New-Look England

Stuart Lancaster has bravely named an inexperienced, new-look Elite Player Squad ahead of the 2012 Six Nations tournament. The caretaker manager has included nine uncapped players in the squad including exciting talent Owen Farrell who is in a battle with his Saracens team-mate Charlie Hodgson for the number ten shirt when the competition kicks off in February. The eight other uncapped players are Calum Clark, Lee Dickson, Phil Dowson (all Northampton Saints), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Jordan Turner-Hall, Joe Marler (both Harlequins), Rob Webber (Wasps) and Ben Morgan (Scarlets).

Following England’s shambolic showing and the world rugby showpiece last summer, there has been a huge player fallout, which was expected as well as needed. Many selection issues have been taken out of Lancaster’s hands with Steve Thompson and Jonny Wilkinson calling time on their international careers. Add to this a host of players such as Toby Flood, Manu Tuilagi, Courtney Lawes and Andrew Sheridan but to name a few being ruled out for at least the opening game at Murrayfield and it’s obvious that changes were imminent. Mike Tindall, Mark Cueto, Nick Easter, Shontayne Hape and Riki Flutey all drop out of the squad to make way for a fresh batch of internationals.

Refreshingly, the selection committee haven’t been afraid to call upon form players despite their lack of experience, or indeed in cases such as Charlie Hodgson, in spite of their experience. The amount of uncapped players involved speaks volumes of England’s future as they look to put the disappointment of the World Cup behind them. It shows that the management may have finally realised that picking players that are playing well for their clubs may result in that form being replicated on the international stage.

With only Graham Rowntree remaining from the old boys club that have lingered around Twickenham since 2003, it finally looks as though they’re moving forward. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the old guard chipping in with their ancient opinions. Lawrence Dallaglio has taken time out from his busy schedule of bolognaise making to weigh in with his views.

When asked about the inclusion of Scarlets’ phenomenon Ben Morgan, he said,

"No, you need some experience in the squad first.

"The lad needs to experience the culture and the environment.

The 2003 World Cup winner then went on to say,

"Owen Farrell is playing well and England have got some interesting selections at 10.

"Jonny Wilkinson has retired, Toby Flood looks like he might be injured. Do you think putting Owen Farrell in against Scotland away is a fair baptism? I think Stuart Lancaster might look to the likes of Charlie Hodgson.

"I'd certainly have Farrell in the squad, he is definitely an England number 10 or 12 of the future. I remember Jonny Wilkinson coming into the England team and he made his debut on the wing at home, he didn't make his debut at 10 away from home."

This is exactly the sort of prehistoric, dinosaur-like mentality England have to rid themselves of. Just because a player has experience doesn’t necessarily make him a better candidate than someone without. Wales lead the way in this field at the moment by playing the players that are performing consistently for their regions. Warren Gatland has shown this by handing leading roles to the likes of Toby Faletau, Rhys Priestland, George North & Sam Warburton. In doing so, he’s not been afraid to cast aside tried and tested internationals such as Lee Byrne, Stephen Jones, Jon Thomas and Martyn Williams. These young players coming through have made world rugby stand up take notice of their performances, least of all their neighbours from over the bridge.

Now that Martin Johnson has left, taking with him the mindset of “this worked in 2003, so it must be right”, England can begin to look forward to an exciting period. Stuart Lancaster has said all the right things surrounding his selections,

"We've picked a side which is exciting, talented and committed to get us back to where we want to be - at the top of the game.

"I've spoken to those not selected and told them the door is not closed.

"But I want to use this Six Nations as an opportunity to develop the next players in those positions and develop a leadership group that is strong and wants to be the best.

"We think it's a tremendous opportunity to build a squad that has potential for now and for the future.

"They have been on the cusp of it for a while. Now they deserve their chance after proving themselves in big games for their clubs."

Not many England supporters will be overly confident going into the tournament, but we all know how important momentum is during the competition. If they can return from Scotland with a win, they then face the Italians in Rome, a team which they have never lost to; before a homecoming at Twickenham against the Welsh. If they can go into that game with two wins under their belts, anything is possible.

Now that he has retired and can not inflict any further damage upon any team he comes across, it's safe to say that for the rugby neutral, it's a great shame that Jonny Wilkinson will never grace the six nations again. His legacy for England is immeasurable, but for everyone else in the competition, they can breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief. But even without the great man, England certainly have the potential to be an exciting rugby team that achieves results at the same time. Hopefully, under the guidance of Stuart Lancaster who has absolutely nothing to lose, we’ll see the best they have to offer.

Racism Row Rumbles On

Tonight’s game has been fuelled by a refreshingly honest Roberto Mancini coming out and saying exactly what everyone else in the world of football is thinking. Although managers usually refrain from commenting on issues outside of their own club, the Italian may have realised that everyone outside of Liverpool Football Club would be in support of his statements. The comments come following the ongoing, ugly issue of racism surrounding the red side of Merseyside.

It stems back to Liverpool’s heated contest against Manchester United back in October during which Luis Suarez repeatedly called Patrice Evra a ‘Negrito’ a term more widely acknowledged in the UK as ‘Negro’. Suarez was handed an 8-match-ban on the back of an investigation where a staggering 115 page document has been published by the FA, containing the details of the case as well as the reasons for his sanction. In the aftermath of the situation, Liverpool players controversially wore Suarez t-shirts to warm up for the Wigan game which sparked many to question the club’s stance on racism in the game.

