Wales Vs England–England fall to their heaviest defeat by the Welsh

Posted on Mar 18, 2013 in England, Wales

There is a common belief amongst rugby coaches that small advantages make for big scores. Never was this more true than in the Wales vs. England finale to the 2013 RBS Six Nations.

Historians will read the bare statistics and conclude this was a one sided game in which Wales annihilated a hapless England side. There is a parade of them:

• The final score – Wales managed 10 points for every one that England scored, 30 points to 3 being the final tally.
• Preponderance of play – in the second half 72% of the play was in the England half, in the first half that was a mere 56%.
• Possession – Wales secured 57% of the first half possession and 69% of the second half possession
• Scrums – Wales won 8 scrums to England’s 1
• Lineouts – Wales won 11, England 5
• Penalties – Wales conceded 7 penalties to England’s 12
• Mauls – Wales won 4 to England’s 2
• Line breaks – Wales 8 England 3
• Errors – Wales 34 England 58
• Missed tackles – Wales 11 England 23

There is more, but you will have the picture by now. That picture is, in nearly every phase of play (offloads being the one exception) Wales were superior to England by some margin. The statistics tell a story that Wales came out on to the park, started attacking and did not stop until the final whistle blew. As one pundit said, Wales were better in two key areas: everything they said and everything they did.

So, were the dreadful team that conceded 30 points in the first half to a very ordinary Ireland transformed into supermen as the tournament wound on? Of course they weren’t.

The truth is Wales did everything just a bit better than England, moreover they did it with intensity, commitment and at pace. By half time England were shell-shocked.

As they trudged off the park, there was a weariness in their step that belied the words of Sir Clive Woodward, who believed that England “were still in it at 9-3”. They weren’t. These are professional sportsmen, and they knew in their heart of hearts that this was not going to be their day. They may never admit it, but they wanted to get back to their paddock in the Home Counties and plan for another day.

The fierceness of their encounter with Wales was something most of them had never experienced before and crucially: did not expect. After all, these were the conquerors of the mighty All Blacks. Was there anything that Wales could bring to the party that they had not already seen and overcome in their encounter with New Zealand? Well, the fitness of the All Blacks at the end of a season and after a week of Norovirus may not have been the best measure to use when gauging 80 minutes in the Millennium Stadium with a crowd hyped up by the English press, who had spent weeks crowing about how England only really needed to turn up to complete the Grand Slam procession. 2011 should have told them it does not happen like that. The Celts love a scrap with England.

But in the end, were Wales THAT much better than England? Statistics aside, especially the 27 point margin; was the difference between the two teams so great? If you look at the game with an analytical eye, then you will see that Wales were just a bit better at everything in the first half. They were more committed in the rucks, got the shove on in the scrum and applied enormous pressure against a wilful English defence. England did not buckle under that pressure and instead applied a bit of pressure of their own and had they not made a few nervous errors, they may well have gone into the dressing room in the lead.

Had Tuilagi caught the ball rather than tried to head a goal, he may well have been unstoppable in his headlong charge for the line. It looks like Cuthbert had a bead on him, but many would have bet on the Englishman to have crossed. He didn’t though, because he took his eye off the ball. Why? Probably nerves, the occasion, the crowd. It was something he had never experienced before and the weight of expectation told. He head butted the ball. End of try-scoring opportunity.

80 minutes in the Millennium Stadium with a crowd hyped up by the English press, who had spent weeks crowing about how England only really needed to turn up

Would you have bet on the metronomic right boot of the curiously Welsh named Owen Farrell throwing a wobbly and missing a couple of relatively simple penalties? Of course not. He has been slotting them over in his sleep, but on Saturday, he missed and he missed again in the second half; then he got no more chances. Pressure again. Inexperience. The occasion.

Meanwhile, the REAL Mister Ice, the baby faced assassin, Leigh Halfpenny was keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

These are the differences. England’s much vaunted confidence was shot. Their steamroller had already thrown a gasket against Italy and now they were trying to play rugby in a viper’s nest. The noise in the Millennium Stadium had to be witnessed to be believed.

Then there was the defence. Wales had not conceded a try since just after half time against Ireland. Take a bow the hero of the hour, Mister Sean Edwards (even more curiously Welsh named). The Welsh defence would not cough up a try and all of a sudden, the one man who they could not defend against was kicking goals like a drunk grandmother.

That must have played on the minds of the players around him. Add to that the penalty count mounting up against them and Wales’s edge in the scrum, a source of even more penalties. How could they win the game? Plan A is to score tries. Plan B is to kick penalties. There is no Plan C. This must have passed through the mind of every England player: “How do we go about winning this game?” The empty space where the answer should have been must have drained the will from the men in white.

