England can win the World Cup
Posted on 20/11/2010
Will Greenwood waxed lyrical about England following their stunning win over Australia last week and his impression of the team was only increased by the more amber nectar he consumed. But even in the cold light of day, the Daily Telegraph writer is convinced his first impression was correct.
"Some things in life just do not mix. City and United, socks and sandals, Wayne Rooney and sun tans; all of them are combustible combinations. I have found out to my cost that one of the trickiest partnerships to manage is beer and Twitter. England pulled off one of the great Twickenham victories last Saturday.It was as good as anything any they had done in the past 10 years. It was the sort of win that gets rivals sitting up and taking notice. I was excited. Add a couple of pints to the mix, and I was thinking about global domination. I tweeted as much, saying that England could now make the World Cup final in 12 months' time.
Wow, the variety of response from English, Celtic, southern hemisphere supporters was extreme to say the least. Here is a quick summary: arrogant English; one swallow doesn't make a summer; overhyped English media. There was the odd one that said "Auckland here we come", but the insults won by a country mile.
The thing is, though, the more I sit back and reflect on it, the more I am happy to stand by what I said. The win has put England fourth in the world standings.
They have Argentina and Scotland as the two main threats in their World Cup group. As things stand, they have to be confident of winning that and going up against the runners-up of New Zealand's group, probably France, in the quarter-finals.
Tough game, but very doable as we all know what happens to the French at World Cups if they see Jonny Wilkinson in the stadium. Win that, and they probably get Australia in the semis, and we all know what they just did to the Wallabies."
Memories of 2003
Posted on 14/11/2010
After an honourable defeat to the All Blacks last weekend, Martin Johnson inspired England to one of the best England performances in recent memory, and Paul Hayward in the Observer believes England are on the road to becoming a world-beating force once again.
Just after 3.30pm on a thrilling afternoon, England faced their most important 40 minutes since the 2007 World Cup final, or even the great triumph of four years earlier in Sydney. They had led 16-6 at the break and this was their moment to cease being a dull work in progress and assume a fresh identity as a team capable of electrifying Twickenham.Rare indeed it is for a side to reach such an easily identifiable crossroads. A collapse against these Wallabies would have sent English rugby back under the duvet for a generation. But a continuation of the spirit and audacity of their first-half performance would re-establish Martin Johnson's perkily rebuilt side as a global force again.
The answer was profound and exhilarating. Six minutes into the half they forced a turnover near their own goalline. Ben Youngs, a real star in the making at scrum-half, side-stepped his way out of defence and flicked it to Courtney Lawes, who then off-loaded it to Chris Ashton, who had 90 metres of turf ahead of him.
Off he set, pumping and snorting along Australia's left before swerving inside and ignoring the support outside to touch down under the posts. With Toby Flood's conversion, England led 26-6 and mediocrity's stone had lifted. Back came the songs; in from the wilderness came England's 2011 World Cup prospects. Most of all, coming to HQ had ceased to feel like an expensive duty, an eternal waiting game, and started to seem like fun again.
From his Sky commentary box, Stuart Barnes called it English rugby's finest result since the 2003 final in Australia. That win, magnificent in all respects, will be remembered as the last flourish of a side that took four years to mature. This 35-18 victory should be the first day of a new age. England obliterated an Australia side that had beaten the All Blacks 14 days ago, not with a desperate swing of Jonny Wilkinson's boot but a sparkling array of attacking talent, who galloped, dodged, passed and surged their way to a win that might have caused them to be mistaken for a Tri-Nations side.
There had been flashes of promise, glimpses of intent, in the previous week's 26-16 defeat to New Zealand, but this was a gift and revelation to the Twickenham supporters, who had wondered whether England's ship would ever come in. On packed trains and crammed roads, the hardcore have struggled their way to the annual autumn vigil. Those who stayed away from the second of these autumn internationals through ennui missed a rebirth.
