Filed under: Rugby, Uncategorized | Tags: Heineken Cup, Johnny Wilkinson, Leinster, Munster, Saracens, Toulon
Round 2 should see wins for (in chronological order): Castres, London Irish, Bath, Northampton, Munster, Toulouse, Saracens, Wasps, Leicester, Biarritz.
The game of the weekend has to be Saracens vs Leinster, intense control vs backline abandon. This is a must win game for Saracens or they’re out. It may seem churlish to say this in round 2 but if you don’t win your homes games in this tough group, you’re not going through. Of the top three sides, even with home wins, it will surely be the absence of a losing bonus point that will make the difference. Leinster will be smart enough to get close enough.
The chosen option to omit Johnny Wilkinson for the Munster game is surely wrong. Wilko would be precisely the kind of points machine that would be needed to keep Munster in check and perhaps sneak a bonus point. Perhaps the Top 14 really has the greater allure for the French (Toulouse the exception).
Filed under: Rugby
The Heineken Cup was a mixed bag this weekend.
Whilst all the results could have been predicted, there seems to be as many questions as answers after round one.
Wasps missed an opportunity to turn over the champions but will still look upon this as a good launching point for the campaign. The same cannot be said of Bath who are doing their best to destroy their season by Christmas.
Leicester are massively underperforming right now and my prediction of them being England’s strongest team looks laughable.
The Irish results were predictable with Munster suitably pleased with their bonus point. I still feel that the strength of the groups with Leinstar and Munster will be their undoing in the knockout rounds. Man of the weekend? Johnny Wilkinson of course. Johnno turns up and he turns it on for the occasion. You won’t get surprises with this guy but if he’s on form then he’s a shoe in for the #10 England jersey. Whether or not, that’s a good thing is another discussion point.
Filed under: Rugby | Tags: Australia, new zealand, Richie McCaw, Rugby, TriNations
The trophies keep coming for the All Blacks
What was most fascinating about the Tri Nations game this weekend (NZ 20 Aus 10 http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/rugby-union/union-news/bledisloe-ii/20100807-11pac.html) was the ability of the hosts to win ugly.
I wouldn’t say that they were worse than the previous week, but that Australia improved hugely and played the full 80 with 15men. The All Blacks were clinical in the tackle area, not primarily at stealing the ball but at slowing the ball down. The Wallabies dominated possession but lacked the penetration since they faced an organised defence line even at the 10th phase. This seemed to break their composure and possession was reversed often by individual errors.
The visitor’s scrum is also still too weak and cannot give them the platform they need to beat the All Blacks even with home advantage later. A true test will come when they visit a rested (mentallyand physically) South African team., who seem to be fighting demons real and imagined currently. Nathan Sharpe had an outstanding game and would have been man of the match in a closer game. His all round game lent him the air of a back row at a time when these team mates seemed outclassed by McCaw.
The All Blacks aren’t perfect or unbeatable, but they have a stable team, stand out,experienced performers in the key positions and the strength in depth. Add this to home advantage and only a freak of nature (aka France) can stop them raising the Webb Ellis Trophy in just over a year.
Filed under: England, Rugby | Tags: England, Ireland, Rugby, six nations, Tommy Bowe
Ireland won their match against England for one simple reason. Efficiency at the breakdown. Their backrow and to an extent their midfield were far more ruthless in their ability to turn over ball. This was typified by the first score. Ireland having not touched the ball for the first three minutes, secured the ball at the breakdown and ran against a broken defence to allow Tommy Bowe to score in the corner: 0-5 and the game had just started.
Ireland made three times as many tackles as England, a statistic which is usually a precursor to a lob sided result. Lessons to be learnt for England? Quicker ball recycling is needed. It has always been a problem but this winnable game highlighted its importance in close matches. I don’t feel there is much in personnel changes to be made but tactically, its slow progress. Perversely this is one of the few times that we looked to run it to strecth the defence, although I thought our first phase moves were fairly predictable and we looked vulnerable to the interception.
In the long run (and it is all about the World Cup), I feel that England learned more in defeat than in two painful and uninspiring victories. As for the Six Nations, the French hate the pressure, so don’t expect Paris to be a cake walk for the potential Grand Slam winners in three weeks.
