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February 2, 2012 Posted 1 day, 20 hours ago
Wales aren’t rebuilding. They’re planning an extension. Traditionally, the Six Nations tournaments which occur in a post-World Cup year are focused on rebuilding. It’s usually the point where the respective Unions roll out the bulldozers, demolish some crumbling structures and re-draw the blueprints for the next four years. Indeed some of the Six Nations participants have already begun drawing up their plans for the next four year cycle. Italy have a new head coach in Jacques Brunel, England temporarily have Stuart Lancaster, France have Philippe Saint André and Scotland have hired Scott Johnson (who is due to start in June but if rumours are to be believed could be there sooner). In contrast, Wales have rightly maintained the same coaching structure, one that will see Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley stay with the Welsh team until 2015. If all goes to plan, it will mean the Welsh team having nearly eight years of coaching stability, a luxury not afforded since the role of head coach was created in 1967. It is also worth mentioning that the IRFU seem to have forgotten to buy a calendar for 2012 and are inexplicably approaching this year in exactly the same way as they did the last. This new found consistency in the men who sit behind the laptops for Wales is also reflected in the squad they have selected. The bulk of Gatland’s squad has a very familiar look to it. The wonderfully balanced back row of Warburton, Lydiate and Faletau are there, Jamie Roberts and Jon Davies are in and Rhys Priestland, George North and Leigh Halfpenny are also included. Whilst these players seem comfortably familiar, they shouldn’t do really; not when you consider their age. Jamie Roberts is the oldest at 25, Warburton is 23, Faletau is 21, and North still qualifies to play for Wales’ Under 20’s squad. However Gatland’s successful policy of picking young, talented players combined with regular exposure in the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup has made the majority of these players’ household names in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s not to say that Gatland’s squad has become the WRU’s crèche. It hasn’t. Gatland has selected ‘old heads’ too. Mike Phillips, Matthew Rees, Lee Byrne, James Hook, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Ryan Jones, Andy Powell, Paul James and Gavin Henson are all present ( I’m not even getting into the ‘Henson issue’ as the word count will spiral). But even Wales’s ‘old heads’ aren’t exactly greying. Wales’s most senior player in the initial squad was Lee Byrne who will be 32 in June. And whilst his age was brought into question following selection, he hardly ranks alongside some the grandfathers of the game like Simon Shaw and Brad Thorn who were both nearer 40 than 30 when they last played test rugby. It’s these solid foundations, laid at the World Cup, that have meant Gatland hasn’t needed to rebuild the main structure for the Six Nations. In fact, he’s just adding a new wing (and a centre, scrum-half, a prop or two and a couple of utility players). Alex Cuthbert brings yet another intimidating physical presence to the Welsh wing. At 6’6” and 16st 6lbs, he and North would become the largest wing combination currently playing in world rugby. Cuthbert’s straight line speed and subtle change of direction have made him one of the most effective finishers in Europe this season – he has scored 4 tries in just 5 Heineken Cup appearances. Rhys Webb has deservedly earned the third scrum-half spot. His role at the Ospreys may have been limited this season by the arrival of ex-Crusader Kahn Fotuali'i, but he has a quick pass, with minimal lateral crabbing – a rare skill amongst modern day scrum-halves, where taking a step to generate enough power on the pass has become the norm. Liam Williams, the 20 year old Scarlets fullback/wing, has retained his place in the squad having been part of the group that gathered to face Australia in December. Sanjay (as he is known) has a playing style that led Nigel Davies, the Scarlets coach, to compare him to JPR Williams. At 6’2” and just 13st 5lbs, he’s not the most impressive physical specimen on paper, yet on the field he is a blur of spiky elbows and kneecaps which make him unpleasant to tackle or compete with under the high ball. Justin Tupuric has once again been selected in the back row. He has had a great season. Along with Ashley Beck and few others, Tupuric has really stood out in a woeful Ospreys team. Whilst his ‘jackling’ falls just short of Sam Warburton’s (though that is hardly a criticism), his link play is the best of any seven playing in Wales. His inclusion in the final squad will give Wales a real advantage in the Six Nations, where few of the teams have access to one true open side, let alone two. Rhodri Jones, the versatile yet untested Scarlets prop has also made the cut, along with Lou Reed, whose impressive ball carrying displays have seen him take the fourth second row spot in the absence of Luke Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones. Saracen’s Rhys Gill has also been recalled to the squad, nearly two years after his solitary cap against Ireland. His scrummaging performances against the Ospreys have clearly caught Gatland’s eye and his inclusion is well deserved, but it once again calls into question the validity of ‘Gatland’s law’, whereby if you play outside of Wales you risk being ostracised from the Welsh squad. Although it must be said that if the Top 14 performances of Hook, Byrne and Phillips are anything to go by, a brief sojourn away from Wales could be just the ticket. Mike Phillips recently featured in Midi Olympique’s