England presented their weary followers with a long list of things they will have to stop saying in the bar and clubhouse. If he repeats this rampant display, Mike Tindall can no longer be dismissed as a midfield banger devoid of creativity; Johnson can no longer be caricatured as a refugee from a dead age of forward power; and their southern hemisphere critics have been stripped of the right to point out that ball skills are alien to the English tradition.
All this in one game? Not entirely, because the first glimmer of transformation had been seen in Sydney in June, when England won by a single point, and another here last week against New Zealand. Like a grumpy grandad forced to accept the internet, England have shifted from attrition to artistry. The game has changed and they were obliged to change with it or perish on the margins. But nobody could have expected the new faces to drive the reforms so fast.
Youngs, 21, was resplendent in the No9 shirt before limping off to be replaced by Danny Care. A sharp, incisive passer, Care was also lethal in his downfield thrusts. Lawes, also 21, came through his rumble against the All Blacks with confidence and authority. So often the recruit looks just to hang on in his first few outings. Youngs, Lawes, Shontayne Hape, Dan Cole, Ben Foden and Ashton all imposed their characters on this Test. All the talk of Australia's brilliant baby-faced assassins was muffled by the exploits of young Englishmen who are responding to Johnson's insistence that they "think like Test players every day" and not just 15 times a year.
With a core of elders – Lewis Moody, Tindall, Mark Cueto, Nick Easter, Tom Palmer – and a wedge of mid-twentysomethings – Tom Croft, Toby Flood – Johnson has found the right mix of ages to facilitate the shift to a more expansive style. The old conservative arm lock has been broken. Johnson makes an unlikely liberator, but earns high praise for recognising that England needed to evolve beyond caveman power.
"If we played them again tomorrow, would the same thing happen? Who knows," Johnson said, applying caution. "You have to be ready to play like that at 2.30 every week."
After Samoa next week comes a chance to extend the exultation, against South Africa. We are not yet in the realm of England's 22 consecutive home victories between 1999 and March 2004 but for 80 minutes Twickenham was unrecognisable from the great slump of the past few years. This team had energy, purpose and conviction.
Continue reading "Memories of 2003"
Johnno has got England back on track
Posted on 12/11/2010
After an honourable defeat to the Alll Blacks last weekend, England now face the no less daunting task of Australia. However, ESPN's very own Austin Healey is backing Martin Johnson's side for victory in The Daily Mirror.
There used to be this guy at Leicester who put himself about and got himself into scrapes. A big lad who knew how to make his presence felt, in a physical sort of way. He served bans for use of the knee, the boot and the fist.Look how Martin Johnson turned out. Eighty-four England caps, a two-tour Lions captain, a World Cup-winning skipper and now England manager. I thought of the young Johnno this week when I sat down to chat with Dylan Hartley, the hooker he has selected to start in tomorrow's match against Australia.
Hartley is fortunate to be available, having got away with dropping his forearm in the face of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. I told him so, saying that while it's great he wears his heart on his sleeve and plays with passion, he must learn from his boss.
England are suddenly getting an awful lot right. After years fumbling in the dark they have seen the light. They genuinely feel they've made a breakthrough with the squad, and not just because of Sydney, where they beat the Wallabies in June.
You get a real sense of direction when you're with them now. Where they used to dodge questions, they are quite happy to answer them because they are confident in what they're doing. The players are taking chances and backing themselves and for the first time in quite a while the public are happy to pay to watch them.
But - and, yes, there has to be a but when you've only won once in six games - they have got to start executing properly. Rugby is a game of control. And before you can control a game you have to have control of yourself.
Continue reading "Johnno has got England back on track"
November 7, 2010A huge step in the right direction
Posted on 07/11/2010
England's seven-year losing streak against the All Blacks continued on Saturday as New Zealand enjoyed a 26-16 win at Twickenham, but former England centre Mike Catt praised England's fighting spirit in the Sunday Telegraph.
