgson in the squad, it would be a shame not to use him. The inexperience of the back line would be eased by an older head at 10 while Flood recovers (if indeed he is out). It doesn't proffer much in terms of attacking rugby though, as Saracens, effective though they are, are not exactly purveyors of the beautiful game, and a line of Hodgson, Farrell and Barritt (in Tuilagi's absence) would suggest a dose of realism over expansive game.
The wings offer different things, Ashton with his finishing prowess, Strettle with his all-round game and Sharples with his electric pace. Brown will give continued pressure to Foden, who has never had it easy in terms of his place, as Armitage pushed hard while he was around. Foden is the incumbent, but Brown has impressed and will be ready to step in at the slightest sign of weakness.
Dickson has forced his way into the reckoning in recent weeks with some sterling performances, but I think Youngs holds the aces at scrum half still. Simpson can be considered lucky, as he hasn't performed well in recent weeks, and Danny Care's indiscretions have possibly given him one last go.
Finally, Trinder and Goode step up as cover for Flood and Tuilagi. Strange one that; Trinder for Tuilagi I get, but why Flood should be replaced by Goode (the one similarity is their rhyming names) I don't know. Full back for fly half...?
So now, the pontificating can move on a level. For ten days or so, the game has been to pick 32 from a list of 200 or so. Now, we have to pick 15 (or 22) from 32. This should be a lot easier, given positional limitations, but there are those (Farrell being the obvious candidate) who can function effectively in more than one position. I'm sure this will provoke much more animated discussion as the lead up to the first weekend of the tournament continues.
A brief thought of that first weekend now: when the fixtures were established, little could people have known that the first round would involve three big grudge matches (so to speak) with very recent (2011) history. Scotland vs England sees a repeat of the match which sealed Scotland's World Cup fate back in late September. On home territory, and with a much more settled squad, they will be confident of going one better. Wales and Ireland go head to head on the same weekend. A repeat of a World Cup Quarter Final which, beforehand, most people had Ireland winning. Ireland though were clearly reading their own press and over-confidence saw them failing to reach their first World Cup semi final. 4 months later and they have a chance to right that wrong, to a certain extent.
Finally, France welcome Italy in what is traditionally a relatively innocuous game in Paris. France won't be troubled, but given the defeat in Rome last year, Italy will be brimming with confidence in Paris for the first time. That said, that Rome defeat being so fresh in many memories will ensure that complacency will not be an issue. Given that it will also be the first game in charge for new coach Philippe Saint-Andre, I think you can safely say the French will be ready.
A more detailed preview will follow later of course...
Finally to Europe and Round 5 this weekend of the two trophies. The English sides showed sides of improvement last time round and Leicester will need to continue that progress in Ulster if they are to progress. Clermont should romp home against Aironi to put themselves within a Home win against Ulster of the Quarter Finals. Much could be decided this weekend, but traditionally, Round 5 sets the experts going and the graphic designers of Sky Sports will be creating "What if?" slides from Monday onwards. Another weekend of non-stop action awaits though, and as ever, you can read all about it, and the various qualifying permutations, here on either Sunday night or Monday morning.
I will hopefully have some more news to divulge to you then too. (That's called a teaser) ;-)
Monday, 9 January 2012
England Squad Announcement
Wednesday sees Stuart Lancaster's first meaningful day in his role as Interim Coach, or as I prefer to call him, Coach. The announcement of the EPS (Elite Player Squad or any other name you wish to give it) is the announcement of the direction that the House of Lancaster will take.
Let me get one thing off my chest before we go any further. The use of the word Interim is pointless. He is the Coach. Everyone knows it, everyone understands it, so why bother using the word interim? He is on a short-term contract, but he is the coach.
With that out of my system, time to look at the fruits of his first few weeks labour. He has traveled the grounds of the Premiership extensively, usually alongside his sidekick Muttly, sorry Rowntree. Every possible candidate for the 32 EPS places has had the coach's attention for at least 80 minutes, and after a meeting with Rowntree and his other principle assistant Andy Farrell, Wednesday sees the 32 names announced for the first time.
We've heard the rumours of those who are being overlooked and those who aren't happy with it. Mark Cueto and Nick Easter seemingly falling into the latter category, Wilkinson (retirement - ha), Shaw, Palmer, Tindall and many others have been jettisoned, as the new management team look to leave its stamp on the year ahead.
As every other blogger has seemingly had their go at picking the 32, I thought I should probably do the same. There have been some strange selections in the lists I have seen and heard. Steve Borthwick in Will Greenwood's list for example, Tom Palmer, who is in France, also getting named. I believe mine will be closer to the mark, but then I would say that wouldn't I?
Front Row
There are some interesting choices in the front row. Loosehead sees a relatively young survivor of the World Cup in Alex Corbisiero, and it would be a major surprise were he not to be included. This leaves a straight fight for the second spot between, as I see it, the future, loose option that is Joe Marler, whose scrummaging is maybe slightly weaker but whose hard yards in the loose and ball carrying would give England a dynamic option, and the more experienced Nick Wood of Gloucester, who is without doubt one of the better scrummagers in the Premiership, but whose loose game is a fair way behind Marler. A touch pick for sure, and while Wood may be the better short term option, I think this squad will be a very foward looking one and therefore expect Marler to get the nod.
Tighthead is a little more straightforward in my eyes. Dan Cole is the quiet unassuming character who gets on with things. After a slight dip in form at the World Cup, he seems to be back to something approaching his best. Matt Stevens too, since he has been focussing on the tighthead side rather than trying to be Mr Flexible, has made steps to somewhere near his best. I wouldn't be surprised if the pair get selected. Their form is reasonable, and their experience in a relatively young squad would be invaluable. Only Paul Doran-Jones, on current form, may disturb this pair.
Hooker is both easy and difficult. Dylan Hartley is the experienced man, he is probably the best hooker in England at the moment (well, in England and qualified to play for England). He is a shoe-in for one of the places. The second is a little more open, and most Premiership hookers have been mentioned in respect of the second place: Webber of Wasps, were he able to throw, would be the perfect foil for Hartley. His throwing though is at times abysmal, and England cannot really afford that. Paice of London Irish, Gray of Quins and George of the Jungle, sorry Saracens, are also in line, but Lancaster has Webber with the Saxons last year, and I suspect that will be the weight that tilts it in Webber's favour.
Second Row
Injury, retirement and deciding to play abroad have robbed England of Lawes, Deacon, Shaw and Palmer, from the rather disappointing World Cup second row. It always surprised me that, for someone who exhibited such qualities as a player in that position, Martin Johnson never managed to get anything out of his chosen second row forwards. Lancaster has effectively a blank sheet, though Lawes would be a certainty were he not injured. I still suspect Lawes will get an EPS place, as he should be fit for summer's Australia tour and the winter arrival of the Southern Hemisphere sides. Who joins him though? Robson of Harlequins is in good form, Attwood of Bath too seems to be on the road back to his best, and slightly left-field for me given his injury record and his lack of game time in recent weeks, Parling of Leicester would also get the nod from me.
Back Row
I'm pretty certain that, given the euphoria surrounding his performances this season in both victory, and latterly in defeat, Chris Robshaw will be named in the list. He may well be up for the captaincy eventually too, but for now he, Tom Croft and Tom Wood will waltz into Lancaster's squad. Three places to fill then, including the key Number 8 position. Specialists need to be picked there for me, and they also need to be people who take the game to the opposition at pace. Easter's time has been and gone, despite his recent lean look and performances, and as such, I would opt for Waldrom of Leicester and Morgan of Scarlets. Morgan is another of those who I believe has had a whisper from Lancaster, which explains the timing of his announcement that he would be choosing England ahead of Wales. The final back row position is a tricky one too, but I would go for Seymour of Sale, who is a proper number 7, though if slightly unfit given the clonking he took at Leicester last weekend, then Saull of Saracens would be a hair's breadth behind him on my list
Half Backs
Scrum half is a problem area for me, so I'm picking three to keep options open. Youngs and Simpson will be in there, and given recent performances Dickson of Northampton should also get his first shout. Watching him behind a dominant pack is a joy. His pass is unfussy, accurate and quick, his defence is stout and his kicking game, while never going to reach the heights, is more than good enough.
Fly half sees another tricky decision given the injury to Toby Flood, who is still hopeful of returning for the Scotland clash. I would pick him anyway, along with Owen Farrell. The third name (needed given Flood's injury and Farrell's likely use in the centre) is anther tricky one. I like Burns, but I think he is too green, I really like Lamb, but he is a little inconsistent and I used to love Hodgson, but the key words there are 'used to'. I've seen enough in Lamb to want to take the risk on him, but think Lancaster will opt for the slightly steadier Burns.
Centres
Manu Tuilagi is as near to the first name on the squad list as they come. If only they could find a way of inserting some common sense into him.... Alongside him is a tricky one, with youth being required. I've never understood why Dan Hipkiss was so consistently overlooked by previous coaches, but think he is likely to miss out again, and much as I like Smith of Leicester, I can't see him getting a go unfortunately. I see Trinder getting a call, Barritt, who has played Saxons and is a key member of Andy Farrell's Saracens backline and Banahan, who has the ability to play centre or wing, but who I would like to see being given a run at centre. Turner-Hall will be unlucky and miss out.