Speaking to the Guardian ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final clash, the Manchester City manager said,

"Sometimes a situation like this can happen on the pitch but it is important to apologise for what you did. Sometimes, on the pitch, you can do something you don't want to, because you are nervous, because you don't think. Everything can happen because you don't think, because you are tired, because you are stupid, you are young; for many reasons.

"I don't think Suárez is a racist. But I think he made a mistake, probably, yes. Everyone can make a mistake sometimes. It is impossible that we are always perfect and, after that, it is important to say: 'I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this' and accept the charge."

The Uruguayan has issued a form of apology, but if anything, the half-hearted comments only add to the ongoing tarnishing of Liverpool Football Club. The story was revealed in The Sun as Suarez spoke publicly for the first time since his ban,

"I admitted to the commission I used a word in Spanish once, and only once, and told the panel members I will not use it again on a football pitch in England.

"I never, ever used this word in a derogatory way and if it offends anyone then I want to apologise for that."

Kenny Dalglish’s role in the whole debacle has been intriguing if not blunderbuss. The staunch defence of his striker has many football followers seeing the Scot in a different light. King Kenny has always had a spiky relationship with journalists and the media and his confrontational mannerisms at press conferences and in interviews is what makes him the character he is in world sport. However, in a case where his player is so blatantly in the wrong, his stance is peculiar. Obviously, a manager and a football club are going to back their player to the moon and back, but his and the club’s continuous public defence of Suarez has become nothing short of farcical.

With the flames of this issue still very much alight in the views of spectators, Friday night’s clash with Oldham threw a metaphoric oil tanker to those flames. Late on in the game, Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi fetched the ball from the advertising boards at the famous Kop end at Anfield. As he was returning to his position, something clearly distressed the young midfielder and his rage was clear for everyone to see. Adeyemi appeared in tears as he pleaded to the referee to do something about the situation. The message was relayed from the field of play to the pitch-side 4th official who notified Merseyside Police of an alleged case of racial abuse. In fairness to the Liverpool players, especially captain Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt, they were quick to console the young player who was in a clear state of delirium on the field. It marred a fabulous cup tie that the Premier League team prospered 5-1, although the score-line doesn’t reflect the competitive nature of the contest.

Oldham have since publicly praised Liverpool FC stating that,

"Excellent communication has been maintained and the club and player have been notified of every detail during the progress of the investigation.”

Nevertheless, the issue is still circling Anfield like a kettle of vultures. Despite the two incidents being completely isolated, the way in which both Suarez and Liverpool Football Club have commented on the first incident is still raising eyebrows. Both statements can be found in full at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16402595.stm

In summary, Suarez thanks everyone for their support and explains that the word ‘negro’ is commonplace in Uruguay therefore everything in the enquiry is completely false. He also states,

"I will carry out the suspension with the resignation of someone who hasn't done anything wrong and who feels extremely upset by the events.”

There isn’t a single mention of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, who was subject to his abuse, which despite the inter-club rivalry, does seem a bit ‘off’. The statement from the club itself is even less tasteful, essentially claiming that, in spite of the 115 page document and the fact that the player admits using racially abusive language, Suarez had done nothing wrong and that Evra was to blame for the incident,

“Liverpool Football Club has supported Luis Suarez because we fundamentally do not believe that Luis on that day - or frankly any other - did or would engage in a racist act.”

The way in which they’ve dragged their heels on the matter has meant it’s remained in the public domain as a talking point. Had the club come out with the following statement, it’s safe to assume that no-one would be discussing it,

“In light of recent events, Liverpool FC would like to offer its most sincere apologies to Patrice Evra, Manchester United and anybody else affected by the events on the 15th of October. It’s understood that Luis Suarez used racial terms of an offensive nature directed towards Patrice Evra which is something we at Anfield are committed to kick out of the game. Luis Suarez is neither a racist nor a foul man; he’s simply a victim of his and our ignorance.

"In his native Uruguay, the term he used is commonplace and means no harm or offence when directed at an individual. However, we understand it’s our responsibility to educate our players of the cultural differences between playing in Britain and playing elsewhere. You can be assured that such a matter will not repeat itself and the player is remorseful that his actions have caused such distress.

"To reiterate, Liverpool FC is fully dedicated to ridding football of racism and we hope this isolated misunderstanding won’t tarnish our reputation within the game. Once again we can only apologise to those who have been offended by the events and guarantee that it won’t recur.”

But, they did not and they’ve acted like intolerant school children. They’re a club that have one of the finest histories and traditions in the game and it’d be a great shame if this chapter should tarnish that. Suarez has been a revelation in the Premier League and his reputation hangs in the balance while his ban is served. As if by magic, Liverpool have drawn Manchester United in the 4th round of the FA cup in what’s sure to be a spicy affair. In the meantime it’s up to those at Anfield to attempt to regain the respect of the football world, something easier said than done.

Red Card Crisis?

Yesterday’s football was unfortunately overshadowed by two red cards, one that should have been and one that shouldn’t.