The thing that impressed me most was England’s attitude in the second half. At 17-3 down at half-time, I expected New Zealand to pull away, given the number of tackles England had to make in the first period and the sheer intensity of the All Blacks’ play.Instead we were treated to a thrilling finish as England pushed the All Blacks right to the last minute. That fighting spirit would have been exactly what Johnno wanted and what good England sides should always deliver.
The context of the game is key, too. This was the first game England had played together for five months while the All Blacks not only had a game last week, but have played the whole summer together. It is little wonder that England started the game looking a little rusty, but they looked a different side after the break.
The whole mentality of the game was much, much better from England’s point of view. They stuck to the way they wanted to play in spite of the early concession of the tries by Hosea Gear and Kieran Read and with a bit more composure and discipline could have caused New Zealand serious problems in the final quarter.
Ultimately, New Zealand were able to close out the win largely because every time England scored, they were able to respond with points from the next play. That was one of the most disappointing aspects for me and one that England must improve before they face the Wallabies.
Delon Armitage will have been disappointed with his high tackle on Isaia Toeava, which gifted Dan Carter three points at a time when England were really building momentum. But that was just one of a number of incidents when the players lost their composure at a key moment.
England’s scrum was strong again, but the line-out was a problem. Against a side like New Zealand you have to keep hold of the ball and it is vital that you have phases one to three spot-on. England did show that when they went through the phases, particularly when they got to phases five, six and seven, that holes were beginning to appear in the All Blacks’ defence.
England had a couple of good opportunities to score in the first half to bring themselves back into the contest but didn’t take them and they were undone by their inability to win first-phase possession when they had field position. That simply put the pressure back on Johnson’s side at a time when they should have been asking more questions.
England’s defence also concerned me. Their defensive line at times was too tight as they over-committed to the breakdown and New Zealand had only to throw a couple of wide passes to find a hole for Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu to exploit the spaces, with the likes of Jerome Kaino and Gear running lines off them.
Carter was also able to break too easily on Mike Tindall’s outside for the move that forced Chris Ashton to concede the five-metre scrum from which Read was able to power over.
The midfield battle was billed as one of the heaviest in the history of international rugby, but crucially, it was the deft skills and ability to offload that made the difference. Shontayne Hape and Tindall impressed in that they ran hard and ran in between tackles. In the second half their work rate was phenomenal.
But by then the damage had already been done. Williams showed just what a dangerous player he is by using his 6ft 4ins, 17st frame to offload in the tackle that put Kaino through and led to Gear’s try.
I know the England players will be very disappointed that they didn’t win the game but at least they gave themselves the chance to win it, if little decisions had gone their way and they had been a little more streetwise. If England can minimise their mistakes that allowed New Zealand to build a lead too easily, then this performance should give Johnson’s side a platform for a successful autumn.
Continue reading "A huge step in the right direction"
November 5, 2010The World Cup starts this weekend
Posted on 05/11/2010
General consensus in England seems to be that the nation’s rugby stars have about as much chance of beating New Zealand as Roberto Mancini does of keeping the Manchester City job this season. However, Austin Healey writes in the Daily Mirror about the day his England colleagues changed a similar perception...
So there we were, lined up on halfway at Twickenham, staring down the All Blacks haka. Minutes earlier a pumped-up Lawrence Dallaglio had called us together and bawled something about this being our time.Lol was England captain and, like the rest of us, desperate to stick it to New Zealand and the rest of southern hemisphere rugby after too long living under their rule.
It is 13 years ago now but I will never forget how we tore into them, scored three tries in the first half, and opened up a 23-9 lead. When the half-time whistle went we didn't want to come off the pitch. We actually had to be pulled into the dressing room. I'd never seen so much emotion from a group of players.
It kicked off in the tunnel on the way in with the All Blacks goading us and Garath Archer having to be prevented from getting into their changing room. The match ended in a 26-26 draw. We denied odds-on favourites New Zealand a perfect tour and, in so doing, careers and reputations were made.