team of the week, which is no mean feat in a league whose scrum halves include Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvilli. But the most surprising addition to the 35 man squad has to be Harry Robinson – whom Gatland has likened to his namesake Jason. The 18 year old was Warren’s ‘bolter’, as they say in New Zealand. No-one saw it coming, and if they say they did, they’re lying. It almost seems disingenuous to say that he plays for the Cardiff Blues, as he’s only played for them 5 times, mostly from the bench – and he doesn’t even have a player profile on the Blues website. But his performances for the Welsh Sevens team have clearly caught the selector’s eye and Gatland now views the Wales Sevens squad as a genuine gateway into the senior Welsh set up. Gatland’s decision to continue selecting bright young things makes sense. The 2011 Rugby World Cup saw North, Priestland, Warburton, Lydiate and Faletau lead from the front, forcing more senior players into bit-part roles. James Hook is now essentially a bench player and Ryan Jones, who was the nation’s flame bearer two years ago, has now been reduced to holding the box of matches. But the effect of picking youngsters is also one of the reasons why Gatland hasn’t been forced into a major rebuild. Having a squad full of young players has meant minimal retirements - Shane Williams accepted rugby’s free bus pass of his own volition, whilst Stephen Jones had the indignity of having it forced into his breast pocket. (Although a recent injury to Rhys Preistland has seen the 34 year old Scarlet rightly reinstated into the squad – picking only two genuine outside halves in the initial party of 35 did seem a little careless). In all, Gatland’s 35 man squad is truly exciting. It is the deepest and most talented squad that Wales have had at their disposal since the game turned professional. And it goes to prove that whilst other nations are rebuilding, Wales are lucky enough to be planning an extension. Paul Williams - @thepaulwilliams
February 1, 2012 Posted 2 days, 17 hours ago
After the announcement of Stuart Lancaster’s squad for the Six Nations, it will certainly be a new dawn when the England side take to the pitch to face Scotland on Saturday as they look to put the World Cup disaster firmly behind them. A changing of the guard had been predicted after the debacle in New Zealand but not many foresaw the omission of former mainstays such as Mike Tindall, Nick Easter and Riki Flutey. Instead, Lancaster opted for a rush of new blood as youngsters like Brad Barritt, Ben Morgan and Owen Farrell were given the nod to try and put right the wrongs of a few months ago. How they will respond to the challenge that has been set is up for debate, particularly when daunting trips to both Murrayfield and the Stade de France stand in the way of the new kids on the block. But youth tends to bring a sense of fearlessness and the nine uncapped players that England have included in their squad will not bear the mental scars of the World Cup or of previous Six Nations. Indeed only one of those nine, Phil Dowson, is over the age of 26. That is not to say that some of the more experienced heads will not have a part to play in the ‘new era’ of English rugby. The guidance of more senior figures such as Dylan Hartley, Toby Flood and David Strettle will prove crucial if the fresh faces are to succeed and play the type of entertaining and expansive rugby that Lancaster and his staff are calling for. Now is not the time for recklessness and the England management will hope that they have struck the right balance in their 32-man elite squad. For me, the starting line-up against Scotland in the opening game should reflect the way the squad has been selected and should include a mix of youth and experience, especially when the home supporters are sure to create an intimidating atmosphere as they attempt to distract some of the England newcomers. Hartley, Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw and Ben Foden should all be definite starters after putting in consistently impressive performances for their clubs over the past couple of months and their experience of the big occasions should turn out vital when they tackle the cauldron that is Murrayfield. Out of the nine uncapped players, I would like to see Joe Marler, Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, Lee Dickson and Dowson all find a place in the starting XV in Edinburgh. My belief is that international players should always be picked on current form, not just on reputation, and all five of these players are performing superbly for their clubs at the present time and with their confidence riding sky high, they could be the perfect tonic as England look to step up their game. The starting line-up for the opening game will probably have been changed many times by Lancaster and his staff due to injuries to Tom Wood, Manu Tuilagi and Louis Deacon and the side that runs out at Murrayfield will be reshuffled from the one that the England management had in their head when they picked the initial squad. The injury to Wood also meant that Lancaster was forced to pick a new captain to lead the side against Scotland and Italy in the opening two matches of the competition. On Monday it was announced that Robshaw, who is also the skipper at Harlequins, would be the man to fill that particular vacancy. Despite Robshaw’s relative inexperience, having only been capped once by his country, the new management staff have decided that he is the perfect player to lead England into their brave new world. Lancaster was quick to point out that the skipper would be backed up by the experience of Foden, Croft and Hartley so he will not be without allies in the squad. Following the outcome of that decision, it is definitely going to be one of the most intriguing and fascinating Six Nations for England fans for many years as the side embarks on a new voyage with a new skipper. The only question is whether Lancaster and his players can steer England into calmer and more successful waters over the next few weeks. Predicted line-up vs Scotland: Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, David Strettle; Charlie Hodgson, Lee Dickson; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Tom Palmer, Mouritz Botha, Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw, Phil Dowson
