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Entries tagged as ‘RWC 2011’

France 7-8 New Zealand: All Blacks good value for World Cup win

October 23, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Brad Thorn and the New Zealand players celebrate their World Cup win

France (0) 7

Tries: Dusautoir; Conversions: Trinh-Duc

New Zealand (5) 8

Tries: Woodcock; Penalties: Donald

The All Blacks finally ended 24 years of disappointment by beating France 7-8 in the rugby World Cup final at Eden Park, but they didn’t do it without a serious scare.  The French, justly labelled the worst side ever to reach a World Cup final, were the better side on the day, but  missed kicks and some borderline refereeing decisions conspired to defeat them.  Although the French will look back and believe that they should have won, few would deny that the All Blacks were worthy winners given their performances throughout the tournament.

The game began in much the same way as the group game between the two teams, with France in the ascendancy.  A willingness to put width on the ball was causing New Zealand problems and was denying their back row the chance to spoil possession at the breakdown.  Just as had happened a few weeks earlier, however, France’s bright start was eclipsed by a breakaway All Black try.  Already reeling from the loss of Morgan Parra, who was forced off as McCaw’s knee caught his head in a ruck, the French went to sleep at the lineout and allowed Tony Woodcock to stroll through from 7m out.  Although Weepu missed the conversion, New Zealand were 5-0 up and France’s bright start was wasted.

With the All Blacks starting to control proceedings, only Weepu’s wayward kicking prevented the men in black pulling further ahead.  An early penalty had already skewed wide, in addition to the conversion, before his third attempt also flew off target from right in front of the posts.  Despite this, however, the home team were controlling both territory and possession, aided by Joubert’s liberality at the breakdown.  The South African referee was in a lenient mood, and it allowed Kaino, Read and McCaw to make a mess of every breakdown they could reach, much to the frustration of France’s backs.

As the match approached half-time, the French finally established some phases and field position.  As they barrelled forwards, Trinh-Duc attempted an ambitious drop goal from 40m but sliced it wide of the right-hand upright, and it seemed the chance had gone.  When the clearance again fell to France’s replacement fly-half, however, he set off on a fantastic break, scything through the All Blacks’ chasers and leaving Kaino for dead with a cute dummy.  Weepu’s desperate tap-tackle halted the attack and kept the half-time score at 5-0, but France had served notice of their capabilities.

The French start to the second half was nothing short of explosive.  First, McCaw was finally penalised by Joubert for having his hands in the ruck, but Yachvilli pushed his kick inches wide.  A soft penalty then allowed Stephen Donald, on for his World Cup debut in place of the injured Aaron Cruden, to extend the lead to 8-0, and it looked like a promising beginning might again be wasted.  Then, as the All Blacks paused at a ruck on half way, the impressive Aurelien Rougerie stuck a foot through the ruck and kicked the ball through.  As Weepu instinctively hacked at the ball, Trinh-Duc burst forward to intercept his flick and set off for the posts.  Although the supporting Yachvilli lost his footing, giving New Zealand time to reorganise on their own line, Dusautoir cut a brilliant angle a touched down under the posts.

Suddenly, the French were in complete control.  Yachvilli and Trinh-Duc began to pin the All Blacks back with clever touchfinders, and Mermoz and the outstanding Rougerie carried with relish in the midfield.  New Zealand couldn’t get near the ball, let alone the French half, and even the refereeing began to go against them, as two penalties cost them 50 yards and gave Trinh-Duc the chance to seize the lead on 64 minutes.  France will forever wonder what might have happened if the kick had gone over, but the pressure told and it missed by a good 10m.  Even so, it seemed impossible that New Zealand could hold out under such relentless attack.

Yet hold out they did.  Donald and Dagg both managed to buy some respite with booming clearances, and marginal knock-ons began to creep into the French game as their desperation increased.  With the clock running down, France strove to get into drop-goal range but could not fashion an opportunity.  The irrepressible Rougerie finally gave them momentum, smashing through Conrad Smith and surging forward, but Jean-Marc Doussain, making not only his World Cup but also his international debut at the age of 20, knocked-on at the base of the ruck and New Zealand were able to clear their lines.  As they ground down the time until the final whistle, an entire nation contemplated the end of two generations of heartache, and no one outside France could begrudge them their moment.

Despite coming so very, very close to losing the final, New Zealand were absolutely worthy winners of the 2011 World Cup.  By far the best team over the previous four years (and arguably over the previous eight), they consistently rose to the occasion from their first game.  They destroyed France in their pool and overcame Australia at a canter in the semis, even absorbing the loss of the talismanic Dan Carter.  While Joubert’s generosity and two missed penalties were required to see them home, no one could claim that another team had better players or better form over the past six weeks.  Attention will now turn to 2015, where England will hope to emulate the All Blacks in pulling off a victory as the host nation.  In the meantime, keep checking back on Foot in Touch as we reflect on the World Cup, look forward to the Six Nations and the 2013 Lions tour, and also get into club rugby with some interviews and revealing profile pieces.

