Monday, June 27, 2005
The weekend's rugby
Either way, nobody in the NH or the SH (Scrum V again, Northern and Southern Hemisphere) expected the Lions to beat the ABs (Scrum V). To beat the ABs is NZ is tough; to beat them in the pouring rain, is even harder. Australia and South Africa know all about that.
Most are criticising SCW for picking a ‘RUWC 2003’ Benefit team, choosing a number of old buddies from the competition in Australia. At the beginning of the tour, he said based on current form, one England player would make the First XV. A few tour games later and things have changed enough to see eight in the XV and 13 in the squad.
Maybe SCW was under pressure from the sponsors to pick Wilkinson, regardless of who was playing better than him at No 10. NZ and Aus both have strong sides (despite comparative tiny numbers of players to pick from) precisely because of competition and merit based selection.
In Australia, Rathebone, Gitteau (world's best No 12?), Chris Latham, George Smith and Jeremy Paul all made the side in the last 12 months through injury to someone else, but have not lost their place since, despite the other players (Sailor, Flatley, Rogers, Samu and Cannon) regaining fitness. Merit, must be the governor of selection, not sponsors, experience or just plain ole' good mates….
The Lions paid dearly for it.
When SCW leaves the game to go under the employ of Southampton Football Club, many will question the legacy he left English Rugby Union. A great coach, who steered the England team steadily towards a peak at the RUWC in 2003? Or simply a half-decent motivator, who found himself in the right place at the right team with a great squad of world-beating players?
When a few retired or got injured England had a shocking run, loosing twice in NZ, then being stuffed in Brisbane and having two ordinary 6Nations Championships. Was this lack of SCW or lack of talent? Hate him or hate him more, in Australia, the 51-15 stuffing handed out in Brisbane in June 2004 was not quite as sweet as a win over a SCW England side.
It is shaping up to be a great 3Nations. The ABs will always be strong, but Australia is fresh from mauling two second division sides (Samoa and Italy) and are looking pretty polished and South Africa have had a good warm-up series against France (who Australia meet this week).
Australia’s game against Italy probably answered Eddie Jones’s selection questions. The back row must be Smith, Waugh and Lyons, Larkham must play at 10 and Gitteau at 12, Rathebone should start over Sailor (improving quickly again) and Latham must play over Rogers, if fit.
The Australian backs will need just 40% of possession to win any game. Their forwards won them much more than this against Italy and Samoa (unsurprisingly), but will have to fight hard to secure that level against top-flight sides. On an individual basis few Australians seem to make it into anyone’s World-15. As a team unit, surely they (remain) the best in the world?
This weekend’s game against France at Lang Park will be intriguing. We will only know how good Australia is after that, but I suspect the team is right up there.
The weekend's rugby
Posted by Living with Matilda at 5:51 PM
Either way, nobody in the NH or the SH (Scrum V again, Northern and Southern Hemisphere) expected the Lions to beat the ABs (Scrum V). To beat the ABs is NZ is tough; to beat them in the pouring rain, is even harder. Australia and South Africa know all about that.
Most are criticising SCW for picking a ‘RUWC 2003’ Benefit team, choosing a number of old buddies from the competition in Australia. At the beginning of the tour, he said based on current form, one England player would make the First XV. A few tour games later and things have changed enough to see eight in the XV and 13 in the squad.
Maybe SCW was under pressure from the sponsors to pick Wilkinson, regardless of who was playing better than him at No 10. NZ and Aus both have strong sides (despite comparative tiny numbers of players to pick from) precisely because of competition and merit based selection.
In Australia, Rathebone, Gitteau (world's best No 12?), Chris Latham, George Smith and Jeremy Paul all made the side in the last 12 months through injury to someone else, but have not lost their place since, despite the other players (Sailor, Flatley, Rogers, Samu and Cannon) regaining fitness. Merit, must be the governor of selection, not sponsors, experience or just plain ole' good mates….
The Lions paid dearly for it.
When SCW leaves the game to go under the employ of Southampton Football Club, many will question the legacy he left English Rugby Union. A great coach, who steered the England team steadily towards a peak at the RUWC in 2003? Or simply a half-decent motivator, who found himself in the right place at the right team with a great squad of world-beating players?
When a few retired or got injured England had a shocking run, loosing twice in NZ, then being stuffed in Brisbane and having two ordinary 6Nations Championships. Was this lack of SCW or lack of talent? Hate him or hate him more, in Australia, the 51-15 stuffing handed out in Brisbane in June 2004 was not quite as sweet as a win over a SCW England side.
It is shaping up to be a great 3Nations. The ABs will always be strong, but Australia is fresh from mauling two second division sides (Samoa and Italy) and are looking pretty polished and South Africa have had a good warm-up series against France (who Australia meet this week).
Australia’s game against Italy probably answered Eddie Jones’s selection questions. The back row must be Smith, Waugh and Lyons, Larkham must play at 10 and Gitteau at 12, Rathebone should start over Sailor (improving quickly again) and Latham must play over Rogers, if fit.
The Australian backs will need just 40% of possession to win any game. Their forwards won them much more than this against Italy and Samoa (unsurprisingly), but will have to fight hard to secure that level against top-flight sides. On an individual basis few Australians seem to make it into anyone’s World-15. As a team unit, surely they (remain) the best in the world?
This weekend’s game against France at Lang Park will be intriguing. We will only know how good Australia is after that, but I suspect the team is right up there.
Posted by Living with Matilda at 5:51 PM
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