Queens Park Rangers’ captain Joey Barton was dismissed by referee Neil Swarbrick for an alleged head-butt on Norwich’s Bradley Johnson after the two came together following a clash off the ball. It was a definite turning point as Rangers, who were leading 1-0 through a well taken Barton goal, went on to lose the game 2-1 with the Canaries striking through Pilkinton in the 1st half and Morison late on. Meanwhile, some 130 miles up the country at Molineux, Frank Lampard was centre of attention with a reckless first-half challenge on Adam Hamill which resulted in a yellow card. The tackle was certainly worthy of seeing red as his studs clattered into the lower shin of the Wolves man. Lampard’s instant apologetic reaction may have saved him, but nothing could come to Mick McCarthy’s rescue as Lampard finished off an 89th minute move that he started outside the box to snatch a 2-1 victory.

You couldn’t really have two more contrasting players with regards public perception. Although ‘Fat Frank’ has failed to capture the adoration of the England fans, he’s become ever-more popular with other teams’ fans over the past year (probably because he’s not playing as much and thus not inflicting as much damage) and has developed into a very likeable footballer. Joey Barton, on the other hand, is a hate figure for anyone outside Loftus Road. His criminal record and playing antics have vilified him up and down the country and despite gaining many supporters through twitter; he’s still well-known in the footballing world for being a bit of a dick.

It’s inevitable that this has an impact on decisions over the course of the season, it just so happens that it occurred twice in one weekend and both incidents led to the teams on the wrong end of the officiating coming away from the fixtures with nothing. The two players were again on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to their post-match analysis of the incidents. Barton was bullish in his defence on twitter posting,

“Hopefully [the] ref sees it retrospectively and sees he's been conned.”

"[I] feel for the officials; they've been conned. I was pulled back first, then kicked second," Barton tweeted after being sent off for the first time in his QPR career.

"Linesman definitely never saw it, all he saw was Johnson's reaction. My head doesn't move forward at all. Ridiculous decision. [I've] seen 25 replays."

And he was backed by his boss, who in his post match interview stated,

"The assistant referee has guessed, if I'm honest, who says cheats don't prosper? Bradley has conned him.”

Frank Lampard was far more withdrawn in his verdict of the events as he admitted,

"My heart was in my mouth, there was no malice - and I honestly mean that - but I was late and I might have been a bit lucky to stay on the pitch. I said straight away to Hammill that I was very sorry. I was trying to get my foot in and I was maybe lucky."

No maybe about it, Lampard was lucky, Barton was not. There’s a classic cliché used in the world of football – “you make your own luck in this game”. Let’s take a look back at an incident at the start of the season when Barton was playing for Newcastle. He played centre stage in the pantomime that was the sending off of Arsenal’s Ivory Coast international striker, Gervinho. The two came together following a blatant Gervinho dive, Barton pulled him up by his shirt to confront him and Gervinho pushed him away, slapping Barton’s face on the way through. He duly collapsed into a heap clutching his face and the Arsenal man was given his marching orders by Peter Walton, who incidentally the referee who was in charge at Molenieux on Monday. Although he later admitted he was not proud of his actions, it was still a despicable example of gamesmanship that has become all too familiar on a football pitch.

Conversely, Frank Lampard’s reputation might well have saved him. You rarely see him confronting referees or opposition players in the manner in which many premier league players do, including Joey Barton. He was probably spared the red card because ‘he’s not that type of player’. Although this is completely wrong, it will always work in your favour whereas if you ‘are that type of player’, more often than not it will count against you.

This is where the officials need assistance. There is so much of it going on that they can’t possibly spot everything. In almost every other sport there are citing officers, but in football, there is nothing. Once the 90 minutes is up any foul play, with the exception of verbal abuse, is left unpunished. Citing officers could see the end of the most aggravating feature in football, players who dive. This could also have a role-reversal whereby red cards given could be over-hauled without the club having to risk an appeal and dismissing the 3-match bans that are inflicted on players on the receiving end of a sending off.

Far too often, challenges and incidents are influenced by the people involved and the countless times we here managers coming out defending their players with the catchy tag line “he’s not that type of player, he’s a good kid”. The player’s character should be irrelevant when it comes to sanctioning punishment for on-field actions. Although Joey Barton got his just deserts, the decision in itself was an incorrect one. Neither referee nor linesman saw the incident; otherwise play would have been immediately stopped. They made their judgement on the basis of the players involved and the reaction of the players. This is where rugby league is miles ahead of any other sport in the world with their report system. With so many physical confrontations in a match, they share a difficulty with football referees in that they simply cannot keep an eye on every aspect of play. If an incident occurs in rugby league and the official isn’t 100% of what has happened, he raises he stops play, calls the player over and explains to his that the incident is going ‘on report’. He then signals with his arms crossed above his head before restarting the game in the appropriate manner.

It’s understood that a refusal to use video replays and television match officials in football is down to the stoppages affecting the flow of the game. If that’s the case, then what’s the argument against citing officers or the ability for referees to place players on report? Surely fans, players and managers would prefer a referee to say I didn’t see it fully, I’m not entirely sure what the sanction should be, therefore I’m going to put the incident on report and the players involved can be punished retrospectively as opposed brandishing cards and hoping that they pick the right colour.

Picture the scene, Neil Swarbrick walks over to Bradley Johnson and Joey Barton having spoken to his assistant and says,
“Lads, neither me nor my linesman have seen the incident and I can’t punish something I haven’t seen. I’m going to place the incident on report, now cut out the niggle and get on with it.”
Barton stays on the pitch, the game is played out 11 against 11 and no one can have any complaints.

If football really wants to clean up the game, then it’ll happen. Unfortunately, incidents such as yesterday are seen to be part and parcel of the game, which is very tragic indeed.