Wingers
With Banahan in the centre and able to slip to the wing, I am going for three form players and a slight wildcard. Ashton, of course, will walk in to the list. I think he will be joined by the hot property of the moment, Sharples, and the forgotten man of English rugby Strettle. The final name on the list is someone who, whenever they have stepped up a level, have made an instant impression: Wade, young and inexperienced though he is, is the nearest England will come to another Jason Robinson, and needs to be involved sooner rather than later.
Full Backs
Easy. Foden and Brown. Brown's form allied with Armitage's consistent run-ins with the authorities and his rumoured future departure to French shores should see the two form guys of the Premiership selected.
So there you have it, a list of 30. A mix between what I would do and what I expect Lancaster et al to do.
Forwards (16)
Corbisiero, Marler, Hartley, Webber, Cole, Stevens, Lawes, Attwood, Robson, Parling, Croft, Wood, Robshaw, Seymour, Waldrom, Morgan
Backs (16)
Youngs, Simpson, Dickson, Flood, Farrell, Burns, Tuilagi, Trinder, Barritt, Banahan, Ashton, Strettle, Sharples, Wade, Foden, Brown
Here is a back-up 15, any of which are feasible selections:
Front row: Wood, Gray, Doran-Jones
Second Row: Garvey, Gaskell
Back Row: Saull, Narraway, Gibson
Half Backs: Hodgson, Hodgson
Centres: Turner-Hall, Smith
Wings: Monye, Armitage
Full Back: Goode
A fascinating time of year. No doubt some of those names mentioned will lead you to laugh or call me crazy, but rugby is all about opinion. You've seen mine, why not tell me yours?
@theeggchaser on Twitter or Comment here. Thanks for reading, see you soon
Let me get one thing off my chest before we go any further. The use of the word Interim is pointless. He is the Coach. Everyone knows it, everyone understands it, so why bother using the word interim? He is on a short-term contract, but he is the coach.
With that out of my system, time to look at the fruits of his first few weeks labour. He has traveled the grounds of the Premiership extensively, usually alongside his sidekick Muttly, sorry Rowntree. Every possible candidate for the 32 EPS places has had the coach's attention for at least 80 minutes, and after a meeting with Rowntree and his other principle assistant Andy Farrell, Wednesday sees the 32 names announced for the first time.
We've heard the rumours of those who are being overlooked and those who aren't happy with it. Mark Cueto and Nick Easter seemingly falling into the latter category, Wilkinson (retirement - ha), Shaw, Palmer, Tindall and many others have been jettisoned, as the new management team look to leave its stamp on the year ahead.
As every other blogger has seemingly had their go at picking the 32, I thought I should probably do the same. There have been some strange selections in the lists I have seen and heard. Steve Borthwick in Will Greenwood's list for example, Tom Palmer, who is in France, also getting named. I believe mine will be closer to the mark, but then I would say that wouldn't I?
Front Row
There are some interesting choices in the front row. Loosehead sees a relatively young survivor of the World Cup in Alex Corbisiero, and it would be a major surprise were he not to be included. This leaves a straight fight for the second spot between, as I see it, the future, loose option that is Joe Marler, whose scrummaging is maybe slightly weaker but whose hard yards in the loose and ball carrying would give England a dynamic option, and the more experienced Nick Wood of Gloucester, who is without doubt one of the better scrummagers in the Premiership, but whose loose game is a fair way behind Marler. A touch pick for sure, and while Wood may be the better short term option, I think this squad will be a very foward looking one and therefore expect Marler to get the nod.
Tighthead is a little more straightforward in my eyes. Dan Cole is the quiet unassuming character who gets on with things. After a slight dip in form at the World Cup, he seems to be back to something approaching his best. Matt Stevens too, since he has been focussing on the tighthead side rather than trying to be Mr Flexible, has made steps to somewhere near his best. I wouldn't be surprised if the pair get selected. Their form is reasonable, and their experience in a relatively young squad would be invaluable. Only Paul Doran-Jones, on current form, may disturb this pair.
Hooker is both easy and difficult. Dylan Hartley is the experienced man, he is probably the best hooker in England at the moment (well, in England and qualified to play for England). He is a shoe-in for one of the places. The second is a little more open, and most Premiership hookers have been mentioned in respect of the second place: Webber of Wasps, were he able to throw, would be the perfect foil for Hartley. His throwing though is at times abysmal, and England cannot really afford that. Paice of London Irish, Gray of Quins and George of the Jungle, sorry Saracens, are also in line, but Lancaster has Webber with the Saxons last year, and I suspect that will be the weight that tilts it in Webber's favour.
Second Row
Injury, retirement and deciding to play abroad have robbed England of Lawes, Deacon, Shaw and Palmer, from the rather disappointing World Cup second row. It always surprised me that, for someone who exhibited such qualities as a player in that position, Martin Johnson never managed to get anything out of his chosen second row forwards. Lancaster has effectively a blank sheet, though Lawes would be a certainty were he not injured. I still suspect Lawes will get an EPS place, as he should be fit for summer's Australia tour and the winter arrival of the Southern Hemisphere sides. Who joins him though? Robson of Harlequins is in good form, Attwood of Bath too seems to be on the road back to his best, and slightly left-field for me given his injury record and his lack of game time in recent weeks, Parling of Leicester would also get the nod from me.
Back Row
I'm pretty certain that, given the euphoria surrounding his performances this season in both victory, and latterly in defeat, Chris Robshaw will be named in the list. He may well be up for the captaincy eventually too, but for now he, Tom Croft and Tom Wood will waltz into Lancaster's squad. Three places to fill then, including the key Number 8 position. Specialists need to be picked there for me, and they also need to be people who take the game to the opposition at pace. Easter's time has been and gone, despite his recent lean look and performances, and as such, I would opt for Waldrom of Leicester and Morgan of Scarlets. Morgan is another of those who I believe has had a whisper from Lancaster, which explains the timing of his announcement that he would be choosing England ahead of Wales. The final back row position is a tricky one too, but I would go for Seymour of Sale, who is a proper number 7, though if slightly unfit given the clonking he took at Leicester last weekend, then Saull of Saracens would be a hair's breadth behind him on my list
Half Backs
Scrum half is a problem area for me, so I'm picking three to keep options open. Youngs and Simpson will be in there, and given recent performances Dickson of Northampton should also get his first shout. Watching him behind a dominant pack is a joy. His pass is unfussy, accurate and quick, his defence is stout and his kicking game, while never going to reach the heights, is more than good enough.
Fly half sees another tricky decision given the injury to Toby Flood, who is still hopeful of returning for the Scotland clash. I would pick him anyway, along with Owen Farrell. The third name (needed given Flood's injury and Farrell's likely use in the centre) is anther tricky one. I like Burns, but I think he is too green, I really like Lamb, but he is a little inconsistent and I used to love Hodgson, but the key words there are 'used to'. I've seen enough in Lamb to want to take the risk on him, but think Lancaster will opt for the slightly steadier Burns.
Centres
Manu Tuilagi is as near to the first name on the squad list as they come. If only they could find a way of inserting some common sense into him.... Alongside him is a tricky one, with youth being required. I've never understood why Dan Hipkiss was so consistently overlooked by previous coaches, but think he is likely to miss out again, and much as I like Smith of Leicester, I can't see him getting a go unfortunately. I see Trinder getting a call, Barritt, who has played Saxons and is a key member of Andy Farrell's Saracens backline and Banahan, who has the ability to play centre or wing, but who I would like to see being given a run at centre. Turner-Hall will be unlucky and miss out.
Wingers
With Banahan in the centre and able to slip to the wing, I am going for three form players and a slight wildcard. Ashton, of course, will walk in to the list. I think he will be joined by the hot property of the moment, Sharples, and the forgotten man of English rugby Strettle. The final name on the list is someone who, whenever they have stepped up a level, have made an instant impression: Wade, young and inexperienced though he is, is the nearest England will come to another Jason Robinson, and needs to be involved sooner rather than later.
Full Backs
Easy. Foden and Brown. Brown's form allied with Armitage's consistent run-ins with the authorities and his rumoured future departure to French shores should see the two form guys of the Premiership selected.
So there you have it, a list of 30. A mix between what I would do and what I expect Lancaster et al to do.
Forwards (16)
Corbisiero, Marler, Hartley, Webber, Cole, Stevens, Lawes, Attwood, Robson, Parling, Croft, Wood, Robshaw, Seymour, Waldrom, Morgan
Backs (16)
Youngs, Simpson, Dickson, Flood, Farrell, Burns, Tuilagi, Trinder, Barritt, Banahan, Ashton, Strettle, Sharples, Wade, Foden, Brown
Here is a back-up 15, any of which are feasible selections:
Front row: Wood, Gray, Doran-Jones
Second Row: Garvey, Gaskell
Back Row: Saull, Narraway, Gibson
Half Backs: Hodgson, Hodgson
Centres: Turner-Hall, Smith
Wings: Monye, Armitage
Full Back: Goode
A fascinating time of year. No doubt some of those names mentioned will lead you to laugh or call me crazy, but rugby is all about opinion. You've seen mine, why not tell me yours?
