SIZZLING SCOTS HAVE 6 APPEAL
They’ll make it tough for Eddie to retain crown
Iam starting to really worry about international rugby. The recent November internationals have become a largely meaningless procession of friendlies — something I never thought I would write.
Other than England versus australia and Scotland’s clash with New Zealand, I failed to get excited about any of the autumn Tests. That should never be the case. They used to be massive North v South clashes, a huge buzz around the matches and a chance to play at a level higher than the Six Nations. This time there has been far more buzz about the European club games.
These autumn internationals now seem to just come and go. argentina are in retreat, South africa are unable to pick their strongest side, australia often look tired and are resting players such as Israel Folau and David Pocock which only leaves New Zealand.
at least this November, when England finally face New Zealand at Twickenham, we can be confident neither team will be resting anybody.
It feels like elite Test rugby is contracting, rather than getting bigger.
Powerhouse nations like the Springboks and France are declining badly and nobody is coming through to replace them or, in the case of Georgia, being allowed to come through. Currently it seems only three countries can realistically lay claims to having what it takes to win a World Cup — New Zealand, England and Ireland.
That is a disaster for rugby and little different from the Rugby League World Cup.
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga continue to lead a precarious existence and are still resigned to losing many of their best players to predatory nations. Teams like Canada, who used to be strong and competitive, are really struggling. It’s encouraging to see the number of countries playing sevens but World Rugby should be more than concerned with what is happening to the international game. ON a much more positive note the 2018 Six Nations should be an absolute cracker and very hard to call. In fact I’m loathe to make any predictions until the eve of the tournament when we see which players will be involved as big injuries play such a part these days.
an in- form Scotland under Gregor Townsend will lay down the gauntlet in every match and everybody will have to respond. They could be the catalyst for a great tournament.
I can’t praise Eddie Jones enough for putting England back on the map with a real chance of arriving at the World Cup in Japan as the team to beat. But this is a crucial time and I’m looking forward to seeing how the team continue to develop. Some big calls need to be made in the back row but England have become an exciting team to watch again. any one of the four home unions can win the 2018 Six Nations but, in France, chief Bernard Laporte has predictably appointed his old No 2 Jacques Brunel as coach as well as his former captain Fabian Galthie. Neither of these appointments will cause any sleepless nights among their rivals. It all seems very conservative and backward looking. Unfortunately, I see no French revolution — which Europe badly needs — and although Italy will be more competitive than recent years, they will do very well to avoid the wooden spoon. mY ‘technical’ wish this year is the elimination of the nonsense when the scrum-half plays around with the ball and takes for ever to pass from the base of a ruck.
It really is killing a game that should be based on speed and stealth.
Why should a scrum-half be allowed three or four touches of the ball, rolling it one way and another and sometimes using his foot as well, before he is deemed to have played it when he finally picks it up? Why has that become the norm? This season, on at least 100 occasions, I must have heard referees shout ‘ use it’ to the scrum- half who then totally ignores him and continues with his endless repositioning. It is so incredibly boring.
and then what happens? after all that, he just shovels it on to a ‘ball carrier’, who gets absolutely smashed by a defence that have had 30 seconds to prepare.
We are asking these guys to run through a brick wall 10 or 15 times a match, so no wonder there has been such an increase in injuries.
Ultimately, I’d like to see these three or four touches for scrumhalves banned but, for the time being, I would settle for a free-kick against those who don’t speed up when the ref orders it. IT WOULD be good for England if Danny Cipriani was given another chance. It’s over nine years now since he started a game for England and although he has had his issues, which seem to be wildly exaggerated by his detractors, over the last four or five years, he has been producing quality performances week in, week out for Sale and Wasps. His form for Wasps throughout December has been stunning.
National teams and squads should always be picked on merit and Cipriani is entitled to look at some England squads during that period and wonder what on earth is going on. FINaLLY can we stop treating Twickenham as a pub? Have a good drink before and after the match – of course – but let’s stop this endless procession to and from the bars and toilets that makes watching the game itself a trial for many who have paid good money for their seats. If you insist on drinking your way through the game, stay out in the village area where they have a big screen.