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The Trouble with Chris

Posted on Feb 27, 2013 in Latest Rugby News

 

It’s been a poor couple of days for Chris Ashton recently, nicely finished off with Lancaster’s public admission that he might drop his misfiring winger. That England’s command cadre, men who have placed a high emphasis on meanness in defence, might be a touch exasperated by Ashton’s defensive work right now is understandable. A plea for mitigating circumstances might be entered; Lawes missed tackle left Ashton with Fofana and Fall to cover. The next inside man was Joe Marler, who was never going to be of any help in that situation. However, Fofana’s outside arc solved that for Ashton. The French inside centre was all but stood in front of Fall by the time he got within a metre of Ashton. All he had to do was stop the French inside-centre. Not easy, perhaps, to shift from covering the pass to Fall on his outside to hitting Fofana on his inside in that short a period of time, but more than possible. Players are picked for England in the belief that they can do these tasks.

 

Of course, Ashton didn’t, and the rest is now history and one up on Fofana’s try count. Now, Ashton must face an uncomfortable couple of weeks sweating on his place, with the media and fans constantly speculating. Personally, I am surprised – surprised it has taken this long for the questions to start, and surprised nobody is asking how and why a man who appeared the brightest star in English rugby two years ago is now struggling so much.

 

By now, everyone should be aware that Ashton has defensive issues, both in the terms of his reading of the game and the quality of his tackling. The four missed tackles against Ireland might not have been as damaging, or as noticeable, as letting Fofana through, but it was not a pretty thing. I’m not sure I’d call him a bad defender, but he certainly doesn’t spring to mind as one of the good defenders of international rugby, one of the guys who constantly goes for the right man and stands up well to the power runners. In fairness, not a lot of wingers do. Defensively, it’s a difficult position, and happily we still generally prioritise pace and agility there. A good winger’s defensive frailties are often overlooked because of what he brings in attack – and herein lies Ashton’s problem.

 

For me, the defining moment of Ashton’s game wasn’t him getting completely stood up by Fofana. It was when he came steaming onto Youngs’ inside pass and promptly got turned over by Dusautoir – about the 44^th minute on iPlayer, or 16 minutes 50 on the game clock for those who wish to see again. To me, it showed both the good and the bad of what’s going on with Ashton at the moment. You can’t fault his work rate or desire for trying to get on the end of a pass like that. Much of his success for England has come from running off a half-back’s shoulder. But not here, and it’s not hard to see why not. Partly it’s Youngs fault, as Ashton has to check slightly to take the ball behind his head. But it was heavy traffic indeed and he didn’t appear to slow much for it. Even at full pelt I don’t think he’d have got away from Samson covering over, particularly as Dusautoir was lurking behind the line and seemed ready for a line break. A faster, stronger man might have got through that gap but I am not sure, and Ashton isn’t that faster, stronger man.

 

So why did he go for it? This isn’t the first time Chris Ashton has popped up centrally in the park looking to break the gainline himself. I have a particularly sore memory of Ashton coming in to first receiver and electing to run straight at the Irish pack from that game, an act in which he got turned over and has no one to blame for it but himself. At least there was a fighting chance of some good coming from Ashton hitting the inside line off of Youngs. To my mind, there are two possibilities here. The first is that Chris Ashton think it is a good idea for him to pop up in central positions against well set defensive lines and try taking on the forwards, and that his coaches have not for whatever reason either tried to stop him doing it, or successfully communicated that he should. The second is that his coaches think it is a good idea for Chris Ashton to take on these balls. Either way, I do not agree, and believe that the coaches must be held responsible at least in part. Chris Ashton should not be taking on fairly static ball in the centre of the park and trying to break the gainline, not while there are 8 forwards and a pair of big centres better suited for the role.

 

What Ashton should be doing is either running at the gaps offered by a disorganised defensive line off of quick ball, or running support lines off of line breaks. Those are things I expect wingers to be good at, and those are things Chris Ashton is very good at. He has not been doing a lot of it. What little he has done, however, has worked. His try against New Zealand came from getting on Tuilagi’s shoulder. His try from Scotland came from taking on the ball after Launchbury’s carry had splintered Scotland’s line and left the Scots defence on the blind side short of numbers and on the back foot.  Ashton’s opportunistic instincts do not appear to be dead, but they need to be encouraged and refined. ESPN says England made 10 line breaks against Scotland – if memory serves, Ashton did not support any of them. If my memory is right, that is an incredible waste.