Posted 3 days ago
Ireland’s Six Nations campaign kicks off with Wales at home this Sunday. After a disappointing World Cup exit at the hands of Warren Gatland’s men, Ireland will be chomping at the bit to avenge that quarter final misery. Paul O’Connell will captain the team in the absence of talisman Brian O’Driscoll, who has been absent since returning from New Zealand and requiring surgery on a trapped nerve in his neck. Despite the loss of O’Driscoll, there is hope for Ireland - three provinces are through to the quarter final stage of the Heineken Cup and Leinster are leading the Pro 12 pack with both Munster and Ulster in contention for the play offs. If Declan Kidney can harness the form of the provinces, Ireland could stand a chance of success, but, Kidney has to try and balance the backs. Irelands pack almost picks itself but the backs are the key to success. On a side note, it is impossible for Kidney not to be thinking of the coveted 2013 Lions job. As laid back and dismissive of the topic “Deccy” is, he knows beating Wales would possibly give him the edge over fellow Lions hopeful, Warren Gatland. This gives us a juicy little sub plot to the opening game for these two. With Ireland being at home and Wales missing key players, Kidney may feel he has a slight advantage heading into the battle at the Aviva stadium in Dublin. The highly competitive fly half position is the one everyone watches for - Ronan O’Gara has wound back the clock with his performances for Munster this year, kicking to near perfection in the Heineken Cup and helping Munster to a home quarter final along the way. Jonathan Sexton too has been in scintillating form, and while his kicking and game management are questioned by some he remains un-nerved and triumphant at Leinster. Sexton offers much more than just the tried and trusted boot to ball option, with ball in hand he is vastly superior and defensively is stronger than ROG, a point that is emphasized over and over by the Leinster faithful. O’Gara himself has said he is “happy to play the ultimate team man” - almost resigned to the fact that at 34 going on 35, he may very well be used as an impact sub. I think it will be Sexton to start with O’Gara coming off the bench to sure it up. Who completes the half back pairing is just as big a debate. Conor Murray burst his way into the Ireland team last year surprising many. The youngster has rose to prominence in Munster and with that has pushed Tomas O’Leary right down the pecking order. Leinster’s Eoin Reddan is the other option at scrum half and has a wealth of experience over Murray. Indeed Murray has been prone to errors and has not looked consistently at the top of his game. Reddan has often been criticized over his “slow ball” but the partnership with Sexton at Leinster may be a decisive factor in giving him the start. With O’Driscoll absent there is an extra place to be contested amongst the young hungry starlets of Irish rugby. Gordon D’Arcy and Tommy Bowe would be quietly confident of retaining their ever present status in the team while Rob Kearney has come back from injury to put his stamp all over the 15 jersey. With no Geordan Murphy or Luke Fitzgerald to be seen, it is impossible to look beyond the Leinster full back. This leaves the question of who partners D’Arcy in the centre and Bowe on the opposite wing. While I would like to see Fergus McFadden given a chance at 13, Kidney will more than likely opt for Keith Earls. Earls is not the greatest defensive centre in the world but does have quality in attack and this may be the reason he gets the nod over McFadden. Andrew Trimble has been a tour de force with Ulster this season. He was considered unlucky by many not to have played a bigger part in Irelands World Cup and now with an extra place available surely Kidney will have to see that Trimble is the best option to fill the vacant position. Ireland’s pack is almost set in stone; injuries to David Wallace and Leinster captain Leo Cullen leave little to savor in the competition for places. A formidable back row of Heaslip, O’Brien and Ferris has to be among the best in world. O’Connell and O’Callaghan will continue their long running second row partnership, while in the front row Mike Ross, Rory Best and Cian Healy will continue to give Irelands scrum a platform that had been missing for years. This means the team should look something like this: Ireland: Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls, Gordon D’Arcy, Andrew Trimble, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross , Donnacha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell (Captain), Stephen Ferris, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Donnacha Ryan, Conor Murray, Ronan O’Gara, Fergus McFadden, Paddy Wallace Kidney likes the tried and tested method. Some would feel that this is the time Ireland should begin blooding a new younger generation but Kidney will remain faithful and look to the veterans to provide that winning edge. I expect an Ireland win against Wales, which will give some momentum heading into their first away trip of this campaign - a romantic trip to Paris lies in wait on Valentines weekend.