Why do I mention all of this? Because tomorrow at Twickenham we need a repeat performance. England need to explode into the game and properly shock the All Blacks. For 40 minutes, perhaps an hour, keep coming at them in wave after England wave. Chris Ashton and Ben Foden attacking them out wide, Toby Flood taking the ball flat and breaking the line, Mike Tindall and Courtney Lawes knocking them backwards.
At the end of a week in which Martin Johnson admitted England no longer have a talisman, they need to find one, possibly more. If that game in 1997 defined the coming years, with 10 of that squad going on to become World Cup winners, so this one can set England up for next year's tournament.
But it requires the players to step up. There's a point when you play for England when you've got a few caps and you listen to the more experienced guys and think, 'do you know what, I can add more to this than they are'. You sense it's your time to lead and set the example. England have all these exciting young players and they need them to stand up and take the thing forward. It could be Foden, it could be Lawes, Tom Croft or Ben Youngs. Preferably all of them.
I genuinely think England can win this game. Mike Tindall tells me he has a real good feeling about it. He says he's really up for it. The All Blacks are at the end of a long season, they have just lost their chance of a world record-winning streak and they are up against a side which beat Australia, their conquerors, in its last outing.
But they remain the best, so don't expect them to roll over. Each and every England player will need to find 20 per cent extra. But you can do it when you're playing the All Blacks in front of a full house at Twickenham. I know because we did that day in 1997.
October 2, 2010The highs and lows of the Aviva Premiership
Posted on 02/10/2010
It may have slipped under the radar for some, but the new Aviva Premiership season has exploded into life under its new rules, so it seems only appropriate to let World Cup winner Will Greenwood reflect on the highs and lows of the first month’s action in the Telegraph...
Let us get the negative stuff out of the way first. Leeds are in genuine trouble. They still have a couple of lumps up front – a line-out guru in Marco Wentzel and a back-row forward in Hendre Fourie who would fight you over the television remote control.However, behind the pack they look devoid of pace, are too easy to defend against, and – surprisingly for a Neil Back side – have shown a propensity to splinter under pressure. They must be reading about Seru Rabeni carving up the South of France and wishing that giant slab of a player would come back and play for them. It is only because Gloucester were intent on shooting themselves in the foot at Kingsholm that Leeds have even one point in the league.
Others not loving the season so far are those supporting the oddly toothless Tigers and stingless Wasps. Leicester love a 22-game season and are the least likely team to press a panic button, but they have made an extraordinary amount of errors. Playing with your fourth choice fly-half does not help, but they are lucky to have a match winner in Tom Croft and a front five who are unlikely to come second best more than three times a season: maybe it is a good thing they have been early on. I still have no idea how they lost to Wasps.
For the London side there is one serious positive – the re-emergence of Riki Flutey, who is finding some form. Still, that is small comfort and I reckon that if today you offered them sixth place in the league at the end of the season and European rugby, they would bite your hand off.
And then there is Exeter. Wow! Did anyone but the players' mums see that coming? A drubbing at Quins last week was always a ticking bomb waiting to happen; they had only made one change to their starting line-up in four weeks. It is difficult to maintain the intensity when players are going through the wringer so much, but the European breaks will help. When Gareth Steenson was removed from the field after 60 minutes, the game a long time lost, it was enough to tell me that he is their key to survival.
While we are on fly-halves, it is a position that many clubs are wrestling with. Shane Geraghty or Stephen Myler at Saints? Dave Walder or Flutey at Wasps? No such problem at Harlequins. Nick Evans is an absolute gem of a player, and I am loving watching Nick Easter play at No. 8, Danny Care scrap for his England jersey at scrum-half and Joe Marler make waves in the front row.
Sale have made a great signing at full-back in Paul Williams. Make a break against this lot and you had better make sure you have support or you will get hit, because he smashes people.
Gloucester made a fascinating selection last week. Bryan Redpath dropped three of his internationals for some of his squad lads. Out went Alex Brown, Nicky Robinson and club captain Mike Tindall. I love a brave coach and very often fortune favours them. The Shed will have loved the new-found energy, and anything would have been better than the dross they served up against London Irish and Leeds. For me Eliota Fuimano-Sapolu has to be given more ball; he causes havoc at inside-centre and is already a contender for the try of the season for his epic against Wasps.