@theeggchaser on Twitter or Comment here. Thanks for reading, see you soon
Friday, 9 September 2011
RWC Day 1: A Haka, A Pimp Suit and Sonny Delight
So finally the day dawned, and the 24 year wait for the Rugby World Cup to return to the stadium where the first final had been played was over. The host welcoming the world with a show based on Maori culture and a rugby journey. The young boy undergoing the rugby journey poignantly sporting the colours of Canterbury as a reminder that there is 1 rugby city in New Zealand which is undergoing a far different time currently (far removed from the sporting party they were expecting, the citizens of Christchurch are re-building after the terrible earthquakes which ravaged the city). At the end of his journey, he met up with a bizarrely clad Jonah Lomu (black pinstriped suit, white tie, white shoes) who looked as if he had walked straight off the set of Starsky and Hutch having guest starred as a pimp. A haka, a stirring rendition of the rugby hymn World In Union and the de rigueur speeches from the host Prime Minister and the head of the IRB Bernard Lapasset and it was time for the fireworks to light the Auckland skyline.
Ceremonies over, the field was cleared and the teams entered the fray for the traditional anthems. Tonga then gave us their haka, which was responded to by the All Blacks in customary style; Ali Williams seemingly unable to stop his feet moving in the general direction of the Tongans. We were then left with a strange spectacle; 2 sides, whipped into the frenzy of battle by their tribal war cries, forced to wait for fully 2 minutes while the host broadcaster went to an ad break. The fervour which had built in the crowd diminished as referee calmly held up proceedings (the notoriously ad-hungry ITV in the UK, who had given us 7 ad breaks in the hour leading up didn't even bother going to the break) and it was a relatively benign beginning which followed given everything that had gone before.
New Zealand started, I thought, nervously, with Carter's boot not operating to its full efficiency. That said, it was a short-lived edginess, and when they exploded into life (to continue the firework analogy) they certainly burned the fingers of the Tongans. After an early Carter penalty, the All Blacks started throwing the ball around with gay abandon. It was almost too carefree at times, and the back line frequently resembled a disorganised mess, but with Sonny Bill Williams at his majestic offloading best, showing the sleight of hand of David Copperfield, with Kahui and Dagg looking extremely sharp at the back, and with Carter playing flat and looking to pass, the tries started coming. There were 4 in the first half (2 each for Dagg and Kahui) and three of these were converted by Carter, Tonga closed the half with a penalty of their own, and a score of 29-3 was illuminated around Eden Park as the sides wandered into the dressing rooms for half time.
As the sides re-took the field, most of the talk was about how many points it would be for the All Blacks. Tonga had shown very little, and the All Blacks cut through them at will in the latter stages of the first half. However, there was too much individuality in the early stages of the second half. Isolated players gave away penalties, the game was made too complicated, and how Toeava didn't score when sent clear was beyond me. Toeava also had a close run thing in the corner, but he should be re-christened Toeintouch, as the TMO denied a try thanks to the extra coat of whitewash that had been put on the line (or was it where Jonah had polished his shoes earlier?)
20 minutes of uninspiring rugby from both sides were finally broken when Weepu, who had replaced the largely ineffective and shaky Cowan, broke and fed Kahui, who toe-poked it through, collected and fed Kaino who went over. Carter, uncharacteristically, hit the post with an eminently gettable kick and the score was 34-3. Tonga had more than held their own in the second half though and they scored a deserved try when Taumalolo barged his way over from close to make it 34-10 and effectively give them the 2nd half lead.
Much discussion has surrounded the choice at centre for the All Blacks, and with Sonny delighting the crowds with his offloads (and the ladies with his bare torso after a jersey malfunction) and with Conrad Smith chomping at the bit having been rested/left out (delete as appropriate) Ma'a Nonu decided to muddy the waters with the final try of the game after a Colin Slade pass. I still feel Smith is one of the best in the world, and makes a great pair with Nonu. So, given Williams's game, with the exception of the offloads, was not the greatest, Henry will probably revert to type for Game 2.
Final Score New Zealand 41 Tonga 10
The All Blacks have now played 21 Pool games in Rugby World Cups, and won all 21. The only Nation never to have lost a Pool game. They still haven't let a side get within 20 points of them in a home World Cup tie. The stats are impressive, substantially more impressive than the second half performance it must be said.
It was a true 'fireworks' performance. A brief pause after the touchpaper was lit before they exploded into life with 4 quick and incisive first half tries. However, once the spectacle of those 4 tries was over, there was a definite anti-climactic end with their damp squib of a second half performance.
I also draw a parallel with the recent Tri Nations, where the first 2 games saw proper New Zealand performances, while the last 2 games saw them lose with rarely more than a whimper.
At times they looked like the probable world-beaters they will end up being, at times the pretenders to the throne will have been licking their lips while watching.
What of the coach? Graham Henry was his usual grumpy self afterwards. Understandably so given the poor end to the day. He saw the 8 minute siege laid on their line by Tonga, which included a 4 minute scrum, as dreadfully dull. I disagree. It's part of the game, and the New Zealand front row failed to deal with the pressure exerted on them by a substantial, but not necessarily technically gifted, Tongan scrum. Henry sees what he wants to in games, but he came across like a kid who had enjoyed his fun and was now taking his bat and ball home. In fact, that's unfair to the kids. He is like the competitive Dad who loves playing games while he beats his kids, but as soon as they grow old enough to gain the upper hand, cries off playing as they are just 'silly games'. Henry must be worried after performances against Australia and Tonga which, far from reassuring, have actually served to show sides where the All Blacks are beatable.
Kahui and Dagg enhanced their reputations, and there are some (Carter & McCaw) who are indelibly inked on the team sheet. Many All Blacks will be sweating after stuttering performances though.
TV Rugby
For those of you not in the UK, a brief explanation. The 6 Nations is shown on the BBC. Live club Rugby is shown on Sky. Both of these channels provide excellent (and I'm highly critical when it comes to TV sport so this is high praise indeed) coverage year after year. Every 4 years, the Rugby World Cup comes around, and ITV, for some unknown reason, throw their hat into the ring. The studio host, Steve Rider, is a consummate professional, and the experts, who would appear to be Dallaglio, Fitzpatrick, Pienaar and Lynagh, certainly know what they are talking about. The frequent adverts and the inexperienced and lightweight commentary pairing of Gillingham and Gomarsall certainly added little value to this first game. I hope this doesn't become a recurring theme of these early reports, but if it does, I can only apologise. Take solace that, from the 28th September onwards, you won't be hearing me complaining :-)
And Finally...
My opening prediction of a 70 point New Zealand win was well out on the face of it, with just 31 points being the actual winning margin. Had Toeava scored in the corner early in the second half, things could have been different, but I currently lie well adrift of the leaders in the Prediction game at www.sportguru.co.uk. It's not too late to join by the way, and you'll only be 2.5 points adrift if you do (League name The Egg Chasers password prosflea).
What does tonight hold in store? A 2am start for the Scots against Romania, Fiji vs Namibia at 0430, France vs Japan at 0700 and England vs Argentina at 0930. It would appear I will be sleeping on the sofa from 0345 to 0700 (with the TV on of course). I may try to do the whole marathon with a few hours sleep to start, we'll see.
There's so much rugby on this weekend it's untrue. Leaving aside the 7 games on at the RWC, Harlequins vs Northampton and Bath vs Saracens from England, 2 Currie Cup games on Sky, Wasps vs Leicester on ESPN on Sunday as well as Toulouse vs Racing Metro from France. I make that 13 games, plus the inevitable highlight shows....
Taniela Moa, the Tongan scrum half, is 6 feet tall and 102kg.. according to the official stats. He certainly looked even bigger than that, but his effort from start to finish was exemplary. He saw off Jimmy Cowan, who did untold damage to his future in the tournament.
Who'd be a hooker? Leaving aside the obvious downside of having 14 colossal humans surrounding you in every scrum, you have to pick yourself up and hit your moving targets in the lineout. If that's not enough, in Wellington tomorrow for Wales vs South Africa, the wind can frequently reach 37mph, which makes that target even harder to hit.
Reports of punches thrown at the Australian training session. A fully opposed session (that means with full tackling for the uninitiated) ended with a few guys getting a little hot under the collar. A 30 man squad with only 22 places in the matchday squad, I suppose it's natural to a degree.
At times during the opening game, I felt I was watching a sort of Harlem Globetrotters performance from New Zealand. Backs and forwards in each other's way, glory passes being looked for, points trying to be proved. It was most unlike the well-oiled All Blacks machine I'm used to seeing. Too many riches at their disposal? Does Henry really know his best side?
England are criticised for their occasional selection of non-English born players (Tuilagi being the latest example) but they aren't the only ones as we know. 6 of the players in the first game were Auckland born - 3 on each side. It seems to be a bizarre mix when you look at New Zealand squads. You have the Samoan and Tongan exiles who play for the All Blacks, while New Zealanders seem to head in the other direction to fill the gap created. I hereby officially give up understanding the rules as to International qualification.
Finally a Maori elder is hoping Argentina defeat England after England "disrespected the New Zealanders by wearing 'their' black colours in their home country". Please. This is frankly ridiculous now. I give as evidence, the All Blacks away jersey for 2012:
How dare the New Zealanders disrespect 'our' white jersey?
I rest my case.
