Rugby - Laissez la balle, Bleus!

[Havak]

And that seems sensible to me.

Ashton of course used to coach Bath - so don't be surprised if the decidedly average Steve Borthwick replaces Grewcock in the next squad.

Actually it's worth looking at the last four England coaches:

Jack Rowell - coached Bath (almost universally loathed every where else)

Sir Clive Wooodward - coach of London Irish, Assistant coach of Bath at time of appointment.

Andy Robinson - became coach of Bath after Callard was sacked, fell into England job because RFU was too idle to have a proper look around.

Brian Ashton - coach of Bath until mid nineties. Fell into England job because RFU were too idle to have a proper look around.

Do you see a pattern here? And a reason why England continue to have problems? Bath last won the league in 96 (the first Professional year in England) and are approaching a decade of winning nothing (they topped the league in 2004 but our genius system let Wasps "win" that year). The RFUs continued reliance on Bath personnel is outdated and misguided.

Sir Clive was fairly successful with England with two reasons:

1) He had Martin Johnson available
2) His English playing career was spent with Tigers.

In conclusion - I think it unlikely Crofty will get included yet. I'd be delighted to see anyone other than Borthers picked as it would show Ashton is open minded at least.

*edit* An Intriguing snippet Finbar - Tigers have signed Richard Blaze from Worcester for next season. Nothing remarkable about that unless you know that Blaze was the lad who most regularly played alongside Croft at lock in the England U21s.

[Havak]

Well well - he named his 28 man squad this morning.

James Haskell, Mark Cueto, Jason Robinson, Mike Catt, Tim Payne, Steve Borthwick and Nick Easter have been added to the 22 that faced Ireland.

Haskell is a positive - 21 year old Wasps back row forward. Plays 8 or 6 though I think it unlikely they will replace Corry with him.

Borthwick as predicted. Croft is already a better player.

I thought Easter had blown his chance after the Italy game - he has been in great form for Quins but hardly impressed against the eye-eyes.

[finbar]

Borthwick is just another plodder. They have to stop recycling plodders. And M. Catt. Where does J. Haskell stand relative to T. Croft? More experienced? Who is T. Payne?

[Havak]

Croft is a lock who can play Blind Side.

Haskell is a Blind side who can play number eight.

He is in to provide a different kind of cover role - Crofty should have been in where Borthwick is.

The locks in the 28 are Deacon, Grewcock, Borthwick and Palmer. Deacon has done little wrong if hardly being spectacular. Grewcock is a known quantity - and often a huge liability. Borthwick is a decent line out captain - but I want more in an International lock. And Palmer was brilliant FOUR seasons ago - I honestly think the only reason he figures is that he is now at Wasps rather than Leeds (he isn't in any kind of form thats for sure).

And Tim Payne highlights another problem that was unthinkable in 2003 - he is a prop and really shouldn't be getting anywhere near the International stage. But the raft of age (and medical) retirements and a huge butchers bill of injury have got him there. If Stevens is fit then that Anglo-Bok should be in the squad rather than the Wasps man.

The Catt thing does baffle me. Tait has to be the option for the future at 12. Or even Allen. But a nearly 36 year old??

[finbar]

The thinking is short-term, like only as far as the World Cup. Any sensible person - and, obviously, I include you - would assume that they're not going to win this time, barring utterly extraordinary circumstances. They know it, but can't allow themselves to admit it. They're taking the safest possible options, the known quantities, as insurance.

As we all know, A. Robinson wasted his tenure. If he'd promoted youth, that youth would now be a couple of seasons more experienced.

[Havak]

Well I have certainly assumed they won't win it.

Getting out the group will be a job well done.

And perhaps throwing youth in now is a no win scenario. It still worries me however that after his first set back Ashton is repeating the same mistakes as Robinson did by panicking and going very conservative.

You and I have both seen Croft and Borthwick play. I consider Croft already the better of the two (and still improving) and suspect you might as well?

That said Ashton may well pick Farrell again - and that would be both radical and brave as the French midfield is only a little behind Irelands in quality (overall France are a better side I think - but the Irish centres are the best in the NH for me).

And this one just for Ravagon - NZ are clearly the red hot favourites for the Cup with me as well as everyone else. It's a deserved favourite tag as they have knocked over all comers for a couple of years. I am sure they are still worried however - as they can't be sure what Australian or French sides will turn up - and the Boks also have a knack of unsetting them mainly by applying massive power through the pack. Even England might beat them - but only if we can sneak the right chef into their hotel the night before.