Categories: All Blacks · France · RWC 2011
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7th Heaven

October 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment

So the quarter-finals have come and gone, and I’ve given it a week before posting anything in case my next contribution just turned into a long, disappointed diatribe about how poor England were.  The World Cup campaign of Johnson’s team was, overall, fairly calamitous, as they failed to make friends on or off the pitch.  I, along with the coaching staff, players and a large part of the rugby public, was somehow fooled into thinking that you can win a World Cup playing badly, which of course you can’t.  You don’t have to be the best team in tournament; you don’t have to score the most tries; but you can’t play badly and win a World Cup.  So England got what they deserved, and the Rugby World Cup is probably richer for it, as teams in better form progress into the semi-finals (with the exception of France, who remain terrible).

Onto the semi-finals then, and the battle of the opensides.  It’s always dangerous to focus too much on individuals in what is the ultimate team game, but I agree with a large number of learned commentators who are talking about the semi-finals as direct battles between opposing flankers – Warburton vs Dusautoir and, even more enticingly, Pocock vs McCaw.  Whilst it would be an exaggeration to say that these clashes will decide the game, it would be extremely surprising if the winner of each of these clashes were to end up on the losing side.

A good number 7 is, of course, one of the things that England lack.  Throughout the tournament, there has been a continuing debate about the value of a genuine openside flanker in the team.  This has been prompted by teams such as England and Ireland, both quarter-finalists, who travelled without a first-choice specialist in that position.  Originally, I was tempted to reconfigure this debate along the lines of ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ numbers 7s.  This sees the traditional player as a slightly smaller, very quick player whose speciality is causing problems at the breakdown and slowing down opposition ball (if you want a paradigm of this type of player, you couldn’t find much better than Neil Back).  The modern 7, meanwhile, is a player like James Haskell or Sean O’Brien – not necessarily a sneaky operator who gets under opposition bodies at the ruck, but a powerful, mobile jack-of-all-trades who focuses on a high tackle count and puts himself about, without worrying too much about the darker side of the position.

Reading the situation thus, I didn’t take it too seriously when commentators pointed to England’s lack of specialist openside as a weakness.  After all, if you look at a position and James Haskell is filling it, there doesn’t seem to be too much of a problem.  But it isn’t that players like Haskell and O’Brien aren’t good rugby players or that they don’t try hard enough – it’s that a genuine, ‘traditional’, died-in-the-wool number 7 gives you something that no other player can, even if they have that number on their shirt.  The ability to turn over opposition ball, or at least to slow it down, is the defining characteristic of a good openside flanker – and it is something that England, in particular, missed hugely in this World Cup.

The two biggest quarter-finals last week were decided by openside flankers.  Ireland vs Wales was a titanic clash which the Welsh eventually won reasonably comfortably.  This was in a large part down to Sam Warburton’s success in nullifying the carrying threat of Sean O’Brien, his opposite number.  If O’Brien had created the sort of momentum that he has against just about everyone in the last 10 months, Wales would have lost.  Instead, the day was carried by Warburton’s tireless tackling (I heard an unconfirmed report that he had made 16 tackles by half-time alone) and his ability to win crucial turnovers when Ireland were camped on the Welsh line (notably in the early stages, when Ireland failed twice to take points having been camped on the Welsh line).  O’Brien is a very good flanker but is naturally a 6.  Although his freakish strength and mobility mean that he could never be considered a weak link, it is telling that Warburton’s impact ultimately outweighed that of the bigger, more brutal player.

If Warburton’s effect on the Welsh game was considerable, however, then David Pocock’s influence against South Africa was seismic.  Somehow, despite having no possession, no territory and a kicking game that resembled an under-16s training exercise, Australia managed to come away with a win.  South Africa had 75% territorial domination – 75%! – and yet were unable to convert pressure into points, largely because of Pocock’s work on the back foot.  Despite not playing the entire match, the Queensland player made 29 tackles and stole possession 9 times, truly astonishing figures.  With the South Africans’ own breakdown specialist, Heinrich Brussow, leaving the field injured in the first half, this was almost certainly the area of the game that went the furthest to deciding the match.

In my mind at least, therefore, this tournament has conclusively demonstrated not only the value of but also the necessity of a talented, specialist number 7 in any world class team.  It is no coincidence that Warburton, McCaw, Pocock and Dusautoir (an often under-estimated player) have carried their teams to the semi-finals and it has shown that, however good the replacement is, you cannot swap a 7 for a 6 without losing something from your game.  The challenge now for those sides without such a player is to find one and to promote him, quickly.  It would take a brave man to drop two of Wallace, Ferris and O’Brien in favour of a less rounded, specialist openside, and the same is true when weighing up Haskell, Wood and Moody.  If England are to start a meaningful assault on the top of world rugby, however, they’re going to need to do it with David Seymour, of Sale, or Carl Fearns, of Bath, playing a prominent role in their starting XV.