That's enough for now. Prepare to be bombarded with my thoughts tomorrow and Sunday. Pass on the link to your friends. Follow me on Twitter for comment during the games themselves @theeggchaser
Ceremonies over, the field was cleared and the teams entered the fray for the traditional anthems. Tonga then gave us their haka, which was responded to by the All Blacks in customary style; Ali Williams seemingly unable to stop his feet moving in the general direction of the Tongans. We were then left with a strange spectacle; 2 sides, whipped into the frenzy of battle by their tribal war cries, forced to wait for fully 2 minutes while the host broadcaster went to an ad break. The fervour which had built in the crowd diminished as referee calmly held up proceedings (the notoriously ad-hungry ITV in the UK, who had given us 7 ad breaks in the hour leading up didn't even bother going to the break) and it was a relatively benign beginning which followed given everything that had gone before.
New Zealand started, I thought, nervously, with Carter's boot not operating to its full efficiency. That said, it was a short-lived edginess, and when they exploded into life (to continue the firework analogy) they certainly burned the fingers of the Tongans. After an early Carter penalty, the All Blacks started throwing the ball around with gay abandon. It was almost too carefree at times, and the back line frequently resembled a disorganised mess, but with Sonny Bill Williams at his majestic offloading best, showing the sleight of hand of David Copperfield, with Kahui and Dagg looking extremely sharp at the back, and with Carter playing flat and looking to pass, the tries started coming. There were 4 in the first half (2 each for Dagg and Kahui) and three of these were converted by Carter, Tonga closed the half with a penalty of their own, and a score of 29-3 was illuminated around Eden Park as the sides wandered into the dressing rooms for half time.
As the sides re-took the field, most of the talk was about how many points it would be for the All Blacks. Tonga had shown very little, and the All Blacks cut through them at will in the latter stages of the first half. However, there was too much individuality in the early stages of the second half. Isolated players gave away penalties, the game was made too complicated, and how Toeava didn't score when sent clear was beyond me. Toeava also had a close run thing in the corner, but he should be re-christened Toeintouch, as the TMO denied a try thanks to the extra coat of whitewash that had been put on the line (or was it where Jonah had polished his shoes earlier?)
20 minutes of uninspiring rugby from both sides were finally broken when Weepu, who had replaced the largely ineffective and shaky Cowan, broke and fed Kahui, who toe-poked it through, collected and fed Kaino who went over. Carter, uncharacteristically, hit the post with an eminently gettable kick and the score was 34-3. Tonga had more than held their own in the second half though and they scored a deserved try when Taumalolo barged his way over from close to make it 34-10 and effectively give them the 2nd half lead.
Much discussion has surrounded the choice at centre for the All Blacks, and with Sonny delighting the crowds with his offloads (and the ladies with his bare torso after a jersey malfunction) and with Conrad Smith chomping at the bit having been rested/left out (delete as appropriate) Ma'a Nonu decided to muddy the waters with the final try of the game after a Colin Slade pass. I still feel Smith is one of the best in the world, and makes a great pair with Nonu. So, given Williams's game, with the exception of the offloads, was not the greatest, Henry will probably revert to type for Game 2.
Final Score New Zealand 41 Tonga 10
The All Blacks have now played 21 Pool games in Rugby World Cups, and won all 21. The only Nation never to have lost a Pool game. They still haven't let a side get within 20 points of them in a home World Cup tie. The stats are impressive, substantially more impressive than the second half performance it must be said.
It was a true 'fireworks' performance. A brief pause after the touchpaper was lit before they exploded into life with 4 quick and incisive first half tries. However, once the spectacle of those 4 tries was over, there was a definite anti-climactic end with their damp squib of a second half performance.
I also draw a parallel with the recent Tri Nations, where the first 2 games saw proper New Zealand performances, while the last 2 games saw them lose with rarely more than a whimper.
At times they looked like the probable world-beaters they will end up being, at times the pretenders to the throne will have been licking their lips while watching.
What of the coach? Graham Henry was his usual grumpy self afterwards. Understandably so given the poor end to the day. He saw the 8 minute siege laid on their line by Tonga, which included a 4 minute scrum, as dreadfully dull. I disagree. It's part of the game, and the New Zealand front row failed to deal with the pressure exerted on them by a substantial, but not necessarily technically gifted, Tongan scrum. Henry sees what he wants to in games, but he came across like a kid who had enjoyed his fun and was now taking his bat and ball home. In fact, that's unfair to the kids. He is like the competitive Dad who loves playing games while he beats his kids, but as soon as they grow old enough to gain the upper hand, cries off playing as they are just 'silly games'. Henry must be worried after performances against Australia and Tonga which, far from reassuring, have actually served to show sides where the All Blacks are beatable.
Kahui and Dagg enhanced their reputations, and there are some (Carter & McCaw) who are indelibly inked on the team sheet. Many All Blacks will be sweating after stuttering performances though.
TV Rugby
For those of you not in the UK, a brief explanation. The 6 Nations is shown on the BBC. Live club Rugby is shown on Sky. Both of these channels provide excellent (and I'm highly critical when it comes to TV sport so this is high praise indeed) coverage year after year. Every 4 years, the Rugby World Cup comes around, and ITV, for some unknown reason, throw their hat into the ring. The studio host, Steve Rider, is a consummate professional, and the experts, who would appear to be Dallaglio, Fitzpatrick, Pienaar and Lynagh, certainly know what they are talking about. The frequent adverts and the inexperienced and lightweight commentary pairing of Gillingham and Gomarsall certainly added little value to this first game. I hope this doesn't become a recurring theme of these early reports, but if it does, I can only apologise. Take solace that, from the 28th September onwards, you won't be hearing me complaining :-)
And Finally...
My opening prediction of a 70 point New Zealand win was well out on the face of it, with just 31 points being the actual winning margin. Had Toeava scored in the corner early in the second half, things could have been different, but I currently lie well adrift of the leaders in the Prediction game at www.sportguru.co.uk. It's not too late to join by the way, and you'll only be 2.5 points adrift if you do (League name The Egg Chasers password prosflea).
What does tonight hold in store? A 2am start for the Scots against Romania, Fiji vs Namibia at 0430, France vs Japan at 0700 and England vs Argentina at 0930. It would appear I will be sleeping on the sofa from 0345 to 0700 (with the TV on of course). I may try to do the whole marathon with a few hours sleep to start, we'll see.
There's so much rugby on this weekend it's untrue. Leaving aside the 7 games on at the RWC, Harlequins vs Northampton and Bath vs Saracens from England, 2 Currie Cup games on Sky, Wasps vs Leicester on ESPN on Sunday as well as Toulouse vs Racing Metro from France. I make that 13 games, plus the inevitable highlight shows....
Taniela Moa, the Tongan scrum half, is 6 feet tall and 102kg.. according to the official stats. He certainly looked even bigger than that, but his effort from start to finish was exemplary. He saw off Jimmy Cowan, who did untold damage to his future in the tournament.
Who'd be a hooker? Leaving aside the obvious downside of having 14 colossal humans surrounding you in every scrum, you have to pick yourself up and hit your moving targets in the lineout. If that's not enough, in Wellington tomorrow for Wales vs South Africa, the wind can frequently reach 37mph, which makes that target even harder to hit.
Reports of punches thrown at the Australian training session. A fully opposed session (that means with full tackling for the uninitiated) ended with a few guys getting a little hot under the collar. A 30 man squad with only 22 places in the matchday squad, I suppose it's natural to a degree.
At times during the opening game, I felt I was watching a sort of Harlem Globetrotters performance from New Zealand. Backs and forwards in each other's way, glory passes being looked for, points trying to be proved. It was most unlike the well-oiled All Blacks machine I'm used to seeing. Too many riches at their disposal? Does Henry really know his best side?
England are criticised for their occasional selection of non-English born players (Tuilagi being the latest example) but they aren't the only ones as we know. 6 of the players in the first game were Auckland born - 3 on each side. It seems to be a bizarre mix when you look at New Zealand squads. You have the Samoan and Tongan exiles who play for the All Blacks, while New Zealanders seem to head in the other direction to fill the gap created. I hereby officially give up understanding the rules as to International qualification.
Finally a Maori elder is hoping Argentina defeat England after England "disrespected the New Zealanders by wearing 'their' black colours in their home country". Please. This is frankly ridiculous now. I give as evidence, the All Blacks away jersey for 2012:
How dare the New Zealanders disrespect 'our' white jersey?
I rest my case.
That's enough for now. Prepare to be bombarded with my thoughts tomorrow and Sunday. Pass on the link to your friends. Follow me on Twitter for comment during the games themselves @theeggchaser
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage
The World Cup approaches at high speed, and if this were a scrum, I think we would, if following the above scrum instructions, be at the 'touch' stage. All the teams are there, most of the capping ceremonies have taken place, the communities have taken the teams to their heart as 'next favourites' if the All Blacks can't win it. Tomorrow sees us 'pause' before the 'engage' of Friday morning (UK time) when I can already see, hear and feel the first probably bone-crunching impact.
A quick glance at the website of the Rugby World Cup tells us there are 36 hours and 25 minutes remaining till kick off at the time of publishing....