The Great Escape

There are an alarming number of players being linked with moves away from Wales in the wake of their World Cup campaign which could undo all the good work Warren Gatland has done since his reign began in 2007. Nobody could have thought the way in which the Welsh players went about their work would end up being detrimental to the national game, but at the moment, that’s exactly what’s on the verge of happening.

There was a time where players went to France to develop their game and to test and hone their skills in a different environment with the overall goal of enhancing themselves as test rugby players, a la Stephen Jones. These days are a thing of the past with the players moving abroad for two reasons, lifestyle and money. Unfortunately, French clubs have funds that stretch much further than the Welsh regions and there’s no way for them to compete.

Most rugby players have families to support and given the short nature of a professional rugby career, they’d be idiotic to turn the pay rise down. Adam Jones has been linked with a move to France when his contract expires in June and discussing Gethin Jenkins’ reported offer of a £500,000 salary, he revealed:

“If they have to do something that is financially right then they have to go…It is the world we live in. If the region is not going to offer you a new contract or the type of money on offer elsewhere, you might have to go.”
This seems to be exactly the case with the re-invented dragon, Luke Charteris. He’s announced that he will be leaving the Gwent region at the end of the season with Perpignan in prime position to snap up the giant 6’ft 9”in second row stating:
"The chance to live in a different country and enjoy a new culture and way of life is one not everybody gets.
A player's career doesn't last forever and I want to experience as much as I can."
With so many frontline players already playing in France and England, Warren Gatland’s foreign player policy is no longer. He can’t possibly dismiss anyone playing outside of Wales because he simply wouldn’t have the players to pick from. Whereas before, players moving to France would mean possible exile from the national set-up, this is no longer the case. Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins are two of many players allegedly being offered big-money deals to play in the Top 14 or the Aviva Premiership. Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Priestland, George North, Scott Williams, Jon Davies and Aled Brew but to name a few have apparently been approached with big offers to lure them away from Wales.
If the majority of us were in their positions, we’d already be brushing up on our French because despite the game being the national sport of Wales, the elite domestic competition is failing miserably to capture the imagination of the public. All four Welsh regions have recorded all time low figures this season in the Celtic League and it’s becoming a genuine cause for concern. The Cardiff Blues have been especially outspoken, expressing their concern over the dwindling numbers:
· Scarlets – 7,243 (7 games)
· Blues – 6,723 (6 games)
· Ospreys – 6,528 (8 games)
· Dragons – 4,766 (4 games)

Regions are battling against themselves in many ways and this is acting as a deterrent to the Welsh players. They must be asking themselves what has happened to the 65,000 people that crammed into the Millennium Stadium at the break of dawn to watch their world cup semi final. From the highs of the word cup, the Welsh squad have returned to their regions and the accompanying bland, generic and empty stadia. Compare that to the partisan crowd that watched Clermont Auvergne beat Leicester at the weekend and is it any wonder that the Welsh elite are being drawn abroad?

With the regional game unable to draw the crowds despite every region boasting many internationals, it’s adding to their economic struggles. Even if we take a look over the bridge, you very rarely find a 25,000-seater stadium occupied by 6,000 shivering souls. These shortcomings are completely self-inflicted from the regions’ point of view. Ask any Cardiff Blues fan and they’ll tell you that the move to the Cardiff City Stadium has been a drastic flop. Why on earth they aren’t playing their home games at the vacant Arms Park is anyone’s guess. At least 6,000 people in there would create an atmosphere as opposed the cauldron of awkward silence that currently fills the new stadium. Those attendances would have more of a chance of rising if the matches were held at the heart of the capital. The atmosphere developed upon the arrival of Jonah Lomu to Cardiff in was meteoric and it saw attendances soar to upward of 20,000 packed into the old, traditional ground. It seems that the board think that bigger is better; it most certainly is not. If they were drawing the 44,000 people that watched the Blues lose to Leicester in the Heineken Cup penalty shoot-out in 2009, their perseverance with the Cardiff City Stadium becomes justifiable, but let’s face it, they’re nowhere near.

The Ospreys are in the same boat, struggling hugely to fill the Liberty Stadium. An LV Anglo-Welsh match was shifted to the Brewery Field with relative success. On a horrid Friday evening in front of the sky cameras, 6,662 came through the turnstiles of the 8,000 capacity ground when the Ospreys beat Leicester in front of the Sky Sports cameras. They proved that there’s a niche in the market, yet that’s the first and last time it’s happened? Their relationship with Neath Rugby has effectively evaporated, but if they were to re-establish that connection, The Gnoll would be another option open to them as well as The All Whites’ ground down the road at St Helens. Again, moving the fixtures to these alternative grounds would at least create an atmosphere and this could possibly increase the numbers.

The Dragons’ new stand has failed to spark an interest in Gwent despite landing deals with Toby Faletau and Dan Lydiate to keep them at the region. Their problem has always been not having the superstars to bring in the numbers, that isn’t true any more. The Scarlets’ new stadium was doomed to fail before it even began to be built with so many supporters opposing to the move. This has been the catalyst for so many empty seats at the ‘home of heart & soul rugby country’. For them and the Dragons, they have their hands tied because there’s no other significant sports ground in the area. The Scarlets should play some games in North Wales given that it’s in their region and the fact that it’s produced a certain 6’ft 4”in winger.