January 31, 2012 Jumping into the great unknown Posted 3 days, 19 hours ago
The Azzurri will kick off their 2012 Six Nations campaign defending their hold of the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy, but they are, at best, long shots to do so. The French display incredible depth in the backs and will field a squad made up of the bulk of the team which came within two points of becoming world champions against the almighty All Blacks. Most of Italy’s Six Nations men also played in the World Cup - but the way they didn’t fare as well as their north western neighbours is symbolic of their strengths and weaknesses. Italy’s become a respectable side with the forwards at the forefront of everything they do well, namely Marco Bortolami, big Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni. However, the backs department is at least a notch below any other of the top-tier nations. This means that a couple of line breaks from the opposition, especially in the earlier minutes of any given Six Nations match, will be enough to establish a commanding lead and break the spirits of the Italians. For the Azzurri to repeat the feat of being Giuseppe Garibaldi champions, their forwards will have to be at the top of their game, as usual - but they will have to do so without the suspended Antonio Pavanello. It will be interesting to see how Monsieur Brunel deals with that while cutting the squad to 24 prior to next Saturday. Moreover, the mostly inexperienced backs must not make any mistakes and, at the same time, counter the Trinh-Ducs, Yachvilis, Rougeries et al. The French backs will also have to do their own part by experiencing an off night. And all of that at Saint Denis - neither an easy task nor a likely turn of events. The team I would like to see is Castrogiovanni, Ghiraldini and Lo Cicero in the front-row with Bortolami and Geldenhuys packing down behind them. Bergamasco, Parisse and Zanni would be my first choice back-row with Orquera, Canale, Sgarbi, Benvenuti and McLean all featuring in the backs. It is noticeable that apart from the exports to the English and French top Leagues, the remaining starters are all from either Aironi or Benetton Treviso, and amongst the 30-man squad named by Brunel, 11 come from the former and 14 from the latter. Predicting the extra nine - in addition to the 13 named above - who make the cut and start the match on the bench would be too wild of a guess, but it’s safe to say these Italian sides will provide most of the reserves for Saturday as well. This comes as no surprise that for what these players might lack in caps, they make do with Heineken Cup experience, especially on the backs side of the team. The exception that proverbially justifies the norm is the just-recently-bearded – youngster would be an understatement – Angelo Esposito, who plays for Ruggers Tarvisium. One could contemplate the fact he doesn’t hail from either Aironi or Treviso as indicative of Monsieur Brunel’s faith in his play. I, for one, foresee him making his debut at home, as being thrown in at Stade de France midway through the second half with the mission of rallying against Les Bleus sounds a little more than what an 18-year old - who hasn’t yet been described as the next Jonah Lomu - could handle. All in all, we should expect an entertaining match, both on the part of the Azzurri and of Les Bleus. As the tournament progresses, Italy hosting both England and Scotland at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will be a brilliant sight. Hopes are high that they will overcome the Scots at home again, and what a story it would be to accomplish that at the Olimpico! Embarrassing the current European champions would be the perfect fairy-tale, and there’s no harm in dreaming. But for the opening day of the competition - here’s hoping that Italy will dominate the scrums and line-outs and will get on the scoreboard. But, who knows, anybody who can count on arguably the most rugged rugby players of the world – Castrogiovanni - has a chance of winning a rugby match. Plain and simple. Forza Azzurri! Daniel Bergamasco is a third generation Italian Brazilian who played rugby as a youngster and has been a keen follower since. He has no relation to nor displays any of the playing prowess of the Brothers Bergamasco, but it is a safe bet that their respective ancestors all hailed from the same northern Italian, Lombard province! Follow him on Twitter, @Doubles666.