Categories: All Blacks · Australia · France · Ireland · RWC 2011 · South Africa · Wales
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Quarter-final preview

October 6, 2011 · Leave a Comment

The Celtic clash between Ireland and Wales is the best of a cracking quarter-final lineup

In a Rugby World Cup group game, the average winning margin is 28 points.  In a knock-out game, it is 14 points.  In a final, it is 10 points, and three finals have been decided by less than one score.

The newspaper in which I read those statistics used them as evidence that knock-out rugby is boring.  I strongly suspect the correspondent was a football fan, because the actual reason is quite the opposite – it gets close in the quarter-finals because that’s when the best teams start playing each other.  This is where it gets fascinating.

While there are those who will complain that the competition has again failed to produce a group-stage upset, it is difficult to be too downhearted about this because it guarantees an immense weekend of rugby.  The obvious weak link is Argentina, who are extremely unlikely to overcome New Zealand (30/1 last I checked), but then Dan Carter thoughtfully ruptured a tendon he never knew he had, giving the game huge resonance for Colin Slade and those who put their house on the All Blacks instead of a pension plan.  I for one will be tuning in with rapt attention, not only to see if Slade can fill the winged sandals of Carter but also to seize upon the first sign of choking, spluttering or even mild heart burn from the men in black.

Elsewhere, England and France will renew an historic rivalry with both sides looking to improve.  This may turn out to be hubristic, but I make England heavy, heavy favourites.  Not only have England won 4 from 4, including two games that thoroughly resembled knock-out rugby, they also have pedigree in this type of game.  Add to that the abject form of the French, the deteriorating relationship between coach and players, their weird selection and the psychological impact of a certain J Wilkinson, and I will be astonished if England lose.  That said, it is a World Cup quarter final, and if ever there is a game where form goes out of the window, it’s a knock-out game in a World Cup.  France are always capable of a mercurial turnaround.  I just think that in this instance, it’s more unlikely than usual.

As if that wasn’t enough, the really mouthwatering clashes are the two I have yet to mention.  Australia vs South Africa will be titanic, with large numbers of travelling supporters set to create a pulsating atmosphere.  David Pocock against Heinrich Brussow, Will Genia against Fourie du Preez – huge clashes in a huge game.  Australia are favourites, having beaten South Africa in their last four meetings, but I actually fancy the Springboks to win.  Not only is this side the most experienced in their history, with 836 caps, it contains a number of players who are World Cup winners, where Australia have none.  Ireland showed that you can beat the Wallabies by kicking your goals and having a blanket defence, both strong facets of the South African game, and I expect that will have had a psychological impact.  The onus is on Australia to make the play quick and loose, and in the knock-out stages I always bet against the side who have to break free to win the game – it’s just not how knock-out rugby works.

That is in turn what makes the Celtic clash the pick of the round, as neither side should look to stifle the other.  Wales will never abandon their free-flowing style, regardless of circumstance, and a Northern Hemisphere opponent reduces the chance that they will execute badly because of nerves or psychological weakness.  Ireland, meanwhile, have the pack to play it tight, but they cut loose against Italy and their dynamic back row will want a broken game so that they can scavenge possession.  Although it would buck the trend of late-stage rugby, there is a genuine chance that we’ll see exciting, fast-paced, incisive rugby.  The last time Wales and Ireland met in an ultra-pressured game was the 6 Nations decider in 2009, and that was an absolute belter.  I really can’t pick a winner, although my heart just about says Wales.  Ultimately, whichever of the outstanding back rows wins the day will lead their side to victory, and Warburton against O’Brien is too close to call.

Categories: All Blacks · Argentina · Australia · England · France · Ireland · RWC 2011 · South Africa · Wales
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England 16 – 12 Scotland

October 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Ashton's 77th-minute score saw England progress at Scotland's expense

England 16

Tries: Ashton; Conversions: Flood; Penalties: Wilkinson (2); Drop-goal: Wilkinson

Scotland 12

Penalties: Patterson (2), Parks; Drop-goal: Parks

A late Chris Ashton try was enough to seal England’s place in the World Cup quarter finals in a dreadful game against Scotland at Eden Park.  Defeat means that Scotland are almost certain to exit the competition, but England will take little from an error-strewn performance that lacked continuity and rhythm.

The game began in poor conditions, with both sides struggling to keep a greasy ball in hand but both looking to put width on the ball.  Scotland had the better of the opening exchanges as England’s familiar indiscipline surfaced, allowing Chris Patterson to open the scoring with an eighth-minute penalty.  Dan Parks (a fourth-minute substitute for the hamstrung Ruaridh Jackson) then added another three points after Dan Cole was harshly penalised for not rolling away, the TMO confirming that the kick had just crept over the bar.

Stung by these early concessions, and conscious that Scotland were closing in on the eight point margin that would put them into the quarter finals, England finally began to exert pressure, winning a penalty at the ruck on the left hand side.  Despite the acute angle, Wilkinson opted to go for the points but missed his attempt, the first of three misses within five minutes.  Although England’s pack was making good inroads, and the outstanding Manu Tuilagi was causing huge problems for the Scottish midfield, they had nothing to show for it on the half-hour mark, trailing 6-0.