It really is all about numbers at the moment. 20 teams, 600 players, 40 Pool matches, 8 knockout games, 12 stadia, 8 games between Friday morning and Sunday morning this week alone.... A little less than 21 days till I board the flight for LA that will ultimately see me board another flight for Auckland (US and NZ Immigration permitting... no I’m not and never have been a Communist, no I don’t have any apples in any of my luggage or secreted about my person – unless you count the half-digested one I’ve just eaten in the queue).
First selections have been made. There have been some surprises in those selections, some injuries, some extremely powerful looking lineups named. Yes the excitement is building, and I’m just a spectator. What must it be like to be involved in a squad, or even more, named in a starting line-up at the beginning of a potentially glorious journey.
Confidence or Bluff? Weekend 1 Preview
The curves of confidence of my friends who support a variety of different nations have been going up and down like the proverbial fiddlers elbow over the past fortnight and still are. The Welsh (yes I do have Welsh friends, but in my defence I didn’t know they were Welsh till post-friendship – just kidding Welsh people) are riding a wave of confidence after their Cardiff victory over England. The confidence bubble is a notoriously thin one though, and a substantial defeat at the hands of the Springboks in their opener on Sunday will see their hopes plummet. While not the end of the world, a defeat with any margin could see doubts return amidst nightmare images of rampaging Pacific Islanders of tournaments past.
Those Scots who have had little to shout about in recent times, with the possible exception of a Quarter Final 4 years ago, have seen their hopes rise with the 2 recent wins against Ireland and Italy. A gentle start for them against Romania on Saturday should pose no banana skin, and give them a smooth entry into the tournament. Andy Robinson has been clever I believe in not over-playing his, relatively speaking, shallow squad in warm-up matches. 2 games was substantially less than any other Nation, but opening games against Romania and Georgia should see them play themselves into form before the crunch against Argentina and England, when his squad should be relatively fresh. Shrewd guy Mr Robinson....
My Irish friends are putting a brave face on things at the moment. The Golden generation, as they are known in some quarters, are performing like a shower at the moment, but there is an unflinching belief in the ranks of the supporters that this will be the crowning glory of BOD’s career, and that he will take the side to their first ever RWC Semi Final.... at least. Brave posturing, or genuine thoughts? I’m sure it’s a bit of both, but the arrival of a USA side coached by Declan Kidney’s predecessor Eddie O’Sullivan should at least see them get a ‘W’ (that’s for win for the uninitiated) on the board come Sunday.
Ah, les Francais. Les hommes de l’Hexagone demarrent contre les Japonais. La France sous Lievremont n’est jamais a l’abri d’une surprise, mais une defaite contre les Japonais serait plus que ca. Une chose qui est certaine, c’est que les Francais ont, depuis un certain temps, mal demarre les Coupes du Monde, et au rugby et au foot, mais mes amis sont plus que 100% certain qu’on ne devrait pas ajouter le nom du Japon a la liste de Argentine (Rugby 2007) et Senegal (Foot 2002); les deux defaites les plus tristes de l’histoire sportive de la France. Jamais deux sans trois, comme on dit, et pour chaque personne qui voit la France echouer en quart, il y a quelqu’un qui dit que les tricolores sont prets a prendre la revanche des anglais (defaites en demi-finale des deux dernieres editions) et au meme temps terminer la serie de trois victoires contre les All Blacks (demi en 1999 et quart en 2007).
Ah, the French, who start against the Japanese. Under Lievremont, France are never completely protected from a surprise, but a defeat against Japan would be much more than that. One thing is for sure, the French have a recent habit of starting World Cups badly, be they of the rugby or football variety, but my friends are 100% sure that we won’t be adding Japan 2011 to a list of Argentina 2007 and Senegal 2002 (2 of the sorriest defeats in France’s sporting history). As I have said already twice (therefore you should be expecting this) the French say never 2 without the third, and for every person who sees the French losing in the Quarter Final, there is one who sees them gaining revenge over England (for semi final defeats in 03 and 07) and continuing their jinx over the All Blacks (99 semi final and 07 quarter final).
The Tri Nations victory for Australia has done 2 things; firstly it has re-affirmed the thoughts of every Aussie fan that they will win the Tournament and secondly it has led every New Zealand fan to seek solace in the fact that, every year before a World Cup they win the Tri Nations and subsequently blow up during the main event, so losing this may be a blessing in disguise. New Zealand have never had to break sweat in games against Tonga before, and confidence remains high in Graham Henry’s squad (or so we believe, as the old dinosaur has banned his players from communicating via Twitter – how hilarious is his joke that Twitter is the new English fly half? Not at all? Agreed). The Aussies have a slightly tougher opener against the Italians, but that should still result in a comfortable Southern Hemisphere win. I expect both sets of fans to be even more bullish come the end of the weekend.... if that’s possible!
While their Southern hemisphere rivals have genuine optimism as to their chances, the South Africans actually believe they can go on and defend the title too, thus becoming the first team to do so. I would have to say, that I find this optimism misplaced. The players don’t appear to be in form, the coach often leaves me scratching my head at decisions and I just think there are several better groups than the Springboks. Add to that the fact that the statistics don’t back them up..... No side has ever defended the title and no captain has ever been at the helm for 2 titles. It’s a big ask, and given the relatively weak performance in the Tri Nations, surely there is some doubt in the camp and amongst the fans? If that is the case, you wouldn’t really know it. Most fans seem convinced that this is their destiny, and that the Tri Nations is not a good indicator for success moving forward. Time will tell. First up are the Welsh, who will probably come out blazing from the start. A reasonable test first up for the South Africans.
Finally on to England, whose supporters are split as is usually the case. I’m a big believer in the former England football coach Terry Venables’ approach when it comes to the English psyche regarding their sporting sides. “People think we are either the best or the worst side in the World. The truth is we are very rarely either.” England’s fans are split. There are those who believe a Final place is a distinct possibility, given the recent performances and the likelihood that a dominant pack will be crucial in conditions likely to be encountered in New Zealand. There are however still a fair number of doomsayers who decry everything Martin Johnson does, deplore the absence of certain players (and by association the presence of others) and who say that a Quarter Final is the best they can expect. I’m one of the former if I’m being honest, though as said previously, I see England falling at the Semi Final stage.
A tricky opener against the Pumas is not what you would want for an opening game, but England will not underestimate the Argentinians, and despite losing Moody (I repeat my affirmation that he shouldn’t be in New Zealand) and Cueto (a much bigger loss as the most reliable of England’s vaunted back 3 in defence). England fans, believe me, are starting to feel the tension.
ABTE
Confident or not confident, there is one thing that the fans of the Celtic Nations, France and the Southern Hemisphere sides all seem to agree on.... “ANYONE BUT THE ENGLISH!”
“ABTE” is a frequently heard mantra when discussing who you want to win if your side doesn’t. It is something that I have put up with for most of my rugby supporting life. I try to remain dispassionate when there is a game on, but it is beyond me. I cannot help but jump up and down, berate appalling decisions by officials, lambaste opposition players, over-hype England’s chances and a whole host of other things, but come the end of the game, there will always be a handshake with opposition supporters in the vicinity, along with a round of applause for the winning side. It is the rugby ethos, one of the last vestiges of the amateur traditions that formed the basis of the game. Where my gripe is in this ABTE attitude, is in the fact that if you take me out of the context of the game; remove all English identity; replace it with the identity of another Nation and transport me into that game, this attitude is seen as creditable and endearing. Why does this anti-English feeling come in? Where does it come from? It’s a bit of a mystery to me. I guess it’s really a compliment at the end of the day, as there isn’t a Nation that wouldn’t want England’s record in World Cups this century......
And Finally.....
My XV to watch has been a bit of a curse. Ducalcon and Conrad Smith both being overlooked for a starting berth. Oh well, can I help it if Messrs Henry and Lievremont don’t know what they’re on about? (Note: World Cups won: Henry & Lievremont 0 The Egg Chaser 0)
All the sides should now have arrived in New Zealand, with the parsimonious Scots the last to do so.. watching the pennies to the last.... No national stereotypes here though (if you believe that you’ll believe anything)
A quick whizz through the squads shows that there will be an incredible 12 sets of brothers taking part at this World Cup, including 1 set with siblings playing for different Nations (Tuilagi). In addition, had his career not been tragically cut short by injury, Thom Evans would undoubtedly have joined his brother Max to make it 13.
Stories abound about the bizarre things teams take to World Cups. Here are just a few to titillate you: England have apparently shipped their own scrum machine; Japan have an oxygen chamber in their kit; France have 10,000 Euros worth of coffee beans. My English mind boggles... while somewhere a French body gives a Gallic shrug, sips an espresso and shakes a Gitanes from its packet (told you there’d be some stereotyping).
I will be updating the blog over the weekend, with a brief taste of the game that has just taken place. There will be a blog per day basically, but I will add to the existing piece as games go on. I really hope to see you interacting and telling me where I’ve gone wrong. I enjoy the banter and have broad shoulders, so tell me what you think.