Posted 4 days ago
This year, Scotland could win a Grand Slam. There, I said it. Apologies for the spluttering mess you just made of your keyboard/ monitor/ smartphone, but it is true. Scotland can beat every team in this tournament. The problem is, pretty much every team can beat every other team in the tournament. Ireland or Wales could win a Grand Slam, even England might be capable of it. France definitely are, especially with a coach that is even halfway sensible. Italy might be stretching it, but they've beaten everyone save Ireland or England in the Six Nations and are increasingly influential on the tournament outcome. It's trying to string those performances together into a couple of months' worth of matches, rather than a couple of years, that makes the Six Nations harder to call with every year. In this post-World Cup year a lot of teams are in transition, possibly with the exception of Ireland (who should be). With this the furthest possible distance from the next one, now is the time to restart the building process for many. New coaches for some, new players for all. Scotland are no different. The question north of the border is: how fast will Andy Robinson make the changes the team needs and the fans want? The unexpected try-scoring success of the Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup and Glasgow's sudden discovery that they can win games they shouldn't really be in are both facets Robinson will hope to transfer to the national team. Many have called for him just to pick everyone who has had a half decent game in the last few months and stick them in a navy shirt. England will be similarly untested, so why not us too? Robinson, of course, is not that crazy. A large part of Edinburgh's success is down to a rampaging Fijian, a rampaging Dutchman and an Irish coach. Al Kellock, the nuggety leader of Glasgow who inspires them so well may no longer be one of the two best second rows. So change for change's sake is unlikely to be his mantra just yet. Some of his selections in the World Cup were a little conservative and he has clearly learnt from his choice of captain by picking Ross Ford, who is guaranteed a slot in the team. He has a nice blend of experience and youth in the training squad, but the problem remains which exact blend we will see come the 4th of February. The front 5 pretty much picks itself: Allan 'Chunk' Jacobsen, Ford, Murray (Cross if it's a Sunday), Gray and Hamilton is most likely the first string. That should give any opposition coach cause for concern at the set piece and in the loose. The back row is trickier. With the injury to Kelly Brown, David Denton looks a lot more likely to make the team, most likely at number 8. Despite a wealth of talent, Robinson's problem will remain who to pick and where, with Rob Harley, Al Strokosch and Denton all possible blindsides but our options at 8 strangely reduced of late with Johnnie Beattie's drop in form. Many in Scotland hope for the excellent and athletic Ross Rennie to finally claim his place at openside but questions remain over his fitness, and if Robinson has to pick an inexperienced 6 or 8 (or both) he may well opt for the experienced (but out of sorts) John Barclay there. Me, I'd love to see a Strokosch, Rennie, Denton back row. Greig Laidlaw is clearly the form standoff (1st 5/8 for our fraction loving New Zealand cousins) in Scotland, despite only having played there for Edinburgh occasionally since last year, having been a scrum-half to that point. He's proven brilliant at running a game from 9 or 10, and is a nerveless goal kicker. There is a groundswell of opinion calling for his inclusion in the team, but Robinson may well prefer to opt for the experience of Dan Parks. They are almost polar opposites: the quietly effective Borderer with a love of running; the talky Aussie with the mercurial boot. 10 may be Laidlaw's best chance of caps this time round anyway - Chris Cusiter and Mike Blair have both found form at the right time, and Rory Lawson is in the mix too. I'd go with Cusiter, but I wouldn't argue with giving Laidlaw and Blair the nod. 10 aside, as usual our problems will lie in the midfield. With Steven Shingler denied to us by the miserly Welsh, Graeme Morrison and Sean Lamont are the most likely choices at 12 but while they break the line often, also display a worrying unwillingness to pass the ball. So it might not matter who gets the nod outside them. If Joe Ansbro is fit, combining him and the resurgent Nick De Luca in the centre could be the best option. There are also the young guns Stuart Hogg and Lee Jones who offer pace and fearlessness to the back three. Jones may find it harder to get in the squad once Tim Visser qualifies. If he gets a chance, he'll look to take it now. I would imagine though that Robinson will go with Morrison, De Luca, Evans and the Lamonts. It might not be the most future-minded selection but if he also picked some new back-rowers and gave Laidlaw his chance at 10, we'd probably accept that. Okay, maybe the Grand Slam is a trip to Dublin too far, but we're quietly optimistic that the right selection from this group of players can do well in the tournament. That level of optimism could, however, be tempered by the Scotland team announced on Tuesday. Rory Baldwin is the editor of The Scottish Rugby Blog