Scotland continued to threaten with ball in hand but England’s cover defence stayed strong and forced Parks into a missed drop goal, before Wilkinson’s charitable mood eventually expired.  After Scotland entered the ruck illegally on 34 minutes, England’s record points scorer finally reduced the deficit to three points with a successful strike.  There was still time for Parks to slot a drop-goal, however, and England were six points adrift at half time.

The start of the second half saw much greater urgency and penetration from England, with Tuilagi the stand-out player.  Almost straight from the restart, the Leicester centre flew out of the defensive line to sack Sean Lamont, turned the ball over and fed the lively Delon Armitage for a surge down the wing.  England were still struggling to get points, however, and their plight was summed up when Wilkinson somehow missed a drop goal from just 15m out, bang in front of the posts.

Emboldened, Scotland again gained ground and spread the ball to winger Danielli, who kicked ahead.  As the ball bobbled, Ben Foden did brilliantly to spoil Danielli’s own chase, only for the chasing De Luca to knock-on with the try line at his mercy.  Wilkinson did arrive to make the cover-tackle (indeed, his scramble defence was the only part of his game that was fully firing) but De Luca’s frustration was obvious as a golden chance went begging.  From the resulting scrum, however, Patterson was able extend the lead to 12-3 after England’s front row collapsed.  For the first time, Scotland held a crucial nine point lead and England were heading for an early exit.

The England response was immediate – indeed, their ability to respond to necessity will be the biggest positive they take from the game.  First Wilkinson shrugged off his earlier woes to slot a 30m drop-goal, and he then cut the gap to 12-9 after Scotland collapsed a maul.  As Scotland chased the game, England controlled possession and won a line-out in the Scottish 22.  The forwards drove on, Tuilagi crashed the ball up and Flood’s wide pass found Ashton with enough space to scamper over.  England continued to squeeze the life from the Scottish players, finally controlling possession and territory, and they finished the game in the ascendency.

Although England will be pleased to win the game, especially from 12-3 down, they were still light years from the exciting team of last Autumn.  England have a game-plan that doesn’t revolve around flinging the ball wide, which is fine, but they just could not build momentum in the first half as penalties, free kicks and handling errors continually turned the ball over.  For Scotland, meanwhile, a performance of great heart should not hide the brutal truths of this campaign, which has again shown their inability to cross the try-line.  The real knockout blow was delivered by Argentina last week, and Andy Robinson must build a team capable of closing out a game, something which they failed to do in each of their crucial pool matches.

While Scottish hearts were broken, the Auld Enemy stumbles on; but England will have much to work on before next week’s meeting with France.

Categories: England · RWC 2011 · Scotland
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Pick ‘n’ Mix

September 23, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Jack Lewars in Cloud Cuckoo Land

Can someone please check the drinking water in New Zealand, preferably as a matter of urgency?  I only ask because there must be some reason why half the coaches in the tournament seem to have gone stir crazy with their selections this week.

First up, we’ve got France.  Now in many ways this is the least surprising one, given that Lievremont has form here.  As a mate of mine said recently, you never play for France, you just play one game for them.  Then there’s every chance you’ll be out of the squad the next week and captain in a fortnight.  Even given the truth in this, however, the French coach has gone properly overboard this time.  This is one of the biggest games of the tournament, certainly the crunch match of Pool A, and Lievremont has dropped Trinh-Duc, his established fly-half.  Oh well, you say, England have changed like that effectively in the past.  Well, yes, they have, but they did usually replace the dropped player with another fly-half.  Lievremont has put Morgan Parra there, a man with 35 minutes of test rugby in that position.  Ever.  And twenty minutes of those were against Japan.  Can you imagine what David Skrela must have said? 

DS: ’You’re doing what?’
ML: [shrug] ’We’re going with Parra.’
DS: ‘Yes, you said.  I just wanted to know who’s playing fly-half?’
ML: ‘Parra.’
DS: ‘I see.  In that case, can I start at prop please?’
ML: ‘I was thinking more water boy.’

Now the New Zealand press have gone to town on this, as tabloids over there are wont to do (thank goodness ours are so down to earth - today’s Mail led with ‘Staring Down the Barrel of Economic Disaster’).  They have claimed that this is match-fixing, as France want to end up in the quarter-final draw with England, Wales and Ireland – the half of the draw that the IRB officially renamed on Sunday as the ’easy route to the final where the All Blacks will crush you’ half.  The media have further pointed out that people who bought a £241 ticket for the game are unlikely to be too happy about it, leading Lievremont to tell a reporter “I will speak to the players to see what they decide. Perhaps they will decide to give up if it’s easier for us afterward.”  Ah, the old ‘tell the truth sarcastically enough and people won’t realise’ trick.  How wiley.