[finbar]

The thing with T. Croft is that he's massive and very mobile, which is what rugby these days requires. Throwing in youth now is a possible no-win scenario, maintaining the status quo is a definite no-win scenario.

I had a look at the Blues-Highlanders match this morning. Only poor discipline and some massive Highlanders defence prevented a cricket score from the Blues. A very All Blacks swarming performance - speed, strength and skill. Pity T. Flavell is psychotic - when he puts his mind to it and plays rugby, he's very good. He was actually well behaved this morning. Most interesting performance was from Jerone Keino. Remember him? I don't know where he's been - perhaps injured - but he's now a storming #8.

[Havak]

Yes I remember the lad. Quite impressed with what I have seen of him - and he is still very young I believe (20/21?).

Now back to my master plan for the world cup. Cloning the side of 2003.

[finbar]

You've got your work cut out. As have I over the weekend. Watching and barracking for Harlequins.

[MikeH]

I think the game has moved on and I think side of 2003 wouldn't really work in 2007.

[finbar]

Added to which, the 2003 side was just over the hill. The 2002 side would be a better project. Cloning types like M. Johnson, a slightly younger N. Back, and a couple of others, would make definite sense. They would be outstanding in any generation of the game.

Not one Australian S14 team won on the weekend. They've got problems down there, on top of a massive injury toll.

[LDiCesare]

There was an interesting match in Biarritz today.
Argentina vs. Frenc Barbarians.
The Babaas were in great part made of potential France team players, a lot of those who've been waiting to play at Marcoussis.
Argentina won 28-14 thanks to a very poor start game by the French. The Argentinan front row is really impressive. Roncero, Ledesma, and, behind, Hernandez, are top class players.
The more I see Argentina and Ireland, the more I am concerned about the World Cup. It's not unlikely that the French don't even manage to get past the first turn. A real shame when you see New Zealand's pool in comparison.

[finbar]

One of the Argie problems has been discipline. How did they behave themselves? On a good day, they're a frightening outfit. No wonder the SH mob don't want them in the Tri Nations.

Havak - finally, a hooker whose throwing makes Jeremy Paul look good. Good grief, what an exhibition. First time I've ever seen Quins. They can play some handy rugby. I like the cut of N. Easter's jib. A lot.

[LDiCesare]

One of the Argie problems has been discipline. How did they behave themselves?

Two yellow cards. And then the ref was nice to them since once I would have expelled another one (along with a French player, but still, that'd have been 3 yellow cards to 1). Pichot repeatedly talked to the ref who was really unhappy about that. I heard something like this once:
"(ref)You'll be the third one (to get a yellow card].
-(Pichot, smiling)Me?
-(ref)I told you to calm down your mob."
The Argentinans were really playing foul once the Babaas started waking up. They had started with 4 penalties against the French Barbarians vs. 1 against Argentina, and rocketed to 4 vs 10 by the end of the first half if I'm correct. Don't know the whole match figure, as I was busy watching the game and not counting the penalties.

[Havak]

The side of 2003 would still have an excellent chance of doing well – a powerful pack securing plenty of ball never goes out of date however old the aged crufters doing it are.

But I agree with Finbar – that side probably peaked in either late 2002 or possibly with the Slam winning destruction of Ireland in the spring of 2003 – they just about kept going through the World Cup and then fell apart.

I caught a repeat of Sharks v Crusaders as I waited for my own match to come on Saturday evening. How cruel that Sharks stole the game with the very last play of the match. And that Mr Dickinson managed to miss the ‘lateral’ ball to the try scorer.

A real shame when you see New Zealand's pool in comparison.

Ah yes but don’t they have to face the supreme challenge of playing Scotland in Edinburgh during “RWC France 2007”.

They do indeed have a fairly easy group – that’s the luck of the draw. Even so the Kiwi boys will be praying that they don’t do their traditional habit of not turning up in a semi-final.

First time I've ever seen Quins. They can play some handy rugby. I like the cut of N. Easter's jib. A lot.

Poor old James Buckland. Games like that can destroy careers – and he is actually much better than that. The change was stark at half time don’t you think? Playing more direct rugby and (finally) winning their own first phase ball I felt Tigers were unlucky not to win by more in the end. Discipline is still a problem – so many unnecessary penalties.

Yes Nick Easter is having a storming season at club level. He was perhaps unlucky that his England debut came in the turgid performance against Italy. He is still in the extended squad but I’m not sure if he will figure again in the 6N.

Richards has Quins playing like the Tigers of the late nineties – they are adept at slowing the game and spoiling opposition ball.