An area that isn’t being explored is the heartbeat of Welsh rugby. Since the collapse of the Celtic Warriors in 2003, the valleys have been without first grade rugby. Sardis Road could be the perfect tonic both for the area of Pontypridd and any region brave enough to take the gamble.

With the regional game in its current state, more and more players will opt for the glamour of French rugby. Rugby Union is Wales’ biggest marketing tool bar none and the national team is the pinnacle in advertising power. Without these players, there is nothing. Therefore, the WRU and the Welsh Assembly Government need to urgently come up with a plan to keep players in Wales. The money on offer abroad is obscene in comparison to their current wages. The only foreseeable solution is for a top-up system where the regions pay half of the players’ wages and the rest made up from the WRU and governmental budget, equalling the money they’d be getting abroad and hopefully stifling the player’s potential move.

It’s a very complicated issue, but it if the Welsh game is to continue developing, the players need to be playing in Wales and be available for national duty as and when Warren Gatland sees fit or the good work he’s done thus far in his tenure could be nil and void. WRU, over to you.

Shane's Swansong

It turned out to be what everyone expected. It was a non-event as far as rugby was concerned but a fitting finale to a Welsh rugby great. A stagnant first half finally came to an end with the home team leading 6-3 after Rhys Priestland and James O’Connor had traded penalties. The game ambled its way to the turning point which was the unfortunate sin-binning of Leigh Halfpenny. From where Jonathan Kaplan was standing it was an undoubted penalty and given that James O’Connor would have inevitably slid in for the try had he not been hauled down, the sanction had to be a yellow card.

While the fullback was sat on the naughty step, he watched his side yield 21 unanswered points as Will Genia, Lachie Turner and Berrick Barnes all crossed for tries that were converted by James O’Connor. Rhys Priestland then answered back for Wales with a smart finish only to see his conversion attempt rebound back off the upright. With Wales trailing 11-24 going into the last play, the game was over but there was still time for Shane Williams to sign off with a trademark finish as he slipped the tackle of Berrick Barnes to race in for his 60th test try (58 for Wales, 2 for the Lions) to send the 69,537 crowd and Jed Thian’s rugby universe into a state of delirium.

The game struggled to spark into life with the error-strewn first half dominated by the sound of the abrupt whistle of the South African referee. No team was able to put any significant phases of play together and although Wales held a 6-point advantage for the majority of the half, they were never in control. The scrappiness of the match was emphasised by the amount of kicks in open play. Wales kicked away possession 33 times to Australia’s 27. We saw the return of the dreaded aerial ping-pong that marred the game prior to the new breakdown interpretation last season. The Wallabies were penalised countless times for breakdown infringements early in the game which added to the stop-start nature of the contest. Had these illegalities happened in the last 10 minutes of the game Kaplan would have almost certainly reached for his pocket, but his tolerance was frustratingly generous for the viewing public who wanted to see a flowing game. Add to this the constant handling errors from both teams and an eternity spent crouching, touching, pausing and engaging and you have a pretty dire test match.

Although the Shane Williams fairytale moment put a gloss on the performance, there’s a well known adage about polish and excrement that must be remembered.

With the 6 Nations fast approaching, it was a chance for the maybe men of Welsh rugby to put their hands up. Only Ian Evans stood up to the test. Injury and poor form had resulted in a three year international rugby exodus for the Osprey and it showed. He was a rare banker at the lineout with 4 takes and made 6 effective carries and 9 tackles in the loose. Another who stood out was Toby Faletau who was the top carrier of with 14 beating 3 defenders on the way as well as a 13-tackle defensive shift. Ryan Jones replaced Ian Evans in the second row and was on laughable form once more with 5 carries amassing an incredible 6 metres, an incredible feat for the 6ft 5in, 18st man. Another who flopped was Lloyd Williams. Although he was playing behind an inferior pack of forwards, the skills that got him into the team let him down. He was painfully slow at the back of the ruck and his basic handling on the whole was poor. Something he has to pick up quickly if he wants to oust Richie Rees from his starting berth down at the Cardiff City Stadium is that starting a game at number 9 is a very different assignment than coming off the bench.

The same old problem reared its ugly head for Wales, the set piece. This brings more pressure on the already under fire Robin McBryde, the only clunky cog in the Wales coaching machine. Following the RFU fallout, Graham Rowntree has been strongly linked with McBryde’s position as forwards coach which expires. Rowntree was one of the very few individuals representing England to come back from New Zealand with his reputation still intact. His work with the Lions in South Africa during the 2009 tour brought him rave reviews, stark contrast to Wales’ set piece statistics. On Saturday, they lost a third of their scrums against the head whilst their opposition took 100% of their own ball. The line-out wasn’t much better with the home side’s 78% success rate missing out to the visitors’ 81%.

The upsetting thing is; the front row that dismantled the Wales scrum offered very little outside the set piece. The Welsh front rowers carried the ball 10 times and made 26 tackles between them whilst their Australian counterparts managed 6 carries and 10 tackles.

Player
Carries
Tackles
Gethin Jenkins
3
6
Huw Bennett
4
8
Scott Andrews
3
12
James Slipper
0
5
Tatafu Polota-Nau
4
2
Salesi Ma’afu
3
2

This just shows that the endeavour is there by the players, it’s a simple case of technique. Granted, Wales were without their boulder-like corner stone in Adam Jones and the specialist scrummager Paul James, but this isn’t the first time that Wales have been beaten in the battle of the set piece. The backline were without Mike Phillips, Jon Davies, Lee Byrne and James Hook, but they coped. Given the nature of the match and the amount of restarts witnessed because of errors, the set piece had a huge bearing on the outcome. Leigh Halfpenny’s yellow card resulted from a wide backs move that was made possible by Australia demolishing the Welsh scrum and taking the back row out of the game.

