Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

Well, Joseph is missing from the dirt trackers so the signs are promising, though I expect he might finish up on the wing with Foden to full back. I think you're right, Lancaster does believe in Farrell, so Flood at 10, Farrell at 12 - where he's even less suited - and Manu at 13.

I don't think it's Gym Monkey syndrome. I don't know about SA, but in Australia and NZ rugby is played at tempo down to club level. The players are brought up running hard and passing. The Australian climate helps, of course, drier grounds, et al, but they also manage it in NZ, hardly a climate conducive to firm footing. It's in the DNA. England, for whatever reason, has caution in its rugby DNA. Don't take a risk, you might make a mistake.

Plus there's some just plain stupidity involved. England were the best in the world for a couple of years because they had the best pack in the world and used it as a platform for some more than handy backs. J**** seemed to believe he still had the best pack in the world and expected everything else to follow. He didn't, and it didn't. Lancaster is going down exactly the same road, with the added handicap of an honest, very young toiler expected to capitalise on what few opportunities arise. It's dumb.

The RFU had their chance with Nick Mallett and they passed it up. Pity.

[Havak]

That almost sounded sincere.

You are onto something there off course. Like or loathe Woodward he was never blind to his teams failings. After the 1999 exit at the hands of the Boks he cultivated a more attacking approach, using that pack to create a platform. Sure he was very lucky in the players he had available but he still adapted in a way that his successors have never done. The less said about Turnip the better, he makes a mule look like a strong proponent of progressive change. Ashton recalled Ian Balshaw and his sides never stopped kicking away possession. Jonno was the immoveable object, an advantage in a skipper but not in a coach. Lancaster is the nobody suddenly thrust into prominence - I am sorry if that is brutal for the guy but the fact remains what stanbdard did he play and what has he ever achieved in coaching (Chruchill cups are entertaining but not first class honours)? I admire the team spirit he has engendered and the effort his teams put in - but if those factors won games Scotland would be RWC champions and not wooden spooners.

So yes I think that natural caution and some very clear stupidity by the Union for the last decade have us where we are now.

But even now, trailing Wales in the 6N (unthinkable a decade ago) I still think England are consistently more likely to turn over a big three side than any other 6N team (bar France if the wind is westerly). And that is the tragedy, had the RFU capitalised on RWC 2003 properly (i.e not just financially) and invested in the cream of available coaching talent when Woodward went then we would not be in this state I suspect.

It all hinged on the disasterous appointment of Turnip. Still coulda, shoulda, woulda gets us nowhere. We will have to wait for the Wallabies to sack Deans? I really felt for the bloke in the pre-match interview last weekend when the touchline interviewer told him the Kiwi press had condemned him and stated the All Blacks would have won the game in Newcastle (sidebar: Surely the Kiwi press claims the ABs would have won any game anywhere and any when as a default reporting position?).

Nobody kicks a man when he is down like Australian TV.

So the French and English clubs are posturing over the European cups? They essentially want the cups reorganised to stop hugely favouring very fixture light Celtic franchises. They maybe have a point?

[finbar]

France aside, and you always have to leave them aside in any what-if scenarios because - well, enough said - it is probably England, on their day, at their best, when the planets are aligned, who can turn over a SH side. Not this side, though. This side with some crucial changes, perhaps.

Robbie Deans has been in the gun for a long time. His appointment wasn't unanimously accepted in the first place. He's a Kiwi. Australians should coach Australia, say many. Bollocks, I say. The best available coach should coach. He was by far the best available. He's done Australian rugby a lot of good while yet to convince me that he's the real deal. His WC was poor in terms of selections and tactics. We'll see what happens this year.

No, the English clubs don't have a point. They weren't grizzling when English clubs were doing well in the HC. Quins lost games they shouldn't have this HC season, Saints were pish, Leicester couldn't pick up a bonus point against the weakest team in the comp and meekly submitted at Ravenhill, neither event remotely connected to Celtic franchise fixtures. Rugby, like everything, is cyclical, the Premiership is currently at a relatively low ebb largely thanks to the clubs themselves, and the English clubs are putting on their Bully Boy hats. Feck 'em. French clubs, on the whole, have never made the HC a priority. Their Top 14 is their God. It's where the money is. Feck 'em, too.

[Havak]

You certainly have a point. And most eloquently put.

English sides do have a history of complaining about the HC however, even in the years when we were winning it. But that was down to prize money (initially only ERC ltd made money from the HC). I seem to recall the prize money for winning the HC in 2001 was 50K (though my memory could be playing tricks).

Saints Chief Exec Allan Robson stokes the fires:

"If you look at English and French sides, we've got strong Premiership competitions. The RaboDirect Pro12 is arguably less strong and every club qualifies. That doesn't appear to be very fair. What's more, if you were to look at what happens in the RaboDirect Pro12 competition and analyse the players that teams put out, the squads are able to rotate and take breaks in that competition, to some degree."