 

And so now we come back to the coaches. Lancaster has a decision on whether to back his man – but I think he has an even bigger decision to make in terms of what he wants from his wings and what to say to them. Because, right now, Chris Ashton is not playing to his strengths. Maybe that’s because what he is good at and what Lancaster wants are two different things. This is possible, judging from his comments about Tuilagi as a wing. Maybe Lancaster is trying to get Ashton to play an opportunistic, supporting role, but the player is not listening. In which case, a dropping may well be in order. Or maybe Lancaster needs to rethink his strategy to get the best out of Ashton. England have been leaving a lot of unconverted line breaks on the field in recent games and they are playing without a conventional support runner in the back-row.  There would be an awful lot to be said for encouraging someone like Ashton to get on the end of those breaks. If he was, the calls for Ashton to be dropped would not be nearly as loud.

 

The debate and criticism over Ashton’s defence will continue. But the question of where and how Ashton fits into England’s attacking play is just as pressing.

Senatore and Pennell commit to Warriors

Posted on Jan 25, 2013 in Worcester Warriors

Worcester Warriors have announced a major new international signing and that a key leading player has also committed his future as the club builds towards a bright and exciting future.

The club can confirm that Argentina international back row Leonardo Senatore has agreed a move to Warriors from next season while full back Chris Pennell has also put pen to paper on new terms at Sixways.

Head Coach Richard Hill today described the two signatures as crucial and a real statement of intent about where Warriors are going as a club and striving to achieve in the coming years.

Back row giant Senatore, who can play at flanker or Number Eight, is one of the most exciting talents in Argentinean rugby having already won 17 caps for his country.

The abrasive 28-year-old impressed at the 2011 Rugby World Cup before enjoying a spell in the Top 14 in France with Toulon. He last played for Argentina against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in November.

“Leonardo is a fantastic signing for Warriors. Like the vast majority of Argentinean players he is very passionate about his rugby, will give everything, is very dedicated and extremely loyal,” said Hill.

“He has good technical ability and is a strong ball carrying back row forward of considerable size. Leonardo is a real athlete who brings vast experience from his international action.

“We have seen him in action for Argentina and in the World Cup. He has been on our radar for the last few years and he has been in fantastic form.

“Leonardo will add experience and quality to our squad and we look forward to him joining.”

Inspirational full back Pennell, a home-grown product of the Warriors Academy, has been one of the star performers at Sixways over the last five years and produced some of his very best displays this season.

Worcester born-and-bred, Pennell, who was club captain between 2010 and 2012, is now closing in a century of appearances for Warriors and has already featured on 16 occasions in all competitions this term.

“When I first joined Worcester Warriors I was told that Chris was the future of the club – that very much remains the case today,” said Hill.

“His attitude and work ethic is superb and he has really developed himself as a player.

“I always felt he was a leader and I made him captain before he suffered terrible luck and two seasons of bad injuries.

“This season he has been able to concentrate on his own game, is back to his very best and getting better as the season progresses. He has the full confidence of the team around him, is fantastic under the high ball, a good defender and a strong runner.

“Chris has all the qualities to get even better and this is a very important re-signing for us.”

Four contract extensions agreed for Connacht Rugby

Posted on Jan 10, 2013 in Connacht

Connacht Rugby have confirmed the contract extensions of four players: George Naoupu, Jason Harris-Wright, Mick Kearney and Eoin McKeon have all signed contract extensions that keep them at the club until at least the end of 2014/15 season.

George Naoupu’s contract extension is a huge boost to the club and the forward pack. New Zealand born Naoupu arrived at the Sportsground at the start of the 2009/10 season, having come from Super 14 side The Highlanders. He made an everlasting impression with Connacht fans when his second-half try sealed victory over Bourgoin to send the Irish side through to the 2009 Amlin Cup semi-final. The 6’5, 112kg versatile forward then moved to the Kobe Steelers in Japan where he spent one season before returning to Connacht for a further two years.

With 44 Connacht caps, 30-year-old Naoupu has played in 12 games this season, and registered tries against Zebre, Leinster and the Dragons. Director of Rugby, Eric Elwood has spoken about the big forward citing his trademark physicality and ball carrying abilities:

"George is a strong and natural leader in our team. He is a phenomenal ball carrier and shows an exceptionally high work rate game after game. His has a brilliant ability to switch from back row to lock seamlessly."

Naoupu was awarded the Player of the Month award for September 2012. His two year contract has been offered with the option to extend to a third year.