Club rugby continues this weekend as well, with games Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. I think it could be possible, with judicious programme selection, the use of Sky+ (other TV recording devices are available) and a stock of coffee to rival the French squad, you could watch about 24 hours of rugby this weekend... I think i’d better stock up on sleep, Nespresso and the shopping tomorrow – could be a long weekend
Last chance to join me in the Rugby World Cup prediction league I have entered. The site is www.sportguru.co.uk/rwc/pool.asp?p=10011264 and the Pool Code is prosflea. It’s a fun looking game and you’re all welcome to join me there (I’m currently leading the Pool by default as I’m Billy No Mates)
Thanks for reading and can you tell I’m excited?
Sunday, 4 September 2011
15 To Watch and 20 Nation Pen Portraits
Greetings fellow Rugby internauts.
After the last blog which gave you my All-time Greatest XV, I thought this time I would throw 15 names at you who will possibly be challenging for a place in that All-time Greatest XV at some point in the future. These are the 15 players I expect to make the biggest impact in their position over the coming 7 weeks. As per usual, if you disagree, shout and tell me why.
1. Martin Castrogiavanni (ITA) - the hirsute prop has gained a cult following in Leicester for his tough defence, rampant running and knack of being in the right place at the right time. 'Castro' will be key to Italy's hopes of upsetting the odds and knocking Ireland out at the Group stages
2. Bismarck du Plessis (SAF) - Has thrust his name to the fore ahead of John Smit in terms of hooking ability. Whether used as an impact player or forcing his way into De Villiers starting line-up, he has a huge role to play for the Springboks
3. Luc Ducalcon (FRA) - Marc Lievremont is astounded at the speed at which Ducalcon has adapted, and has left behind players such as Thoma Domingo, who I rate highly, and Sylvain Marconnet. Big shoes, or maybe shorts, to fill, and for France to get to the semis, he will need to perform.
4. Paul O'Connell (IRE) - The British and Irish Lions captain showed signs against England of getting back to his best after last season's injury and suspension. He will need to, in both his second row role and as a motivator to drag Ireland out of their miserable slump
5. Ali Kellock (SCO) - First choice second row and now Captain, Kellock is key to Scotland's hopes of surviving a tough pool with England and Argentina. 3 wins should be enough to get out of the Pool and Kellock's decision-making and line-out performance will be vital
6. Rocky Elsom (AUS) - I like Elsom. He's a big unit, gets around the pitch well, gives everything, defends hard, runs hard, sends his Mum flowers for her birthday. What's not to like? Seriously, Elsom provides the back-row weight to balance Pocock's energy. A good mix.
7. Sean O'Brien (IRE) - Europe's Player of the Year, he was sorely missed against England, and given the absence of David Wallace, he along with Jamie Heaslip will need to be at their very best to provide the quick ball Ireland's speedy backs will need. Honourable mention here to Sam Warburton (WAL) who has already usurped Martyn Williams and will need to be at his inspirational best (which is very very good) to lead Wales past the QF stage.
8. Radike Samo (AUS) - His Man of the Match impact against the All Blacks set the stadium alight, and repeated performances like those 50 minutes will see him elevated, admittedly belatedly, to superstar status. A big man, with big hair, but a surprising turn of pace. Can the 35 year old survive the rigours of a 7 game in 7 weeks tournament?
9. Ben Youngs (ENG) - England's new problem position seemingly, after Tuilagi and Tindall shored up the centre berths in Dublin. Youngs has to have a big World Cup if the seemingly 'hated in all quarters' English are to go past the Quarter Finals. Struggled from Dublin onwards last season, time to step up to the plate now.
10. Dan Carter (NZL) - He's the best back in the world. I've said it before, I'll keep saying it. He must be a little wary though after his non-performance last time out. Carter pulls every string for the All Blacks and if he is on song, they have one hand on the trophy.
11. Shane Williams (WAL) - The man who was too small to make it arrives at the last World Cup of his career hoping to cap a glorious career with the spark that can ignite the Welsh. His quick feet and clever running have unpicked better defences than he will have to in New Zealand. Has he got enough in the tank for a final sparkle, or will he fizzle out.
12. Manu Tuilagi (ENG) - 2 tries in 2 games for the young Leicester centre, England's new great hope. As English as lamb rogan josh or spaghetti bolognaise, but such is 21st Century sport. His strength, pace and attitude could provide the English back line with the midfield focus that can divert defensive attention sufficiently to free up their explosive back 3.
13. Conrad Smith (NZL) - For me the relatively unsung hero of the All Blacks side. He rarely puts a foot wrong, be it in attack or defence. He isn't the best attacking centre, nor kicking centre, nor defensive centre, but his consistency is such that he is up there with the best. An honourable mention here also for Jamie Roberts of Wales.
14. Chris Ashton (ENG) - Announced his arrival on the scene with a breathtaking try against the Australians, then scored 6 in the first 2 6 Nations games of the season. A superb finisher, with strength, pace and most importantly a 6th sense that sees him more often than not on the shoulder of the breaking man, ready to pounce.
15. Kurtly Beale (AUS) - He should be picked for his 'tache alone, but Beale who was announced this week as the Australian Player of the Year, provides great pace at the back for the Wallabies. The one thing stopping me really giving the Aussies a big chance this year is there lack of a centre pair to frighten the bigger sides, but as Beale proved time and again in recent seasons, a full back running good angles can pep up even the most ambulatory back line.
There we go, XV (well XVII if you count Warburton and Roberts) to watch out for. They wouldn't make a bad Barbarians side that lot.
So with the first game approximately 5 days away now, I've summarised each team's chances in a very brief way below. Along with my ultimate prediction for each. Agree? Disagree?
Argentina
A is for Argentina, aggression and ageing. Not good enough to repeat last time's performance, in a shoot-out for a QF place with Scotland.
My Prediction: 3rd place in Pool B
Australia
12 years on from their last victory, Australia are peaking at the right time. A stroll through the Pool, then the hard work starts.
My Prediction: A projected Semi between England and Australia is touch to call, but Aussies to lose in the Final
Canada
Once Quarter FInalists, in the days of Gareth Rees, Canada have gone backwards steadily and are in a 3-way shoot-out for 3rd Place in Pool A.
My Prediction: Pool A wooden spoon... just
England
Highs and lows over 12 months. A first 6 Nations in too long, good win against Australia, then seemingly lost their attacking edge before finding a spark in Tuilagi
My Prediction: A narrow semi final loss to Australia
Fiji
2007 Quarter FInalists, they do turn it on for the RWC, but I think they have too much to do this time. Not enough in the tank to trouble the South Africans or Welsh again 4 years on.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool D
France
A side that should have bit the bullet 18 months ago and changed coach. The current management seem hell bent on doing things their way, which is hamstringing the tricolore attemps at a title they have never won.
My Prediction: Quarter Final defeat by the English
Georgia
Steady progress since the last World Cup by the Georgians. A difficult pool though, and will need to content themselves with some valiant performances in defeat against bigger nations.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool B
Ireland
Have been travelling backwards at high speed in recent weeks. Will make the Italy game that little bit trickier to prepare for than it should be, but should be good enough to survive the Pool this time around
My Prediction: Quarter Final defeat
Italy
Nick Mallett's swansong at a time when they have started performing. They will be targeting the Ireland game as the key, but I think without the backing of a home crowd, this will be a step too far.
My Prediction: 3rd in Pool C
Japan
John Kirwan has had a positive effect, but a genius would struggle to get Japan out of their pool. In their own Tri Nations tournament with Tonga and Canada.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool A
Namibia
The whipping boys of the last couple of tournaments, I see no reason why that shouldn't be the case again. Maybe not the stratospheric scores of 8 years ago, but 4 defeats loom
My Prediction: Pointless at the bottom of Pool D
New Zealand
The only team that can beat them is themselves. Haven't I said that before? Stat attack: No side has come within 20 points of beating the All Blacks in a World Cup in New Zealand (and that when tries were worth 4 points)!
My Prediction: Winners
Romania
As Georgia, they find themselves in a tricky Pool and as Namibia I foresee a tough few weeks for the European minnows.
My Prediction: Last in Pool B
Russia
A belated bow on the biggest stage for the Russians. Players have started seeping into the big European Leagues now, and the future is bright, but this tournament sees the fight for 4th Place in Pool C with the Americans
My Prediction: 5th in Pool C
Samoa
The most likely of the 3rd seeded Nations in a group to cause a shock. Wales will be slightly nervous by the sight of these warriors, but should have enough to beat them.
My Prediction: A glorious 3rd in pool D
Scotland
Green shoots of growth seem to be appearing in Andy Robinson's garden. Injuries have hurt the Scots in recent years, but they have rarely been so optimistic approaching a World Cup
My Prediction: A Quarter Final drubbing by the All Blacks
South Africa
The reigning Champions. Should win the Pool and their Quarter Final, but won't have enough in the tank to defeat the All Blacks in an Eden Park semi final
My Prediction: Semi Final and home
Tonga
Will proudly open the tournament against the hosts on Friday 9th September. After this honour and ordeal, they will soon settle into a Pool where their goal must be 3rd Place in the pool.
My Prediction: 3rd in Pool A
USA
An important game for the Eagles against the Russians will see if they can avoid finishing 5th in the Pool. Another tough tournament looms for the Americans
My Prediction: 4th in Pool C
Wales
Wales have, more than anyone, a point to prove after last time's early disappointment. Much more organised and with talent aplenty, no group embarrassment this time.
My Prediction: a QF defeat by the Aussies
And Finally....