Imanol Harinordoquy was a bit more direct, saying that the idea of the French deliberately losing the game is preposterous - a cunning line to take, as it distracted attention from the French squad and selectors, who are dead keen on deliberately losing the game.  He added, “I feel like telling them that I’ve bought four tickets at 250 euros (£217) each, and I’m not complaining.”  In fairness, he probably bought them in case Lievremont dropped him in favour of Carla Bruni.  Let’s hope he at least gives one to David Skrela.

Next up on our carousel of bafflingness is Andy Robinson, a man normally associated with stolid predictability.  This week, however, faced by an absolutely crucial game against Argentina, he decided to spring a tactical surprise.  Unfortunately, the only surprising thing he could dream up was to drop his captain, Alistair Kellock – it was that or tell them to wear odd socks, and the Argentinians haven’t fallen for that one since the Falklands.  Now I am a bit cautious about taking on a man who was assistant coach of the immortal 2003 England side, but I think we can be pretty sure that he wasn’t much involved in selection back then.  “I know Martin Johnson’s good, but have you considered Iain Balshaw for the final?” “Just wait outside and watch for eavesdroppers Andy, like we agreed.  Leave the socks.”

On the subject of England, they are (predictably) the one rock of solidity in a sea of surprises.  After resting several key players against Georgia – a reasonable enough decision, even if it did backfire a little when England weren’t very good – Johnson has named the team that he hopes will take England to the final, minus the unavailable Stevens, Easter and Lawes.  Thank goodness – some sanity.  Sorry what’s that?  They’re doing what?  That’s right folks – the Romanians are putting out a second XV.  They’ve made 11 changes since the Argentina game?  Of course they have.

Now hold on a minute.  Clearly while the rest of the rugby-watching world turned to the man on their left and went ‘there really aren’t any minnows in this tournament, you know’, they had all forgotten the one glaring exception: England.  Thank heavens the Romanians are here to remind us what a pushover the English are.  After all, their World Cup form since 2002 does read played 16, won 14, lost 2.  Many of you will no doubt read this and say ‘they’re obviously resting players for Georgia’, which seems fair, until you realise that the Georgia game is undoubtedly the last one they’ll play in the tournament.  Surely their players can lift themselves for the only winnable game they’ll get in the group, especially as it’ll be ‘one last push’ time?  And anyway, what are they resting them for?  God forbid that, after two games in four days, the Romanians won’t be fit for their next match, the always-crucial European Nations Cup Division 1A tie against Portugal in February.  I’m not trying to be rude about developmental rugby, but Romanian players live to play in World Cups, and they only get four games every four years.  So why not give who deserve to start the chance to play the most successful Northern Hemisphere team?

I may, of course, be wrong on all of this.  It could all be genius.  Scotland may win convincingly, thus securing the quarter-final spots for themselves and England, in turn allowing Johnson and Robinson to pick their teams solely on height for next week’s meeting; Romania may lose heroically, discovering a new generation of young superstars who will sweep to glory in 2015; and France may thrash New Zealand, with Parra scoring 80 unanswered points and breaking both the New Zealand backline and Dan Carter’s sense of self-worth at the same time.  But I doubt it.  So perhaps someone could spare a thought for the real losers in all these shenanigans, who are the players.  After all, they don’t go out there just to get in a bit of dwarf-throwing.

Categories: All Blacks · Argentina · England · France · Romania · RWC 2011 · Scotland
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Ireland rise whither England aspire

September 19, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Ireland celebrate a famous victory against Australia, putting them on course for a quarter-final against Wales

Another weekend, another round of thought-provoking rugby.  Some have said that we saw the best and worst of the World Cup, with Ireland’s stirring win over Australia counterbalancing England’s performance against Georgia.  Whilst I agree with the first part, however, I am not at all convinced by the latter.

What is certain is that Ireland have provided an excellent blueprint for beating Southern Hemisphere sides in the World Cup.  Australia were most people’s pick as New Zealand’s opponents in the final, as the TriNations finale saw them combine their usual attacking flair with a new-found physicality.  As so often in the past, however, one good performance from Australia’s forwards hath not a good pack made.  Ireland bullied the Wallabies up front, especially in the scrum, and questions will again be asked about their front row and ability at the breakdown in the absence of the preeminent David Pocock.

The really encouraging thing for other Northern Hemisphere sides is that Ireland were not brilliant.  They blew several good try-scoring opportunities, Sexton was poor with the boot and their outside backs failed to find or create space.  The one thing that they got absolutely right, however, was their defence.  Much like England in 2007, Ireland recognised the threat of the Wallaby backline and worked overtime on stifling it, creating a blanket of green which enveloped any attacks.  As long as this defensive system was working, they were always confident that they could manage Australia’s forwards and drag the Southern Hemisphere side into a kicking contest, which could only be to Ireland’s advantage.  The Australian pack did not manage to create momentum (always a hard ask against a pack which contains Sean O’Brien, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Stephen Ferris) and Cooper was reduced to trying trick passes as he strived for an opening.  When one of these went straight to Tommy Bowe, wasting the last meaningful field position that Australia gained, it was not a lucky escape, but a testament to the suffocating nature of the Irish defensive game.