Bath are still one of my favourite outfits. They need Matt Banahan to give them the balance in the backs and he put in perhaps the stand-out individual performance so far this season when he played at outside-centre against Leeds. Olly Barkley may as well enjoy himself and get stuck in because not being selected to be in the top 64 players in country limits his international ambitions. It's wrong, but I will not harp on about it.
There have been two outstanding team performances so far, with Northampton at home to Bath being the first. It had ferocity, intensity, dynamism and Chris Ashton. The second was London Irish away to Newcastle last week. Newcastle are not great, but Irish made them look ordinary. Clarke Dermody is scrummaging well with his front row and behind the pack Daniel Bowden has been a brilliant acquisition, Seilala Mapasua looks hungry and while Delon Armitage still has the ability to be too angry he is playing exceptionally well.
Saracens look strong defensively, with David Strettle looking sharp again. They are also experimenting with the alternating fly-half theorem. I have never known a side to win things doing that, but they have enough tough South Africans up front to stand toe-to-toe with anyone in a dogfight.
Newcastle will be closer to Leeds than Saracens. Jimmy Gopperth has to keep buzzing, and I rate Brent Wilson very highly in the back row. It may not prove enough, and any side that lets the opposition score 42 at home is going to struggle.
But the overall verdict after the first month? Pretty good.
May 15, 2010The team of the season
Posted on 15/05/2010
As the rugby union season enters the Guinness Premiership semi-final weekend, it is time to start picking the 15 men who have made the most telling impact over the course of the year. As a World Cup winner with England, the Daily Telegraph's Will Greenwood should know better than most, so here is his team of the year...
1. Soane Tonga’uiha Northampton
“What’s that coming over the hill, is it a Tongan?” The Saints fans chant The Automatics with glee knowing they have one of the new breed of rugby men in their front row. The props from the last century would be appalled at his total lack of agoraphobia. Men such as Jason Leonard spent their life avoiding the ball. This guy loves the open spaces. His handling ability is exceptional, offloading in crowds is his speciality. Control among the chaos when he passes, and just chaos when he runs.2. Schalk Brits Saracens
No question, the signing of the Premiership. Is there anything this man cannot do on a rugby field? I half expect him to take the conversions. His acceleration is devastating, his step wing-like. He beat five men to score against Newcastle. He hangs around in the back field like a specialist kick returner. Endless energy, beaming smile, does his graft up front and then plays like one of the great free spirits at a time when there is supposed to be no space. Brilliant.3. Dan Cole Leicester
Burst on to the scene and into an England jersey. Tackles well, gets his head dirty like all great Leicester props, and is mobile. But for all that, it’s his scrummaging that gets him the slot. He is a tighthead after all. His demolition of England, Lion and Heineken Cup winner Tim Payne, of Wasps, in January was epic. His tackles in the same game on Payne and Simon Shaw made me shudder. Love the way he has been developed. Dual registration at Nottingham, got his games, then moved into the first team at Leicester. It’s the blueprint for how to nurture talent.Continue reading "The team of the season"
March 24, 2010Lessons learned for Jonny
Posted on 24/03/2010
Jonny Wilkinson was a fall guy for England’s limp efforts in the Six Nations, being dropped for the final game with France, and he has admitted that he would have done a few things differently. Writing in his column in the Times, the fly-half says his goals are to take the knocks and improve.
At the end of another Six Nations, I should start by saying that there is nothing that makes me prouder than playing for my country and every time I do so, I go out there to be the best I can for my team and my nation.The Six Nations did not go as well as hoped for the team or for me personally, but what is most important to me is that I have stood by my values. I could not have worked harder, thought more or talked more or listened more. I didn’t have a spare bit of energy that was not channelled into preparing for and playing in those games. What happened on the pitch — the product of all that work — is, by definition, where I am and I accept that.