The curtain rose yesterday on the English Premier League, with surprise wins for Exeter, Wasps, Harlequins and Worcester. The World Cup effect already seems to have hit home....
British journalist Brendan Gallagher had trouble entering New Zealand, as he had an apple in his bag. He was hit with a NZD400 fine (£200ish) despite his attempted defence of having been given the apple by a stewardess on the Air New Zealand flight and having a sticker with the words "Produce of New Zealand" written on it. The only apples in my luggage will be iPod, iPad and MacBook, that I can guarantee.
My all-time World Cup XV seemed to wind some people up, with one particular Welsh tweeter coming up with the constructive criticism that I am an idiot. When asked why, he seemed to ignore responding, but maybe there weren't enough Jones, Williams and Davies's in my All-time 15. Hard to justify their inclusion given their abysmal recent record though isn't it?
1 more day to vote on the Poll of the winners, if you haven't already done so. 1 Final little article before the start of the tournament on Friday (Polish hotel internet connection permitting as I am on my travels again this week).
After the last blog which gave you my All-time Greatest XV, I thought this time I would throw 15 names at you who will possibly be challenging for a place in that All-time Greatest XV at some point in the future. These are the 15 players I expect to make the biggest impact in their position over the coming 7 weeks. As per usual, if you disagree, shout and tell me why.
1. Martin Castrogiavanni (ITA) - the hirsute prop has gained a cult following in Leicester for his tough defence, rampant running and knack of being in the right place at the right time. 'Castro' will be key to Italy's hopes of upsetting the odds and knocking Ireland out at the Group stages
2. Bismarck du Plessis (SAF) - Has thrust his name to the fore ahead of John Smit in terms of hooking ability. Whether used as an impact player or forcing his way into De Villiers starting line-up, he has a huge role to play for the Springboks
3. Luc Ducalcon (FRA) - Marc Lievremont is astounded at the speed at which Ducalcon has adapted, and has left behind players such as Thoma Domingo, who I rate highly, and Sylvain Marconnet. Big shoes, or maybe shorts, to fill, and for France to get to the semis, he will need to perform.
4. Paul O'Connell (IRE) - The British and Irish Lions captain showed signs against England of getting back to his best after last season's injury and suspension. He will need to, in both his second row role and as a motivator to drag Ireland out of their miserable slump
5. Ali Kellock (SCO) - First choice second row and now Captain, Kellock is key to Scotland's hopes of surviving a tough pool with England and Argentina. 3 wins should be enough to get out of the Pool and Kellock's decision-making and line-out performance will be vital
6. Rocky Elsom (AUS) - I like Elsom. He's a big unit, gets around the pitch well, gives everything, defends hard, runs hard, sends his Mum flowers for her birthday. What's not to like? Seriously, Elsom provides the back-row weight to balance Pocock's energy. A good mix.
7. Sean O'Brien (IRE) - Europe's Player of the Year, he was sorely missed against England, and given the absence of David Wallace, he along with Jamie Heaslip will need to be at their very best to provide the quick ball Ireland's speedy backs will need. Honourable mention here to Sam Warburton (WAL) who has already usurped Martyn Williams and will need to be at his inspirational best (which is very very good) to lead Wales past the QF stage.
8. Radike Samo (AUS) - His Man of the Match impact against the All Blacks set the stadium alight, and repeated performances like those 50 minutes will see him elevated, admittedly belatedly, to superstar status. A big man, with big hair, but a surprising turn of pace. Can the 35 year old survive the rigours of a 7 game in 7 weeks tournament?
9. Ben Youngs (ENG) - England's new problem position seemingly, after Tuilagi and Tindall shored up the centre berths in Dublin. Youngs has to have a big World Cup if the seemingly 'hated in all quarters' English are to go past the Quarter Finals. Struggled from Dublin onwards last season, time to step up to the plate now.
10. Dan Carter (NZL) - He's the best back in the world. I've said it before, I'll keep saying it. He must be a little wary though after his non-performance last time out. Carter pulls every string for the All Blacks and if he is on song, they have one hand on the trophy.
11. Shane Williams (WAL) - The man who was too small to make it arrives at the last World Cup of his career hoping to cap a glorious career with the spark that can ignite the Welsh. His quick feet and clever running have unpicked better defences than he will have to in New Zealand. Has he got enough in the tank for a final sparkle, or will he fizzle out.
12. Manu Tuilagi (ENG) - 2 tries in 2 games for the young Leicester centre, England's new great hope. As English as lamb rogan josh or spaghetti bolognaise, but such is 21st Century sport. His strength, pace and attitude could provide the English back line with the midfield focus that can divert defensive attention sufficiently to free up their explosive back 3.
13. Conrad Smith (NZL) - For me the relatively unsung hero of the All Blacks side. He rarely puts a foot wrong, be it in attack or defence. He isn't the best attacking centre, nor kicking centre, nor defensive centre, but his consistency is such that he is up there with the best. An honourable mention here also for Jamie Roberts of Wales.
14. Chris Ashton (ENG) - Announced his arrival on the scene with a breathtaking try against the Australians, then scored 6 in the first 2 6 Nations games of the season. A superb finisher, with strength, pace and most importantly a 6th sense that sees him more often than not on the shoulder of the breaking man, ready to pounce.
15. Kurtly Beale (AUS) - He should be picked for his 'tache alone, but Beale who was announced this week as the Australian Player of the Year, provides great pace at the back for the Wallabies. The one thing stopping me really giving the Aussies a big chance this year is there lack of a centre pair to frighten the bigger sides, but as Beale proved time and again in recent seasons, a full back running good angles can pep up even the most ambulatory back line.
There we go, XV (well XVII if you count Warburton and Roberts) to watch out for. They wouldn't make a bad Barbarians side that lot.
So with the first game approximately 5 days away now, I've summarised each team's chances in a very brief way below. Along with my ultimate prediction for each. Agree? Disagree?
Argentina
A is for Argentina, aggression and ageing. Not good enough to repeat last time's performance, in a shoot-out for a QF place with Scotland.
My Prediction: 3rd place in Pool B
Australia
12 years on from their last victory, Australia are peaking at the right time. A stroll through the Pool, then the hard work starts.
My Prediction: A projected Semi between England and Australia is touch to call, but Aussies to lose in the Final
Canada
Once Quarter FInalists, in the days of Gareth Rees, Canada have gone backwards steadily and are in a 3-way shoot-out for 3rd Place in Pool A.
My Prediction: Pool A wooden spoon... just
England
Highs and lows over 12 months. A first 6 Nations in too long, good win against Australia, then seemingly lost their attacking edge before finding a spark in Tuilagi
My Prediction: A narrow semi final loss to Australia
Fiji
2007 Quarter FInalists, they do turn it on for the RWC, but I think they have too much to do this time. Not enough in the tank to trouble the South Africans or Welsh again 4 years on.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool D
France
A side that should have bit the bullet 18 months ago and changed coach. The current management seem hell bent on doing things their way, which is hamstringing the tricolore attemps at a title they have never won.
My Prediction: Quarter Final defeat by the English
Georgia
Steady progress since the last World Cup by the Georgians. A difficult pool though, and will need to content themselves with some valiant performances in defeat against bigger nations.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool B
Ireland
Have been travelling backwards at high speed in recent weeks. Will make the Italy game that little bit trickier to prepare for than it should be, but should be good enough to survive the Pool this time around
My Prediction: Quarter Final defeat
Italy
Nick Mallett's swansong at a time when they have started performing. They will be targeting the Ireland game as the key, but I think without the backing of a home crowd, this will be a step too far.
My Prediction: 3rd in Pool C
Japan
John Kirwan has had a positive effect, but a genius would struggle to get Japan out of their pool. In their own Tri Nations tournament with Tonga and Canada.
My Prediction: 4th in Pool A
Namibia
The whipping boys of the last couple of tournaments, I see no reason why that shouldn't be the case again. Maybe not the stratospheric scores of 8 years ago, but 4 defeats loom
My Prediction: Pointless at the bottom of Pool D
New Zealand
The only team that can beat them is themselves. Haven't I said that before? Stat attack: No side has come within 20 points of beating the All Blacks in a World Cup in New Zealand (and that when tries were worth 4 points)!
My Prediction: Winners
Romania
As Georgia, they find themselves in a tricky Pool and as Namibia I foresee a tough few weeks for the European minnows.
My Prediction: Last in Pool B
Russia
A belated bow on the biggest stage for the Russians. Players have started seeping into the big European Leagues now, and the future is bright, but this tournament sees the fight for 4th Place in Pool C with the Americans
My Prediction: 5th in Pool C
Samoa
The most likely of the 3rd seeded Nations in a group to cause a shock. Wales will be slightly nervous by the sight of these warriors, but should have enough to beat them.
My Prediction: A glorious 3rd in pool D
Scotland
Green shoots of growth seem to be appearing in Andy Robinson's garden. Injuries have hurt the Scots in recent years, but they have rarely been so optimistic approaching a World Cup
My Prediction: A Quarter Final drubbing by the All Blacks
South Africa
The reigning Champions. Should win the Pool and their Quarter Final, but won't have enough in the tank to defeat the All Blacks in an Eden Park semi final
My Prediction: Semi Final and home
Tonga
Will proudly open the tournament against the hosts on Friday 9th September. After this honour and ordeal, they will soon settle into a Pool where their goal must be 3rd Place in the pool.