There is an extent to which we should be cautious about saying that this game plan will beat any Sourthern Hemisphere side.  Australia are particularly vulnerable to it, because their forwards don’t make a lot of yards with their carrying and because they lack a rock solid goalkicker.  New Zealand are more muscular and have Dan Carter to punish any transgressions, and South Africa would relish a blood-and-guts battle of ten man rugby (indeed, the carrying of inside centre Frans Steyn against Fiji probably surpassed that of Australia’s front five).  I do think, though, that the Southern Hemisphere sides are less comfortable in tight games.  Their much-vaunted attacking rugby thrives in the Super 15, where some of the tackling is laughably poor, and in the TriNations, where two sides will come out fully expecting to score four tries each.  If a side comes out looking to kick their way to victory, however, even New Zealand’s game seems to suffer, as was shown in the Investec International against England last autumn.  This could be why the mercurial Welsh have such a poor record against the antipodes, where England in particular have had more success.

Which brings us to England, who supposedly delivered another performance of stultifying ineptitude.  Now it’s worth noting that I haven’t seen the whole game, because ITV Player was only able to deliver 16 minutes of poor quality footage before looping me back to the beginning again (if anyone from ITV is reading this – I tried two laptops and three browsers, so it’s not me, it’s you.  Sort it out, it’s a worldwide spectacle, and you had sufficient warning in the 2010 football World Cup, which you also butchered).  However, I have managed to track down the tries and I think a sense of perspective is needed.

England were, as the coaches and players have recognised, not as fluent as they would have liked.  They also continue to give away penalties like they’re on special offer, which will seriously hurt them later in the tournament if it is not rectified.  On the other hand, just about every learned commentator has spent the whole World Cup stating that the days of cannon-fodder minnows are over.  Even Pieter de Villiers has noticed it, a man for whom common sense and clarity of thought are as rare as a Mike Tindall sidestep.  Anyone who was expecting another 80-point drubbing, therefore, was already in the wrong ball park.

Georgia, in fact, were initially very good.  They had easily the best half of World Cup rugby in their history, with their outstanding physicality and England’s indiscipline keeping them more than in touch.  As the game wore on, England’s greater skill levels and superior conditioning saw them gain the upper-hand, and they ended up scoring six tries.  Both sides should really be satisfied, especially given that the Scots failed even to cross the try-line against the same outfit just four days earlier.

So yes, England will want to improve and, yes, their indiscipline is a serious problem.  But you still wouldn’t bet against them in the latter stages – especially if they can emulate Ireland’s inspirational example.

Categories: Australia · England · Georgia · Ireland · RWC 2011
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Dysfunctional England scrape past Argentina

September 11, 2011 · 1 Comment

Jack Lewars

We at Foot in Touch promised a lot for the major World Cup games – match reports, tactical analysis, special features.  In this instance, however, we think the less said about the game the better.

England were bad – bad in their discipline, bad with their kicking and, worst of all, very badly led.  They started the game with errors and penalties, losing their own line out, knocking on in midfield and twice straying marginally offside.  This should have served as a warning, both that they needed to stick to the basics and that Bryce Lawrence was in the most pedantic of moods.  Instead, England seemed completely unable to adapt, either to the Argentine physicality or to the extreme ‘idiosyncracy’ of the referee’s decisions.

Argentina went ahead via a Contepomi penalty, before Wilkinson restored parity after a high tackle.  Then came the first of a series of let-offs for the men in white, as Contepomi missed a penalty attempt.  Although Rodriguez did open a three point lead a short time later, his subsequent misses were a key factor in allowing England to sneak home.

Apart from several more missed kicks, including one from Wilkinson (who missed four overall in his worst ever kicking performance), the only bright spot of the first half was a searing break from Ben Foden.  The Northampton full-back, who was added a rare touch of quality to England’s play throughout, picked a great line through an Argentinian dog-leg and sped clear.  Unfortunately, he chose to throw an ambitious pass to Armitage, rather than feeding Wilkinson and Ashton on his inside, and England had to settle for a penalty, which their fly-half duly missed.  Until the introduction of Youngs, it was to be the last moment of excitement for England fans for some time.

For the Argentinians, however, excitement was not in short supply.  Exeter winger Gonzalo Camacho was constantly dangerous, profiting from the fact that England’s defensive line seemed vulnerable to sideways running and a change of pace; and, whenever the Argentine pack stalled in its progress forward, England gifted them a penalty.  When Dan Cole was sin binned for blatently collapsing a maul, England were lucky to go in at half time only 6-3 down.  Only the inconsistency of the South Americans’ kicking prevented England losing touch.

The second half was a similar story, with a succession of wayward penalties.  The difference, however, was Ben Youngs.  Introduced on 50 minutes, he instantly added pace to the game with a quick penalty and from that moment on England’s tempo was lifted.  At the same time, their superior preparation (Argentina only played two warm-up games, and one of those was against Worcester Warriors) and fitness began to tell, and the set piece and close exchanges swung England’s way,  Eventually, as England finally established a platform, Youngs was able to snipe over from close range, with Wilkinson’s conversion giving them a 10-9 advantage.  There was still time for Youngs to execute a magnificent cross-kick, and for Wilkinson finally to land a penalty, but the remainder of the game petered out.  It was an apt conclusion.