Young forwards Jason Harris-Wright, Mike Kearney and Eoin McKeon have also committed their immediate future to Connacht, each signing two year extensions.

Harris-Wright joined Connacht last summer on a one-year deal. The 24-year-old was part of the Ireland U20 World Championship team and featured in all bar one of Ireland U20′s RBS 6Nations matches the same year.

The young hooker is a product of the Leinster Academy and played four Heineken Cup matches with the province, including the 2011 final victory over Northampton Saints.

Since joining Connacht, he has readily competed for the number two spot. He has made a notable impression this season, notching up 12 senior caps andhas been quick to establish himself as a key component in the Connacht pack.

Second row Mick Kearney has also put pen to paper on a two year deal. The 6’5, 21-year-old from Dublin who has represented Ireland at U18, U20 and Colleges level, has 22 caps for Connacht. He earned his first Heineken Cup start this season in the 22-14 win over French side Biarritz. His imposing and physical performance merited another start in the return trip to France.

Galway-born Eoin McKeon will remain at his native province until at least the end of the 2014/2015 season. The 21-year-old is a graduate of the Connacht Academy and has represented Ireland at U18, U19 and U20 level. He made his RaboDirect PRO12 debut three seasons ago against Scarlets and made the step up to Heineken Cup last season. He has started in the pivotal number 8 position on ten occasions this season, including the two European fixtures against Biarritz. He is comfortable playing across the back row and his agility and athletic ball carrying ability comes to the fore game after game. His consistent performances this season have earned him the Connacht Player of the Month award for December.

Speaking about the new signing and contract extensions, CEO Tom Sears said:

"The retention of key players such as George, Jason, Mick and Eoin is another clear indication that we intend to retain our best players and continue to build for a successful future. The fact that all of the four have committed to Connacht in the face of strong interest from elsewhere is a demonstration of both the progress they have made as players and the progress we are making as a province.

"Our squad for next season and beyond is developing very well, we are actively looking to bring in the best players we possibly can and we are confident that more of our current players will commit and we will be able to bring in some high quality signings for next year."

Romans: Nottingham determined to build on big win

Posted on Oct 5, 2012 in Nottingham

Nottingham scrum half Sean Romans says the Green and Whites are determined to pick up against Jersey where they left off against London Scottish last week.

It’s the self-belief shown in the 54-9 victory that the New Zealander vows the East Midlands club will strive to replicate in their second home game at Meadow Lane in nine days.

“What we showed last week was a bit of confidence,” Romans said.

“It just showed that we can be dangerous off quick ball and we are dangerous when we hold the ball, get into high phase counts and keep pressure on for periods.”

“The forwards did a fantastic job, the set pieces were great and you can see the difference that quick ruck ball makes when it opens a whole lot of possibilities for playmakers.”

“By no means was it an excellent performance. We’ve looked through the game and there are definitely bits that we weren’t happy with, but it’s a good result to get after a few losses and something to really build on now.”

Nottingham step out in their new, hot pink, charity shirt on Sunday (3pm kick-off), but that is the biggest change this week.

Green and Whites head coach Martin Haag makes just one alteration to his starting XV to face the RFU Championship newcomers, with Jack Cobden named on the right wing.

Haag is keen to see the fully fit 23-year-old in action, ushering him in to replace David Jackson.

Having been struck by a foot injury in the final two weeks of pre-season, Cobden has been forced to cool his heels in the opening month of the campaign.

He returned to full training a fortnight ago and has pressed a compelling case for selection.

With Jackson and up-and-comer Ryan Hough featuring on the wing already this season, Haag is eager to rotate his options.

“We have depth in the position and like Houghy before him, Jacko has done a great job for us in the three games he’s played and got better with every game,” Haag said.

“Cobo hasn’t had a run yet this season and I want to see him in action.”

Nottingham Rugby team to take on Jersey at Meadow Lane Stadium on Sunday, October 7 (3pm kick-off): 15 Andrew Savage 14 Jack Cobden 13 Tim Streather 12 Joe Munro 11 Rhys Crane 10 James Arlidge 9 Sean Romans 1 Matt Parr 2 Joe Duffey 3 Michael Holford 4 Dan Montagu 5 Nic Rouse 6 Rupert Cooper 7 Brent Wilson (c) 8 Alex Shaw.

Replacements bench: 16 Scott Wright 17 Johnny Harris 18 Joe Quinn 19 Tom Calladine 20 Finaly Barnham 21 Rory Lynn 22 Joe Cobden.