My Prediction: 3rd in Pool A
USA
An important game for the Eagles against the Russians will see if they can avoid finishing 5th in the Pool. Another tough tournament looms for the Americans
My Prediction: 4th in Pool C
Wales
Wales have, more than anyone, a point to prove after last time's early disappointment. Much more organised and with talent aplenty, no group embarrassment this time.
My Prediction: a QF defeat by the Aussies
And Finally....
The curtain rose yesterday on the English Premier League, with surprise wins for Exeter, Wasps, Harlequins and Worcester. The World Cup effect already seems to have hit home....
British journalist Brendan Gallagher had trouble entering New Zealand, as he had an apple in his bag. He was hit with a NZD400 fine (£200ish) despite his attempted defence of having been given the apple by a stewardess on the Air New Zealand flight and having a sticker with the words "Produce of New Zealand" written on it. The only apples in my luggage will be iPod, iPad and MacBook, that I can guarantee.
My all-time World Cup XV seemed to wind some people up, with one particular Welsh tweeter coming up with the constructive criticism that I am an idiot. When asked why, he seemed to ignore responding, but maybe there weren't enough Jones, Williams and Davies's in my All-time 15. Hard to justify their inclusion given their abysmal recent record though isn't it?
1 more day to vote on the Poll of the winners, if you haven't already done so. 1 Final little article before the start of the tournament on Friday (Polish hotel internet connection permitting as I am on my travels again this week).
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Aussies Edge All Blacks In Thriller
Australia's home advantage was neutralised by the posturing that is the Haka; yes I know it's tradition and as a spectacle it is truly something, but this has long since passed the stage of being a "laying down of a challenge" and sides use a fair bit of mental energy facing up to it in any way they choose. England's reaction to it during the days of Richard Cockerill remains fresh in the memory, and the different methods of facing up to it in recent times have met with a variety of success. Sebastien Chabal's idea of lining up in red, white and blue tracksuits to leave a visual impact on their opponents seemed to inspire the French in the 2007 Quarter Final though.
Psychological advantage duly taken, the 99% Blacks, as they really ought to be known given the white collar on their new shirts (isn't it more than a little ironic the fuss that was made about England moving to an All Black away kit at a time when the ALL Blacks moved from a 100% black shirt?), started under severe pressure and conceded an early penalty which Quade Cooper slotted. Cooper also wasted a massive overlap in the first ten minutes which could have given the Aussies some serious breathing space, but his elusive running in the early passages of play showed just how dangerous he can be. Indeed, after winning a free kick at a scrum, Cooper broke and fed Ashley-Cooper who seemed to initially benefit from some sluggish tackling, before Weepu and Muliaina produced a stunning combination tackle to prevent a certain try, but from the resulting 5 metre scrum (which replays suggest they were lucky to be awarded) the pressure finally told and Will Genia strolled through the gap between prop and hooker to go over next to the posts. Cooper kicked the extras to make it 10-0.
After 15 minutes, I started thinking the Aussies had maybe been underestimated by me on previous performances, and with Samo, Genia and Cooper pulling every imaginable string, I began to think the Aussies could really push for the World Cup if these three remain fit. This was possibly compounded by the fact that, in those opening exchanges, the All Blacks, particularly at half back, looked ponderous. In defence though it was a different matter and they systematically slowed the ball down (legally I might add), picked the occasionally fantastic angles of the Aussies and when not missing tackles, tackled ferociously in key areas to keep themselves in the game. The ever-reliable Carter kicked them to within 7 points mid-way through the first half, but it was very much a performance on the back foot for the New Zealanders, not being able to get any possession or territory. The steady drip of penalties again saw Cooper kick Australia 10 points clear after Nonu held back the man without the ball.
Straight from the kick-off, Pocock rose to take a high ball from above McCaw and Samo pushed Thompson off on his own ten metre line and sprinted 60 metres to score under the posts. The unbelievable score of 20-3 to the Aussies with 4 minutes to half-time now adorned the scoreboards, and most worryingly for Graham Henry was that this was 100% deserved. The All Blacks had no penetration and no inspiration. Even after a poor box kick from Genia went straight into touch, New Zealand couldn't profit and the disorganisation behind the scrum spoke volumes.
Half-time Australia 20 New Zealand 3
Two different teams took the field for the second half, or seemingly so. The 99% Blacks started in attritional mode, grinding the yards around the base of the maul, earning a penalty when Elsom came in from the side, and Carter took them within two scores. As the half went on, the considered approach started paying dividends, and in the 12th minute, from the 26th phase of possession, Carter fed Conrad Smith who ran over unopposed to put the cat amongst the pigeons. 10 unanswered points in the opening 13 minutes for the All Blacks and the Wallabies looked rattled; none more so than Quade Cooper, whose knee in the face of a prone New Zealand forward will no doubt provoke some action from the citing commissioner.
Indeed when Nonu and Smith combined, somewhat chaotically initially, and Nonu found himself opposite a prop, the equalising try was scored. The phrase 'like a knife through butter' is used a little too often, but the second half had seen New Zealand's knife cutting through Australia's defence as if they were yoghurt, not butter, and there was only one winner from now on, or so you would think; Genia immediately slipped clear from another missed tackle, slipped it wide and Beale finished things off to give the Aussies the lead again, though only by 5 as Cooper missed the kick.
Ill discipline should have cost New Zealand three more points after a needless obstruction as Ashley-Cooper followed a Genia kick, but Cooper missed a second consecutive kick to leave the game with a 1 score deficit. Crucially though the game was being played in the All Blacks' half now, and though Ellis looked more incisive than Weepu, the Aussies yoghurt defence had firmed up and as the game entered the last 7 minutes, it was truly anyone's game. Each time the Aussie defence looked like being prised open, the All Blacks were penalised at the breakdown though, and given their traditional strength in this area, and their dominance over the last few years, it must be worrying for Henry to see them being so easily dominated here as we enter the World Cup.
The last ten minutes saw the pace, unsurprisingly, slow substantially, as the efforts of both sides started to show. As the All Blacks started one final attempt to steal the game, space seemed to open up, but Beale snagged an interception, and the Aussies rucked and mauled away the last 90 seconds, before a penalty saw them give Cooper the chance to belt the ball into touch and crown their first Tri-Nations success since 2001.
New Zealand will regret a lacklustre 1st half and maybe even more so their weakened side which lost to South Africa last weekend. Australia will feel that they have a squad that can go to New Zealand with every chance of surprising their neighbours and taking the real trophy that matters back across the Tasman Sea at the end of October. The wisdom of such a high intensity game 2 weeks before the World Cup opener will be called into question again. Injuries to Keiran Reid and Adam Thompson could prove costly over the next 7 weeks.
Final Score Australia 25 New Zealand 20
Man of the Match - Radike Samo: a stunning 50 minutes from the 35 year old capped with a fantastic try. He popped up everywhere during Australia's early dominance and, should he stay fit and should his legs last the demands of Tournament rugby, Australia have a decent chance in New Zealand.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
A New Venture
I have been fortunate enough to travel Europe watching rugby of the highest order, with good friends as company and meeting new friends on every occasion. As I embark on my biggest and longest journey to New Zealand for Rugby World Cup 2011, I decided to create this blog to allow me to share photos and thoughts (serious, anecdotal and who knows journalistic). I am sure there will be a certain element of travelog about this too, but I will try to emphasise the rugby more than anything else.
Hopefully this will grow to become a regular blog, even after the RWC11 experience has come to an end. I'm looking forward to interaction from friends, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends, so feel free to circulate this link to anyone you think may find this of interest.
My schedule is to arrive in New Zealand for the business end of the tournament, and my first game will be England vs Scotland at Eden Park, Auckland. I then attend every other game at that stadium over the remaining 23 days, including the Final. Trips around New Zealand have been shoe-horned into the weeks between the games and I'll hope to bring some colour and anecdotes from my travels too. Until then you will be able to see my thoughts on the different games before I head out to Auckland.
Starting this week there will be a preview of each of the Pools, with my predictions (such as they are) as to who will progress and who will be going home early. So share the link amongst people you think may be interested, and feel free to comment on any article I publish, I look forward to the interaction.
Hope you enjoy the blog, and look forward to hearing from you as this place grows.
Hopefully this will grow to become a regular blog, even after the RWC11 experience has come to an end. I'm looking forward to interaction from friends, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends, so feel free to circulate this link to anyone you think may find this of interest.
My schedule is to arrive in New Zealand for the business end of the tournament, and my first game will be England vs Scotland at Eden Park, Auckland. I then attend every other game at that stadium over the remaining 23 days, including the Final. Trips around New Zealand have been shoe-horned into the weeks between the games and I'll hope to bring some colour and anecdotes from my travels too. Until then you will be able to see my thoughts on the different games before I head out to Auckland.
Starting this week there will be a preview of each of the Pools, with my predictions (such as they are) as to who will progress and who will be going home early. So share the link amongst people you think may be interested, and feel free to comment on any article I publish, I look forward to the interaction.
Hope you enjoy the blog, and look forward to hearing from you as this place grows.
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