If we started the Six Nations again, I’d be the same: same workrate, same desire, same player. Of course, with hindsight, there are certain decisions on the pitch that I might have changed and certain events I wish had turned out differently, but, on the whole, what you’d get from me would not change.
But the weekly media day, with England, can be hard. You spend up to an hour answering questions that, in the past two months, have been heavy with speculation about the way you are playing and that refer to the negative reports of your performance.
I see it as a challenge to stay true to myself. It is easy to see these questions as an attack on your identity and who you are. It can also feel as if they are taking away what you have worked and striven hard for. And then, when the hour is done, you are expected to turn round, flip straight back into England mode and rugby life.
I can’t deny that I would rather people wrote nothing. Or nicer things. But that’s not why I am in it. If people — not just the media — want to talk about how I am playing, so be it, but I am not in the business of trying to impress people. That is not why I started playing rugby; I was never after rave reviews. I just play the game to enjoy it, to try to help my team to win and to improve as a player and a person.
Arise Sir Clive
Speculation suggests Rob Andrew could pay a price for England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign and Mark Souster in the Times suggests the top brass could turn to the mastermind of World Cup glory – Sir Clive Woodward.Speculation is mounting that Rob Andrew’s future as the Rugby Football Union’s director of elite rugby is on the line - and that Sir Clive Woodward could be sounded out as a possible replacement.After another disappointing RBS Six Nations Championship campaign, Andrew’s position is under intense scrutiny. Andrew, who is on an annual salary of more than £400,000 and is understood to be on a 12-month rolling contract, has been in his role since September 2006.
If he were to depart, the name being mentioned as a likely successor is that of Woodward, who could resume the partnership with Martin Johnson that proved so successful up to England’s World Cup triumph in 2003.
Woodward is the British Olympic Association director of elite performance, in theory until after the 2012 London Games. But the former England head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to rugby union.
There is a belief that after Baron’s departure, England and the RFU need to move in a different direction and that a definitive vision for the game must override commercial considerations.
A review of the national team set-up is due to be held in July after England’s summer tour to Australia and New Zealand, and after Baron leaves. Andrew, 47, and Johnson, the team manager, will give their verdict on the international season today at Twickenham.
Richards in the firing line
The FA has decided to take its time before appointing a successor to the departed Ian Watmore. The chief executive’s departure is still a subject of widespread speculation, with suggestions it was to do with a clash of personalities with members of the FA board. Sir Dave Richards has denied having had a personality clash with Watmore, but Daily Mirror scribe Oliver Holt believes Richards needs to be removed from office.The Associated Press reported yesterday that India’s military is going to use the world’s hottest chilli as a weapon against terrorists.They’re going to put it in hand grenades to immobilise suspects, but I’ve another idea for it – use it on Sir Dave Richards.
Sprinkle a bit in the Premier League chairman’s milky tea while he’s lacquering another layer of pomade on his hair.
Lace his Yorkshire pudding when he’s nipped away from the table for a minute to brief against someone.
Stick a slice of it in his beef rendang while he’s filling his face on one of those Premier League glad-handing missions to the Far East.
Wouldn’t it be beautiful to immobilise Sir Dave. Just for an hour or two. Call another emergency meeting of the FA board and vote him off.
Richards insisted yesterday that claims he was to blame for the sudden resignation of progressive FA chief executive Ian Watmore on Monday were “utter rubbish”.
It was also clear that those close to Watmore are convinced the objections of Richards and others to Watmore’s modernising plans were the main reason for his exit.
The Watmore-Richards schism goes to the heart of the problems bringing the English game, with its vast debt burden, into disrepute.
FA insiders say Watmore had recently proposed the FA become more actively involved in the financial regulation of the leading clubs – something the game is crying out for – but that the move was blocked by men like Richards, who sits on the FA board as well as being Premier League chairman. While Richards retains a position of influence at the FA, he remains a symbol of the absurd conflicts of interest that paralyse decision-making in English football.