Let us not forget that no more than a couple of years ago, Wales pulverised the same Australian scrum at the millennium stadium and the Wallabies were renowned around the world for being a team who could not and did not want to scrummage. Jim Williams and Robbie Deans have turned that around in a matter of months, Wales have been static in this department for a matter of years. It’s paramount that this area is addressed before the 6 Nations to propel the team forward as they look to continue their form from the World Cup.

The game and the outcome itself isn’t important, but it was a chance for Warren Gatland to assess his options ahead of picking his squad to take on the Northern Hemisphere. One man’s services he won’t be able to call upon are those of Shane Williams. The match was dubbed Shane Williams’ farewell and it was one facet of the game that lived up to its expectation. It may have taken 80 minutes, but it was what we’ve come to expect from the flyer from The Amman. The first 80 minutes were frustrating for him as he tried his utmost to make an impact on the game. It seemed the more he tried to unlock the golden wall, the more worse it got for him. Uncharacteristically, he made a big impact in defence with 2 of his 4 tackles being try-savers on Turner and Barnes. That was until the last of his 7 runs in a Welsh shirt carried him over the line for his final 5-pointer. He’ll be sorely missed by his adoring fans and it’s been an honour to watch him light up the international stage. The once-in-a-lifetime, half-pint sized winger leaves behind him a legacy that he can be extremely proud to look back on. His shirt read at the home of Welsh rugby; Diolch. Diolch yn fawr, Shane.

The Outside-Half Factory

It’s not a report than can be documented often, but there is somewhat of an embarrassment of riches in the Welsh rugby game at the moment. The flamboyant Scott Johnson has come out in the press revealing that he thinks his protégé, Dan Biggar, was born in the wrong country and that he isn’t appreciated by Wales. Many have criticized the 22 year old over the past two seasons, but he must be doing the business on the training paddock at the Ospreys seeing as he ousted James Hook from the 10 shirt to such an extent that he left to Perpignan to get his career at fly-half back on track.

Johnson believes that Biggar is suffering on the Wales backburner down to Wales’ “fascination with certain types of 10s”, referring to the likes of Barry John, Cliff Morgan and Phil Bennett of yesteryear. The Aussie also makes the valid point that the days of the product of Max Boyce’s famous outside-half factory gracing the famous red shirt are a thing of the past.

“You’re going back a long way before you have the so-called flairy type 10s”

Very true, with the exception of Jonathan Davies’ 37 caps between 1987 and 1995, Wales’ outside halves have been much more reserved since the great Phil Bennett’s last game in 1978. His immediate replacement in Gareth Davies is renowned as being Wales’ first kicking fly-half and his 7-year tenure contained little flair. Following Jonathan Davies came Neil Jenkins who was ultimately replaced by Stephen Jones who claimed 87 and 104 (and counting) caps respectively, a point raised by Wales’ former skills coach:

“Stephen Jones & Neil Jenkins don’t fit into that type of category but they have stood Wales in pretty good stead as a nation.”

James Hook can be the only exception and although his early international career was blazed with glory, his recent performances in the hallowed jersey left much to be desired. The selectors in the professional modern era have opted for a more sturdy, point-accumulating figure; much like the Ospreys talisman, Dan Biggar.

Why is it then, that he finds himself at 4^th on the pecking order? His big-game temperament has come under scrutiny, but he went some way to silence those critics when he produced a match winning 23-point haul against Biarritz on the opening weekend of the Heineken Cup. This isn’t a one off either with the Swansea-born product averaging a shade less than 16 points a game in the Celtic League. Despite not selecting the ‘traditional’ outside-halves, Wales are still playing a very positive brand of rugby. This is where Biggar finds himself behind the others and unfortunately it’s through no fault of his own.

In spite of having arguably the most talented squad in Europe two or three years ago, The Ospreys still played a monotonic, droning style of rugby. Hugely frustrating for the spectators and pundits alike, but it proved relatively successful down at The Liberty Stadium, producing some regular Celtic silverware. They’re by far the most successful of the Welsh regions, but fall well short of the European elite. The amount of kicking is a constant source annoyance for anyone watching the Neath-Swansea outfit. If we take the 1^st weekend of the Celtic League as an example, the Ospreys were comfortable winners over Leinster at the Liberty Stadium. In open play, they kicked 29 times, passed 125 times and ran the ball 96 times. Compare that with the Blues who travelled away to Edinburgh who kicked 14 times, passed 196 times and ran the ball 112 times. The Dragons were also on the road against the fearsome Munster and even they only kicked the ball 16 times. This paints the picture as to what sort of game they are playing down in Swansea and the orchestrator is Dan Biggar. This may well be what is holding him back in that he’s restrained by his region’s preferred style of play and although his workmanlike kicking talent is admirable, Warren Gatland isn’t able to see him showcase his full array of talents. Without this, it’s unlikely that he’ll be included as a solid, kicking, controlling 10 whilst steady eddy himself, Stephen Jones is still in the fold.

However, the fact that Wales are even in a position to discard Dan Biggar as they have done is somewhat reassuring given the nature of other countries’ fly-half flaws.