Filed under: Rugby | Tags: Gloucester, Leicester, London Irish, Northampton, Saints, Sale
With all due respect to Sale, the only difference between their Heineken Cup hopes and Gloucester and Harlequins is 24 hours.
Harlequins never really recovered from the Dean Richards departure and the associated nonsense. With Easter, Care and Evans in the spine the team had potential. But uncertainty and injury has ravaged this team and they were never in this competition.
Sale have also had their upheavals witht the departure of Saint-Andre. They just don’t seem to have the personnel to make a credible challenge in this competitio.
What happened to Gloucester. So much money spent, such little silverware! A team going backwards, challenging Newcastle’s position of kings of mediocrity.
London Irish really have it all to do. The win in Dublin was admirable but this was only the second competitive match for Leinster’s Lions. They’ve looked very sharp since. The Irish defeat to the Welsh surely leaves them with too much to do. But whoever wins can claim the mantle as the best non French side.
Northampton Saints have been impressive on their H Cup return. The defeat to Munster was a question of experience. A sharp lesson in European rugby for Northampton but a lesson learned. A rematch is possible and the boys from Limerick will not welcome it.
Leicester have been their usual dogged self. Always greater than the sum of their parts, they’ve had a tough campaign but a win is expected today, which should see them through at best runners up at least. But having only drawn, one wonders if this won’t be a very tight game, a score either way!
Filed under: England, Rugby | Tags: Dylan Hartley, England, Rugby, six nations, wales
Well the Sunday Times started it…. So I’m sticking my oar in!
Mullan, Hartley (capt), Cole
Shaw, Lawes
Croft, Moody, Easter
Hodgson, Geraghty
Wilkinson, Clarke
Cueto, Armitage, Ashton
–
Payne, Webber, Wilson
Borthwick, Haskell
Simpson, Flood, Foden
Yes the front five is young. But the first choices (Sheridan, Vickery and Golding) are injured, the next choices clearly not good enough – witness the autumn internationals. Hartley captain is an easy decision. Deserves his place, plays in one of my favourite capt positions (2, 4, 5, 8), capt experience (albeit recent).
The second row is a perfect blend of experience/youth. Any talk of the lineout is stunted by having Croft as well. Plus if if you watch these guys regularly, you’ll see that they claim their fair share of ball at the set piece.
Back row combination was only tough because I haven’t seen much of Haskell recently. Crane is unlucky but Easter has a presence.
Half back choice easy. In form, and quality. Wilko is still a good player and Flutey’s only recent return makes Wilko the go to guy at 2nd five eighth. Outside is such a tough choice but Clarke has been doing it for two seasons now. Not spectacular but efficient at everything. Thought seriously about Tait here.
Back three has to find a place for Ashton. Have liked him since last year but then we had a deep pool of talented in form wingers. Only Cueto fits that description now.
Filed under: Rugby | Tags: Heineken Cup, Ian Humpreys, Julian Dupuy, Stade francais, Stephen Ferris, Ulster
Rugby has many issues to contend with, but as I watched the Ulster vs Stade Francais match, another came to the fore. In a scene clearly noted by television. Julian Dupuy of Stade Francais could be clearly seen gouging the eyes of Stephen Ferris. This is a sickening and cowardly act and it merits a punishment measured in months more easily than weeks. This dirty act has been in rugby since William Webb Ellis but the light sentences are encouraging its proliferation. It is high time that the ERC disciplinary body lays down a marker for all of rugby’s governing bodies to follow.
In the aftermath of this act, it is hard to remember that Ulster beat Stade 23-10 depriving them of the bonus point and leaving them with a chance of topping the group. Ian Humphreys played a blinder, the first half was the best 40 minute cameo I’ve seen by an Irish fly half since another Humphreys (brother David, now in the stands as one of the coaches). His performance was closely followed by the entire Ulster pack, chief amongst them was Ferris, possibly explaining his treatment at the hands of Dupuy.