Overall, England’s few positives came from individual performances – Youngs, Foden, Armitage in parts (although he was far too flat when England went wide) and Lawes, who single-handedly destroyed the Argentinian midfield.  It is also immeasurably better to be wondering how you nearly lost, rather than contemplating a quarter final against New Zealand.  However, the missed one-on-one tackles, the lack of control and the chronic indiscipline need immediate attention.  Perhaps more profound is the issue of leadership.  When England were conceding penalties on a regular basis and were struggling for possession, who stood up and took control?  Certainly not Mike Tindall, stand-in captain; not Nick Easter or Steve Thompson, the most experienced forwards.  Martin Johnson, a consumate leader in his playing days and a man who always responded positively to pressure, must have been tearing his hair out.  England have frequently been accused of lacking leadership and this game added weight to that accusation.  If England are to go far in this World Cup, the senior players will need to be much more visible when the going gets tough – otherwise England will continue to stutter and struggle when the pressure comes on.

Categories: Argentina · England · RWC 2011
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Coming up on Foot in Touch

September 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Welcome to Foot in Touch!  Although the site has been running for around a month now, with a steady stream of articles already forthcoming, many of you will be new to the blog.  This is our chance to say hello, welcome and to ask you to register so that we can track of you and you of us as the blog continues to grow.

In particular, we wanted to let you, the blog’s followers, know what we have in store over the next few weeks.  Obviously the Rugby World Cup is dominating the sports headlines at the moment, and Foot in Touch will be watching closely, although tragically not from New Zealand.  We will have match reports and tactical analysis of all the major games, along with player ratings for the England matches.  We will also be using our dedicated contributors to give a Welsh perspective on the Welsh, an Irish perspective on the Irish and an Australian perspective on the Australians.  If you’re Scottish, French or from New Zealand, feel free to email me and form your own niche….

As well as this match coverage, we will also keep you up to date with all the midweek news, from selection to injury to discipline to scandals; and we will be bringing a slightly different perspective on the sport’s showcase event via our ‘newcomer to rugby’ and ‘the feminine angle’ features.

Aside from the World Cup, we have several exciting plans, from a detailed look at the life of a player in a Premiership Academy to the inside line on Cambridge University’s Varsity Match preparations, from the challenges of refereeing to the latest thinking in rugby nutrition and analysis.  We also hope to secure interviews with some very well-known rugby faces immediately after the World Cup, so watch this space.

So, finally, thank you for coming onto the blog; please register; and we hope you enjoy our content.  Also, if you have an idea for the site, would like to contribute or have any feedback, please email us via the Contact Us page.

Cheers!


Categories: Foot in Touch · RWC 2011
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T’ n’ T’ give England something to celebrate

August 28, 2011 · 2 Comments

Tuilagi had an explosive impact for England as they overcame Ireland in Dublin

Well it’s fair to say England have found their centres.  A man of the match display from Mike Tindall, celebrating a record-equalling 72nd cap, opened the way for Tuilagi to exhibit the full range of his talents, scoring a try and demonstrating his crushing defence.  As the luckless David Wallace will testify, when he hits, he hits hard.

Much more pleasing than either man’s moments of individual skill, however, is the efficacy of the combination that  England have found.  Whilst Tuilagi’s finish and Tindall’s beautifully-executed kick were impressive, their most telling endeavour was in fact defensive, when they collaborated to turnover Irish ball inside their own 22.  With the English line under severe pressure, Tindall stepped up and funneled the attack back into Tuilagi and Wilkinson (and, frankly, that’s a bad place to be funneled).  As the ensuing hit came in, the captain was on hand to steal the ball, and England survived unscathed.

This half pitch press was so well done that Ireland failed to score a try all game, and recorded no points in the second half, despite good territory and possession.  England’s defence was absolutely rock solid, with Tindall deployed at 13 to act a decision-maker whenever Ireland were on the ball.  Much as Tuilagi’s physical threat gave Tindall the space and time to create in attack, it was the older man’s much-vaunted reading of the game that gave Tuilagi plenty of opportunity to showcase his tackling ability.  Good centre partnerships are mutually beneficial, and that’s exactly what England seem to have found.

Elsewhere, the away performance was less unqualifiedly brilliant.  The forwards worked hard, with Thompson anchoring a powerful scrum, and their tackle count and work ethic were excellent.  Also pleasing was the line-out, in which each of Deacon, Palmer, Croft, Lawes and Shaw acted as jumpers.  However, the penalty count was a constant problem; Haskell’s carrying must be offset against a lack of control at the base of the scrum; and Lawes was largely anonymous.