If we take the home nations for example, England’s Jonny Wilkinson is under relentless pressure to perform as he has done in the past and Toby Flood is seen to be his predecessor. If these two were simultaneously incapacitated, there aren’t many 10s they could call upon. Owen Farrell is untried and untested at international level, Charlie Hodgson has unfortunately proven that he’s not up to the mark for England. Apart from these Saracens, who else is there? Joe Carlisle, Ryan Davis, Freddy Burns and Joe Ford all show promise, but would the English readers be comfortable with one of these four stepping into the playmaking position for England in the six nations? Probably not. Danny Cipriani was dubbed England’s next 10, but quite ironically he’s being a rebel in Melbourne and the injury-ridden Olly Barkley has shifted into the centre. Not ideal.

The Scottish situation is even worse, first choice Dan Parks wouldn’t make it into any of the other home nations’ squads let alone the starting 15 and their backup is a who’s who of distinctly average rugby players. Duncan Weir, Greig Laidlaw and Ruaridh Jackson are hardly going to make a game-changing appearance from the bench are they?

Ireland have two proven international outside halves in Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Sexton, but with the former’s imminent retirement, who is pushing their way through? Ian Humphries has all the makings of a quality fly-half, but he’s never been exposed to the international stage and at 29, he’s no spring chicken. Apart from him, there’s Connacht’s Niall O’Connor and that’s about as far as it stretches.

In which case, from a Welsh perspective, things are hugely promising. Dan Biggar’s credentials have already been discussed, yet despite only earning 9 caps, Rhys Priestland is the man in possession of the number 10 shirt following his outstanding showing in New Zealand. Behind him, you have Stephen Jones’ 917 test points pushing him all the way and the newly invigorated James Hook who will hope consistent selections in his favoured position will take him back to the form he showed in the 2008 six nations. Consider the way Nicky Robinson has played for Gloucester and Wasps since his move over the bridge and you have the deepest pool of outside halves Wales has seen in some years. With the likes of Jason Tovey and Matthew Morgan shining for the Dragons and Ospreys respectively, the future is bright.

One of the many things in recent years that the Welsh rugby nation has been criticised for is a lack of strength in depth. This is categorically not the case any more. If Dan Biggar had been born in a different era, he may well be right in contention for the jersey, but for now he’s going to have to bide his time and take his opportunity when it comes.

The Welsh outside-half factory may not be churning out the glitzy produce of days gone by, but rather focuses its attention on delivering good, solid internationals en masse.

Heineken Cup Preview

Tonight sees the beginning of the 2011/12 Heineken Cup campaign, and it’s one that is met with anticipation and a sense of the unknown. With the start of the Celtic League (still refusing to acknowledge the ridiculous rebrand of the league), Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 going ahead without the world cup stars, there is an element of ambiguity surrounding the form of the teams around Europe. The return of the internationals almost signals a second beginning for the regions, clubs and provinces of Europe, and where better to kick it off than the pinnacle club tournament in world rugby?

As is the level of competition, every year produces a group of death. Last year saw the Ospreys battle it out with Munster, Toulon and London Irish for European supremacy. This year it’s the turn of their neighbours from down the M4 to take the trip to Thomond Park as well as Franklyn’s Gardens and Stade Pierre-Antoine. Pool 1 is a hideous concoction of Irish muscle in Munster, English superstars in Northampton, French juggernauts Castres Olympique and the raw Welsh talent of the Scarlets. Two or three years ago, anyone looking at this group would see Nigel Davies’ team as the whipping boys, not now. Since their heroics in 2006/07 when they beat the giants Toulouse 34-41 on French soil, they’ve struggled in the Heineken cup. However, the big returning names from the world cup coupled with the return of their captain Matthew Rees means they are fully equipped to deal with the trials and tribulations that is the pool of death. If everyone is fit, the potential is staggering, especially in the backline: 9.Tavis Knoyle 10.Stephen Jones 11.Morgan Stoddard 12.Scott Williams 13.Jonathan Davies 14.George North 15.Rhys Priestland. Unfortunately, these groups are usually so competitive that only one team progresses through the knockout stage. It’s very difficult to look past Munster given their history in the tournament, but absolutely anything can happen in this group. Northampton’s improved squad will take some beating at home and travelling to Castres won’t be easy. This group will be the tightest in terms of points, but home form is absolutely crucial and given that importance, Thomond Park will produce an Irish victor, just.

Pool 2 is intriguing in a different way. The teams are all considered 2^nd tier European sides apart from maybe the Scottish outfit, which finds itself flirting with Connacht in the 3^rd tier. However, Edinburgh along with the Cardiff Blues, Racing Metro and London Irish will all fancy their chances of winning the group given the lack of a European colossus in their ranks. Edinburgh and the Blues find themselves 10^th and 5^th in the Celtic League respectively whilst Irish are flying high in the Aviva in 3^rd spot leaving Metro a respectable 6^th in the Top 14. This group will again be a tight one, but with the feel-good factor that still lingers in the Welsh capital following the World Cup, if the Blues can take something away from France this evening, expect them to qualify as winners.

The holders Leinster who will be without the talismanic figure of Brian O’Driscoll for the entire qualifying campaign as he undergoes surgery on a shoulder problem that’s been dogging him for the previous couple of campaigns. It’s a great shame that he won’t feature during the group stage, but there’s a fair chance we’ll see the man they call BOD in the latter stages of the competition given their relatively uncomplicated qualifying schedule. Montpellier lie one off the bottom of the Top 14, Bath continue their unremarkable last few seasons at 7^th in the Aviva and although Glasgow are sitting pretty at 4^th in the Celtic League, none of these teams will trouble the Irish giants and expect them to qualify easily for the last 8.