"Teams can rest key players, so for a Heineken Cup match they draft in stronger players and they're fresh. They've largely played less than the English players so it makes it a tougher competition for us.

"We can look at the qualification process, the format of the competition - and not just for the Heineken Cup, [but] the Amlin Cup too.

"Ourselves and the French have served notice that we want to come out of the competition in its current format and we would like to start discussing the format of a different competition. But, ostensibly, it's the Heineken Cup and top European sides."

I can hear Finbar's inner Father Ted (or rather Father Jack) reaching fever pitch already...

[finbar]

No one takes him seriously except his English club president and CEO mates. They can all feck off.

I wonder whether he's watching the England Dirt Trackers making hard work of the Bok Barbarians most of whom aren't even S15 players. It's indicative of the Premiership's problems these days.

[finbar]

54-26 to the England Dirt Trackers over the Bok Barbarians was flattering in the extreme. A flurry of late tries inflated the margin. Waldrom was excellent throughout, Care very effective, but leaking 26 points to a scratch team of sub-S15 players was the problem. Wade scored 3 but his naivety in defence was exposed. I'd give thought to starting Waldrom in front of Morgan. I don't know whether he's test standard but at least he's fit and can see out a game. Morgan is still fat and still runs out of puff.

And Haskell, having declared that his spell in the SH had improved his game, was, of course, yellow carded. The oaf is a complete doofus. He was yellowed in his last S15 match for an idiotic off-side effort. Thirty seconds after returning from the bin, he was again penalised for an even more idiotic off-side effort. While this prat stays in contention for England ... 'nuff said.

For that matter, the Welsh Dirt Trackers weren't much more impressive against a Brumbies academy team on Tuesday. Three first half tries, two of them set up by some terrific lines run by Beck, amongst some mindless lateral attacking, saw the Welsh leading comfortably at half time. Only for the Brumbies - with 7 uncapped S15 kids and two replacements from local Canberra club rugby - to outscore them in the second half, butchering at least one try in the process. Ultimately, Wales kicked penalties to ensure the win.

[finbar]

Bravo Lancaster. A couple of steps in the right direction.

[kittenOFchaos]

Didn't get to see it, but Ireland lost by only 3 points (and at the death) to New Zealand, it must have been quite a step-up from last week. Perhaps next week they'll beat the All Blacks (pfft!).

Just watching Australia Vs Wales - Wales with first blood, 7 points through North.

As for the HC. It is just a case of sour grapes and bully-boy tactics. The English clubs could easily reduce their commitments by removing the Anglo-Welsh Cup and give players abit more rest. As for the French...reduce the Top 14 to the Top 12 (they can really afford to lose Brive and Lyons) and then their players wouldn't be so knackered (if we take their complaints at face value).

[finbar]

Ireland turned up this week, played out of their boots. Aggressive, committed, you name it. The ABs didn't cope with it well at all. Their backline was AWOL. SBW, if he can't offload, amounts to a waste of space. He offered little last week, too, so I suspect he'll sit out next week. Ireland were unlucky in the sense that, with scores level, Carter attempted a drop goal that missed, but an Ireland player touched it in flight. Scrum to the ABs, and Carter didn't miss the second time.

Good contest between Wales and Australia at half time. The Welsh have lifted their game, too, with very aggressive rushing defence that is cutting down Wallaby options. Sooner or later Genia will chip over the top to counter the rush defence. Glorious try right on the bell, though. Berrick Barnes found a hole a mile wide and put Horne over. It's remarkable how the Waratahs players grow a leg in the gold jersey. Speak volumes for the rubbish Waratahs coaching.

[kittenOFchaos]

Vuna should have seen red tbh.

[kittenOFchaos]

How not to close out a game...

[finbar]

Yup. Wallabies down to 14 men and the Welsh kick it away and continue to kick it away. Yet again Genia/Barnes outplayed Phillips/Priestland and therein lies a fundamental difference. Dumb game management. Barnes was on one leg, he shouldn't have taken that last kick. Hopefully the garbage Waratahs coaching team watch Barnes play in gold. They might learn something. But they won't.

[finbar]

Half time. I'm almost feeling sorry for England. I think to need to slap myself around the face a few times. The Boks, in this frame of mind, are a terrifying prospect. England shambolic a couple of times under the pressure.

[finbar]

Nothing if not brave, England. The Boks took their foot off the accelerator and gave them a chance. They took it, if chaotically. The scrums were a farce. Everyone binding on the arm except, from what I could see, Marler.

[Havak]

One thing I can admire about this England side is the attitude and application. They don't give up. Oh they were very clearly second best all right but they gave it a go.

Youngs, whilst not back to his very best, is actually playing fairly well right now. Seems hungry to me. Being dropped down the order maybe did help him after all.

Sadly I missed the other two games (well to be fair I only saw some of England too - darn siblings birthday).

One should acknowledge Scotlands victory too - getting the winning habit at last?