New found pragmatism under le Goret Posted 4 days ago
Even by French standards the last World Cup brought with it a whole new level of unpredictability. It's still frustrating to think we were just two points from finally winning a world title but three months have eased the pain. Since then little has changed on the playing side of things but there is a new coaching staff in place. Nobody will ever compete with Marc Lièvremont on the eccentricity front but the man known as le Goret (the pig) could make France a more consistent team. Philippe Saint-André has made his name through having strong packs with big ball carriers and a good kicking fly-half to organise the game. His modus operandi might seem ironic given some of the exciting teams he played in, but Saint-André really is the prop in winger’s clothing par excellence. We have already been warned not to expect French flair, good discipline and a strong set-piece are more likely to be the order of the day. We’ll have a good idea of how conservative he is going to play it when he names his fly-half. The worry is that Saint-André will go with Beauxis, but even his safety-first approach should see the better runner, passer and tackler get the nod, especially after Trinh-Duc’s boot set up all four Montpellier tries in their thrashing of Stade Français on Friday. There has been a favourable response to Saint-André’s appointment in the UK, but in France his stock is perhaps a little lower after an underwhelming stint in Toulon under big-spending, maverick owner Mourad Boudjellal. But after the ever-entertaining regime of Lièvremont, perhaps a little stability wouldn’t be a bad thing. In terms of selection there have been a few surprises, and the loss of Thomas Domingo to injury and poor form of Fabien Barcella mean David Attoub and Vincent Debaty could both get chances in the front row. Debaty is a great ball carrier but widely derided for his ability at the coalface in the scrummaging haven that is the Top 14, Attoub offers less dynamism but is less of a gamble in the scrum. Yoann Maestri and Wesley Fofana should make their debuts, the former has long been touted as the next great French second row, the latter has been shredding backlines domestically and in Europe for Clermont. For the rest it is much of the same, not surprising when you have the talent of Thierry Dusautoir and Imanol Harinordoquy to call on. Expect to see more of Louis Picamoles who is having a barnstorming season for Toulouse, and the return of Julien Malzieu is well-deserved. The worries could come up front with William Servat not quite the force of old, though not ready to be written off just yet, and the aforementioned dearth of props behind Jean-Baptiste Poux and Nicolas Mas. The schedule is kind with England and Ireland both travelling to Paris and an early chance of revenge over Italy, while we’ve only lost once in our last seven at Murrayfield and once this millennium in Cardiff. As ever with Les Bleus it’s impossible to know what will happen but anything less than four wins would probably be disappointing given the schedule and the experience of the squad. Preferred team: Medard, Clerc, Rougerie, Fofana, Malzieu, Trinh-Duc, Parra, Poux, Servat, Mas, Papé, Maestri, Dusautoir, Harinordoquy, Picamoles
November 3, 2011 Posted on 11/03/2011
So France became the first nation to play in the Rugby World Cup and not win a single title. But this time they so nearly made it. A one-point defeat is the smallest winning margin in any World Cup finale and so slender was the All Blacks’ advantage at the final whistle, it is a record that will live forever and that will bring some comfort to French fans. We all know how lucky Les Bleus (playing in white this time as if they were prepared to "surrender" to a whole nation that has been waiting for a World Cup victory since 1987) were to make it to the final but in the final they did everything they could to be worthy of their fortune. There has been a long tradition of celebrating "glorious losers" in French sport and this game will definitely enter this particular "Hall of Blame" with referee Craig Joubert joining the square posts of Hampden Park that helped decide the 1976 European Cup Final between Bayern Munich and AS Saint-Etienne and the video referee for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final between Italy and France. France dominated everywhere (scrums, lineouts, territory and possession), but not in one crucial aspect - penalty kicks that could be converted! Piri Weepu missed quite a few to add to the drama and ensure a score that was a fairer reflection of the game itself. Referees are only human and at least French rugby fans will at least have something to share with their Welsh counterparts when they meet in the Six Nations in Cardiff next year. If France had only found some belief a bit earlier in the contest then they could be world champions right now. But in the end, the best southern hemisphere side of the past 10 years (7 Tri-Nations) defeated the best northern hemisphere team of the same period (3 Grand Slams). There is some kind of logic behind this, even if the final didn't reflect the rest of the tournament. With four victories and three defeats (including a shameful one against Tonga) France do not have much to be proud of. The only difference is that