There is always a team that’s seemingly there to make up the numbers, this year it’s the turn of Aironi. The group is the most likely to produce a qualifier through the backdoor as best runner-up, simply because Aironi are very likely to leak 4 tries home and away to each team. Whoever can remain unbeaten at home and pick another victory up on the road will qualify automatically; the other two teams will battle it out for the next best place. With Leicester’s uncharacteristically shaky start to their premiership campaign and Clermont Auvergne placed on top of the pile in the French Top 14 it’s a difficult one to call. Add Ulster’s outspoken ambition to the mix and you have a cracker of a group. Clermont have recruited ambitiously adding Lee Byrne, Benoit Cabello and Sitevini Sivivatu to their already star-studded squad and their dominance is likely to carry them through as group winners relatively comfortably. Given the Midlands outfit wretched start to their domestic campaign, Richard Cockerill will demand a European backlash. Leicester’s Heineken Cup pedigree speaks for itself and it’s this experience that will see the wounded Tigers scrape through as runners-up.

Pool 5 will be decided at the Stadio Monigo. Those unfamiliar with the Celtic League newcomers in Benetton Treviso are likely to think that they will be the whipping boys of the group that includes Premiership Champions Saracens, Basque country’s finest Biarritz and the now non-Galacticos Ospreys. In the same way that Connacht is a ‘tough place to go’, any side in this group that has aspirations of European success has to come away with a bonus point win. Anything less will simply mean, they won’t qualify as group winners. It’s a step into the unknown for Biarritz and Saracens, but the Ospreys are all too familiar with struggling to victory against Treviso. Although the Welsh side have tried to rid their Galacticos label by banning fake tan and coloured boots, in truth they didn’t have much option. The players that made them the elite in Welsh rugby have left them, tired of failure and constant underachieving. Lee Byrne, Mike Phillips, Marty Holah, Jerry Collins and James Hook to name but a few are plying their trade elsewhere. If they couldn’t make an impact with some of world rugby’s biggest names, how are they expected to do it without them? Saracens have invested smartly over the summer bringing in some real quality in Charlie Hodgson and John Smit and their 2^nd place position in the Aviva proves that there are great things happening at Vicarage Road, with the egg shaped ball anyway. This will push them through to the last 8 as group winners. Biarritz have always shone in Europe, but their league form suggests that this year might be a step too far. Lying at the very bottom of the league in France, it’s strange to say that it’s going to be a toss-up for the runners up spot between them and the Ospreys, who are top of the Celtic League, but it’s exactly what it is. In their comfort zone of the Celtic League, the Ospreys are a very good club side, constantly in and around the Top 4 of the league, but their European woes are evident for all to see. With the departure of so many big names, it’s difficult to see their shortcomings changing. Biarritz, like Leicester, will be keen to right their domestic wrongs. For this reason, the Basque outfit will just hold on to the runners up spot, but they’ll be pushed all the way by the Neath-Swansea coalition. The two teams meet on at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday and will shape the group; it’ll be a ripsnorter.

The final group sees Connacht, Gloucester and league-leaders Harlequins take on the irrepressible Toulouse. It’s simple, Toulouse will win this group, they are a cut above the rest and their squad oozes quality. No one will go to France and pick up anything more than a losing bonus point and they’ll go to the Sportsground to pick up a routine win as well as a win at Kingsholm. If the Quins can remain unbeaten at The Stoop, and pick up a bonus point win at Connacht, their chances of qualifying will hinge on the game at Kingsholm, which takes place in the second round of matches. It’s a huge game for a Quins side that desperately want to return to the top of the English heap.

This year, like last year, gives all the teams in the competition a reprieve. Once the final 8 has been decided for the main event, the next best three teams will fall into the Amlin Challenge Cup. This is a route that the Cardiff Blues took to win the competition last year and it’s a move the ERC can be proud of. It’s given the tournament a real fillip, and last year proved that having the calibre of Toulon, Munster and the Cardiff Blues dropping down produced greater spectacles and quality of rugby.

If everything goes as predicted, the draw for the final 8 will look like this:

Ø Munster (Q)

Ø Cardiff Blues (Q)

Ø Leinster Rugby (Q)

Ø Clermont Auvergne (Q)

Ø Saracens (Q)

Ø Toulouse (Q)

Ø Leicester Tigers (q)

Ø Harlequins (q)

This means three places being up for grabs for the Amlin Challenge Cup. If the Scarlets can gain parity against their group opposition, their backline can match anyone in the competition. Leinster’s expected dominance in pool 3 opens the door to one of the other three teams, Glasgow simply aren’t good enough, Montpellier are indifferent while Bath are good enough to push their way through with world cup hero Stephen Donald joining their ranks. This could be the catalyst that could catapult the West Country outfit out of the lull that’s been humming around The Rec for the past few years. If this is to be the case then the teams joining the likes of the London Wasps and Stade Francais will be:

Ø Llanelli Scarlets

Ø Bath Rugby

Ø Biarritz Olympique

Predictions are of course predictable, and one thing that the Heineken Cup is not is predictable. That’s what makes the tournament not only great, but the best domestic competition in the world.