In the backs, Wilkinson was below par.  Although he should keep his place for the first group game, his hands were not as slick as they can be and his kicking from hand was extremely variable.  It’s probably unfair to take his goal-kicking and defence for granted but one can’t help hoping for more.  Equally subdued was the returning Ashton, and Foden was again anonymous, with Armitage the only noticeable pace-merchant.  The defensive line was unbreachable but England must learn to use their midfield penetration to bring their back three into space.  Foden and Ashton form a world class partnership that is potentially lethal, and yet they did not break the line once between them and England seem to have forgotten how to use them.  If Tuilagi bulldozes his way across the gain line, England must aim to get Foden and Ashton running at forwards and threatening to break clear.  Drifting slightly and shipping the ball to Manu  resulted in a try yesterday, but it won’t against any defence worth its salt, and England’s second phase is blunt where it should be incisive.

Despite the inevitable talk of lessons to be learned, England will be hugely satisfied to have won this game.  A successful trip to Dublin has eluded the men in white since 2003, and they’ve only beaten Ireland once at Twickenham in that time.  To return to the scene of March’s brutal reality check and win convincingly is a significant achievement which very few predicted.  The pre-game talk of England aiming to lose well has been quickly forgotten, partly because of Ireland’s inability to improve on their troubled form, but Johnson will be delighted to have won comfortably.  Indeed, if Lawes hadn’t butchered – really butchered - a try on the right, and if Cueto hadn’t been lame when he intercepted Reddan’s pass, England would have won by a serious margin.  The Red Rose is in efficient, powerful, ominous shape, while the emerald green is in serious need of answers.

Categories: England · Ireland · Players · RWC 2011
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Exciting England selection signifies change of heart from Johnson

August 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Johnson will give Manu Tuilagi the chance to ignite England's attack

I have to be honest and say that I’m evidently not the best person for second guessing Martin Johnson. Much as my predicted squad resembles the actual squad fairly closely, this shouldn’t disguise the fact that Johnson and I used different reasoning on just about everything that matters. Given this, however, it’s even more surprising that Johnson’s team to face Ireland is almost exactly what I’d hoped for. It’s powerful, experienced and looks more creative than before. Despite his conservative reputation, Johnson has made some bold calls, and there is reason for cautious optimism if you’re an England fan. The striking selection at 10, 12 and 13 suggests a real change of approach, and it may well sort some of England’s recent problems.

The team:
1. Sheridan
2. Thompson
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Deacon
6. Croft
7. Haskell
8. Easter

Subs: Hartley, Stevens, Shaw, Wood

The pack looks solid and doesn’t offer up too many surprises. You might have fancied Hartley over Thompson (and indeed Stevens ahead of Cole) but England’s abundance of front row riches here means that this is still a reassuring area. Lawes and Deacon give an exciting blend of muscle and athleticism and Deacon’s line-out work against Wales has clearly been preferred to Palmer’s thunderous defence, with Shaw offering experience and weight from the bench.

The back row is well-balanced, although I would expect Haskell to make way for Moody on September 10th. I get the distinct feeling that Johnson wants Haskell and Easter to front up to the Irish intensity at the breakdown, after England got so stuffed there in Dublin, and Haskell is in particularly imposing phsyical condition at the moment. With Moody named as captain, and so certain to start if fit, Haskell will see this as a real chance to claim the no. 8 spot from Easter. Easter has a long-standing claim to the position, but if Haskell continues his Six Nations form then Johnson will have a selection headache there.

9. Wigglesworth
10. Wilkinson
11. Ashton
12. Tindall
13. Tuilagi
14. Cueto
15. Foden

Subs: Simpson, Flood, Armitage

This is where things get really interesting. Youngs will most likely return when fit, but Wigglesworth will be keen to impress after his trial against Wales was cut short by injury. Given Youngs’ fairly ordinary Six Nations, the rugby brain and quick hands of Wigglesworth do give him an outside chance of nailing down a starting birth, especially if Youngs isn’t fit for the Argentina game.

Wilkinson is finally re-instated at 10 and, for me, the only surprise here is that Johnson was prepared to make that call. Ever since Wilkinson won the game for England against Scotland in February, I have felt that he offered greater control than Flood, who is suffering as sides work him out via their analysis. Johnson, however, has shown admirable consistency in selecting Flood, and it is good to see that he is now selecting on form, as he did when he initially dropped Wilkinson. Ashton’s return to the back three will give England greater verve and finishing power, and Wilkinson’s eye for the cross kick might well come into play.

The biggest news, however, lies with the centres. After months of staunchly defending Hape and Tindall, Johnson has finally decided that he needs more in attack. Tuilagi’s brutal physicality will be a huge asset for England, and I expect to see him and Tindall rotating their positions during the game. Of the rather thin resources at Johnson’s disposal, this is surely the partnership that offers the most go-forward and, if England can consistently break the gain line, we will see the truly lethal back three come into play. With England’s recent scoring troubles, it is easy to forget how good Ashton, Foden and Cueto are – I for one hope to be reminded on Saturday.

Categories: England · Players · RWC 2011
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