they produced their best game in the final, and not in the semi-final like they did in 1987 and 1999 or in the quarter-final like they did in 2003 and 2007. Some players will need time to recover from their wounds, such as François Trinh-Duc, who landed in New Zealand as the starting No.10 and finished as the back-up scrum-half. Clearly, coach Marc Lièvremont's management style hurt. Philippe Saint-André, who will take over officially on December 1, will have a lot to work on and not just on the attacking skills. Let's just hope that the four years he will have to work with before the next World Cup in England will bring him more certainties that his predecessor had, so France can at last put their hands on the William Webb Ellis trophy. As for the All Blacks, they now need to prove they can win a World Cup outside New Zealand. Jean Palfrey
October 25, 2011 Wallabies secure bronze with invention Posted on 10/25/2011
So Australia’s World Cup is officially over with a gutsy win over the Welsh to take third place. And while the merits of even playing this game over and above being a money-spinner may well be argued (especially given the high injury toll incurred by the Wallabies) it was nice to go out with a victory after the disappointment of last week. Australia finally seemed keen to run the ball instead of kicking it away relentlessly, which was really pleasing to see. Equally as pleasing was the fact that they did not abandon this plan entirely with the loss of Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale so early on. Obviously territory is crucial, and the reshuffle of the back line meant some coherency was lost. This increased the need for tactical kicking; however the kicking was also far more purposeful and effective than last week, with Berrick Barnes playing a big part. The fact that it took basically a dead-rubber for Australia to finally play some enterprising rugby is frustrating. They looked good with ball in hand and while you have to earn the right to run the ball by winning the forward battle, seeing a bit more of this during the campaign would have been refreshing. With running however comes risk and Wales were able to get five turnovers in the first half. This will be a concern for the Wallabies; however the Welsh were not able to punish Australia like the All Blacks were able to. This will be the biggest thing for the Wallabies to address moving forward. Effectiveness at the breakdown was costly against the Irish and left us unable to compete in the semi-final. Stalling opposition momentum and recycling our own ball quickly on a consistent basis - David Pocock has been highly competitive on both sides of the ruck, but across the park, the Wallabies will need to be more aggressive moving forward. James O’Connor was again strong, and has proven to be one of the big positives to come from this tournament. Despite some early jitters with his kicking, he was cool enough to kick the match-winning penalty against the Springboks and some pressure kicks again against Wales which proved decisive. Add this to his strong midfield running and the fact he is just 21, he is going to help spearhead this young Wallabies side for many years to come. Any reflection on this World Cup would be incomplete without talking about Quade Cooper, who had had a tournament he would rather forget. But despite all the jeers and scrutiny, the way he handled himself off the field was excellent. He, took all the criticism on the chin but never lowered himself to retaliate or cry about it, just went out and tried to give his best. That was why it was especially disappointing to see him get such a horrible injury when we were starting to see some signs of form returning. Yes, it might have been a little too late, but on his day he is one of the most exciting players in the world to watch. With his knee injury set to sideline him from the upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour, Cooper will have time to reflect on the roller coaster that this year has been. This will also provide an opportunity for him to steel himself for next season. I have no doubt that he will return far stronger mentally, and with the amount of talent he has, will be a huge part of Australia’s plans for some time yet. The Wallaby players and coaching staff will all have learned a lot from this campaign. Beating New Zealand and winning the Tri-Nations was an amazing achievement, but there is still a mountain of work to be done if we want to compete against the benchmark All Blacks on a consistent basis. So where now for the Wallabies? Home and a brief rest before a short, two-match Northern Hemisphere tour starting late November. This includes a rematch against Wales in Cardiff and a Barbarians match at Twickenham. Given the host of players will be unavailable due to injury, it will be interesting to see the strategy and selections that Deans goes with. Moving Barnes into the fly-half role should be a given and perhaps O’Connor may get his chance in the centres, but apart from that it should provide Deans with a good chance to try some new things. As disappointing as it is to have to wait four years for the next World Cup, we will get our chance to face off against the All Blacks next year. That should be our main focus rather than where we will be in four years time.