Filed under: England, Rugby | Tags: argentina, Australia, Autumn internationals, Courtney Lawes, danny hipkiss, Joe Simpson, Joe Ward, Johnny Wilkinson, new zealand, Premiership, Shane Geraghty, Warren Gatland
Am I the only one who has to agree to an extent with Warren Gatland’s comments http://bit.ly/4e9qX1 that the Premiership has not been of the highest quality. Granted he referred to that tepid performance by Gloucester against Wasps but there has been a quality issue. Is it the ennui of a mid World Cup cycle point? Have we failed to adapt to the new ruck laws? Whatever the reason there is little excitement in the games. Premiership Rugby were quick to refer to increased attendances, but there is a serious flaw in this argument. Attendances have a response lag and when they fall, it will be too late to respond, indeed if we can.
Some individual performances have arisen from the mire however. Simpson, Ward and Lawes spring to mind reflecting attitudes without fear of contracts, the EPS, or image rights. Obviously a lot has been spoken about Saint Johnny’s performances across the sleeve. But from reading the reports, not many reporters have watched more than one game. He was solid rather than impressive against Saracens and not much could be gleaned. Or are we so short of quality fly halves that if JW can get out of bed pain free, the nation rejoices?
If there are two certainties in this country, it is that there will be a general election on May 6th and that England are looking at JW at 10 and Shane Geraghty at 12. Now I was led to believe that the edict was that you were eligible for the position you played at club level and only that one. SG hasn’t played at #12 in any big games this season and with sizeable opposite numbers, our Antipodean visitors will look to exploit any frailties in our midfield defence. If we squeeze midfield with the back row and Hipkiss, then this could crowd the area sufficiently but not at lineouts where Australia are the kings of attack.
I look forward to the autumn internationals although with a sense of fear. We must rise from being a side that can harry opposition to close defeats to one that can squeeze out tight victories against the big sides. Injuries cannot be an excuse. None of our visitors are at full strength and on can never count a full side in the big games. Argentina are facing a predictable dip from their 2007 heroics, and New Zealand are suffering a serious crisis in coaching personnel. Both teams are there for the taking. It is unfortunate to start with Australia, a team unpredictable in performances lately but who has, in my 30 (nearly) years of watching rugby, never failed to rise to the occasion of playing England.
Filed under: Rugby | Tags: Bryan Habana, Chris Jack, Graham Henry, Hamilton, John Smit, new zealand, Nonu, South Africa, Tri Nations, Victor Matfield
Don’t allow the scoreline to deceive you. South Africa thoroughly deserved their victory and were never behind on the scoreboard. The host’s lineout totally failed in the 1st half and despite having the better of the breakdown, this left Henry’s selection chasing the game. Steyn and Steyne were lethal with the boot, Francois kicking three from his own half (considering the Hamilton venue, this was exceptional).
New Zealand’s issue (besides the lineout) was in their midfield. Nonu had a bad day at the office, knocking on or being stripped of the ball at least five times. They also could not come up with a solution to the Bok’s defence strategy. It’s a variation on the rush as one midfielder will push up quickly leaving the opposition’s back three starved of possession. In the occurrence of a long pass, they backed their cover defence which did not let them down.
New Zealand have more questions than answers with two years to the RWC. Chris Jack has not been properly replaced and will probably be replaced by Chris Jack; Read does not yet look the part at the base; #9 is not dynamic enough; and of course the midfield. That’s a lot of questions for one of the favourites.
South Africa, can bask in the glow of victory for only a little while. Smit, Matfield and Habana may need replacing over the next two years and #15 is a constant worry. But they have a very good spine in the 2/8/9/10 positions so look best placed of the top 5 (Tri Nations + Eng & Fra)
Filed under: England, Rugby | Tags: Bloodgate, Dean Richards, Heineken Cup, Leinster, nick Evans, Steph Brennan, Tom Williams, Wendy Chapman
After the full transcripts, it reads like an Ealing comedy except that rugby is the landlady for the Lavender Hill aka Stoop Memorial Mob.
No one comes out of this looking even remotely clean. Tom Williams’ statement looks like a ream of stupid naive actions and/or pure lies. Unfortunately it reads like a healthy mix. In fact the only victim appears to be Doctor Wendy Chapman who was coerced into making an incision in Tom William’s mouth and may pay for this lapse with her career.
Williams lays the blame firmly at the seat of Dean Richards. But does anyone, even Deano have this much influence over players? Why are the RFU not investigating the other four incidences of bloodgate stated by Steph Brennan the physio? Another cover up?