October 19, 2011 Wallabies out-kicked and out muscled Posted on 10/19/2011
So the Wallabies are out of the World Cup and the All Blacks go through to the final this weekend against France. But before talking about the Wallabies performance, full credit must go to the All Blacks. Even without Dan Carter, our friends from across the ditch came out ready to play and, in truth, had it over us in most departments. But I am frustrated. Not by losing the game so much as the way we lost it. Quade Cooper was again really disappointing. It’s pretty easy to sit back and bag they guy, and while I would normally be right up for that, he never looked comfortable. And how long you leave someone looking (and playing) like that in such a crucial position is the decision of the coach and coaching staff. It’s easy to say in hindsight, but alarm bells should have been ringing after last week against the Springboks, perhaps even earlier in the Irish game and certainly should have increased in volume when his kick off went out on the full to start this game. Maybe all the pressure finally got to him, and though both he and coach Robbie Deans came out and denied it, such a sustained and complete campaign of hatred could very easily have taken a toll. Either way, Cooper was brought into the team for a skill set that that he showed next to nothing of during the Springboks and Ireland games in particular. And given we hide him in defence, could Deans have pulled the pin a bit earlier? The reason Deans gave for going with Pat McCabe over Berrick Barnes at centre was one of defensive presence. Surely by this rationale, with Cooper showing nothing, Barnes surely could have been given a shot at fly-half for some period, as his defence is far more sound than that of Cooper and he is a proven big game performer. But despite all that, as was evidenced last week, even without Cooper we can still win a game using solid defence and the right tactics. Most of my frustration comes more from our inability to make a game of the semi final by shooting ourselves in the foot with poor decisions and execution. Frequency, choice and execution of kicking all seemed to be off for the Wallabies, creating the “perfect storm” for a rubbish kicking game. Firstly, there was a lot of kicking. Now this by itself is not necessarily a bad thing as field position is always going to be crucial in a game like this. This heavy reliance on kicking took away from the Australian running game that was so successful during the Tri-Nations. The style of game that had fans daring to dream about the threat we could be to this World Cup. Gone was the free-wheeling confidence that Quade Cooper and Will Genia used to such great effect during the Super Rugby season, and it had seemingly been replaced by box kicks. Lots and lots of box kicks. Secondly, the kicking was poor. Right from the kick off - that lamentably went out on the full - to poor chip kicks to a return to the afore-mentioned chronic overuse of the box kick. And thirdly, to compile all this poor kicking, was a distinct lack of effective and pressuring chases on most occasions. As a result, every time the ball went up from Will Genia, I found myself basically praying that one of the All Blacks’ back three would drop the ball to give the Wallabies some respite. But with the lack of Australians running through to contest the ball, it turned into a training drill and the balls were inevitably caught without any fuss. Not that this deterred the Wallabies from sticking to the ploy. On the flip side, every high kick that came off an All Blacks boot had at least one if not more players hungrily chasing through to contest. And with the Wallabies’ struggle against the high ball continuing on from last week, this proved to be an extremely effective move. This hunger was also evident on the other side of the ball in defence. Australia struggled to gain territory with pick and drives but were at least able (for the most part) to retain possession. Any further adventure than that was met with swamping and isolating defence causing turnovers or penalties against the Australians. Perhaps we kicked so much to avoid this continuing to happen? It pains me to see hard running backs like James O’Connor and Digby Ioane not utilised when they have provided attacking high points through this campaign. So now we have a third and fourth place play-off against Wales on Friday night. The Welsh were desperately unlucky to go down to the French by only a point after playing most of the game with 14 men after the captain was sent off. They will come out absolutely firing and desperate to claim a prized southern hemisphere scalp. It would be easy for Australia to switch off for this game, but they will do so at their own peril. Even though the tournament is not on the line, there is a chance to restore some lost pride. And while a win will not necessarily bring comfort to the playing squad, back to back losses will surely be far worse for morale moving forward, as we will inevitably have to do. Simon Furey
October 17, 2011 Posted on 10/17/2011
First, on behalf of the true French rugby fans, I want to apologize to all Welsh supporters. Obviously, it's not the best team that has made it to the final. Before the semi final, when talking to friends, I did say that according to talent and will, France couldn't win against Wales, but that the inexperienced Dragons could lose. For the sake of rugby, and the promotion of this great sport globally, an All Blacks - Wales final would have been the best pick. But once again, France were very lucky. Because if Sam Warburton hadn't been sent off at the 18th minute, and if James Hook, Stephen Jones and Leigh Halfpenny hadn't missed so many opportunities from the tee, France would be facing Australia on Friday, instead of the hosts two days later. There is a French saying that goes 'With "ifs", you could put Paris in a bottle". That was a very hard lesson for the young Welsh. It is very likely that they will remember this next time France goes to Cardiff in the Six nations, or in four years time at the next World Cup. After writing about the lack of leadership in the French managerial team, it is now obvious that whoever is in charge of the French side, they have been reading Brad Gilbert's book "Winning ugly". Apart from the defence and a good line out, France had nothing to offer. The players just did what they are used to in the Top 14: gaining possession thanks to a good pack, an aggressive defence, occupation through kicking and no risks. That won't be enough against the All Blacks. And this time, they should not count on luck, because they have had more than their fair share. They need a miracle. And all the comments coming from the Kiwi squad about "unpredictable France" is just a polite way to thank France after they let the host play the final at Eden Park in their usual jersey despite having lost the toss. It's now up to Les Bleus to do well and change this robbery into a destiny. The two biggest winning margins in a World Cup final were when France played (20 points against New Zealand in 1987, 24 in 1999 against Australia). Doing better this time would already be an achievement. Jean Palfrey
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