The English public is sick of the excesses of the Premier League, which is why the game needs people like Watmore and does not need people like Richards.
That Richards and other Premier League figures like Manchester United chief executive David Gill and the preposterous Bolton chairman Phil Gartside should have important roles within the FA beggars belief.
March 21, 2010Improved performance masks England's deficiencies
Posted on 21/03/2010
Even in defeat, England produced a Six Nations performance in France to be proud of on Saturday ngiht. The usual determination was there, but it was cranked up to a frenzy as the team reflected their new captain Lewis Moody. But the real improvement came in England's attacking play, with the ball moving between the backs' hands with more regularity than in previous games during the tournament. Writing in the Sunday Times, Stephen Jones acknowledges the improvement from Martin Johnson's side, but says that changes in the management structure are needed if England want to find more performances in the mould of their showing at the Stade de France.
Yet, let us be honest, and let us demand the utmost honesty from Twickenham. If anybody in a high place this morning or this week talks of revivals and even hints that a corner has been turned, then they must have their own agenda. This season has been too dire for words, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the team who competed last season are better than the team who competed this season.Continue reading "Improved performance masks England's deficiencies"
March 20, 2010England losing game of top trumps
Posted on 20/03/2010
Punditry and analysis doesn’t always look a simple job. Not in the world of sport. When you see the likes of Paul Merson struggle to pronounce Pascal Chimbonda, or Dean Windass attempt to work out the identity of the goalscorer at Brighton v Rotherham, you allow yourself a chuckle at their expense. They’re national treasures, the both of them. But then you listen to Will Greenwood’s reasoning in the Telegraph for why England will come up short against France in the Six Nations, and suddenly it all sounds so easy, like child’s play...
I grew up playing Top Trumps. It's a card game based on anything you can compare, be it cars, planes, monsters or, my son's current favourite, dinosaurs. Simply put, you split the pack between players and then compare stats, the winner taking the card of the losers. Get all the cards, you win the game. You don't want average cards. They win you nothing. No, what you need in Tops Trumps is something with a mega power that wins no matter what the opposition has in their hand.My little boy Archie's face lights up with a grin when he flips over the Giganotosaurus, the best killer, the Brachiosaurus, the heaviest, or the Velociraptor, the most intelligent. All the cards score the perfect 10, and he gives the game away, no poker face required, no bluff, no spin. He has me beat and he knows it.
Well, on Saturday against England, it's France who are holding all the best cards, despite England's changes to their line-up. And if France were a Top Trumps team, then I know exactly who I would want in my side of the cut.
Continue reading "England losing game of top trumps"
March 19, 2010Boring is the way to beat France
Posted on 19/03/2010
Austin Healey has never been shy of going against the grain. Having once labelled the toughest man on the Australian Test side, Justin Harrison, a “plank”, it’s no surprise when Healey tries to tell you that black is white or that the earth is flat. Therefore, with the entire nation crying out for England to introduce flair to their game against France this weekend, Healey insists in his column for the Daily Mirror that Martin Johnson should do exactly the opposite...
Chris Ashton has scored more tries this season than the rest of the England back line put together. Ben Foden has shown more creative sparkle than the same group of players combined and Toby Flood has been identified as the man to bring the best out of them. France will clearly expect England to give them a run for their Grand Slam money in Paris tomorrow night. And so will most observers.England must not oblige. For once their predictability has to be their unpredictability.
The reason is this. The French coaching staff has been the best in this Six Nations at analysing the opposition in the first half of matches - but not at implementing a Plan B. So against Wales, for example, they correctly identified that the Welsh like to play a bit of rugby, throw a few balls out of the tackle. They stood off every tackle, didn't commit to the ruck, picked off two interception tries and had loads of numbers in defence to ensure Wales had no chance to go outside them.
Then last week they worked out that Italy's blindside defence was poor and they exploited it early on, scoring a couple of tries to establish a winning lead. On both occasions the opposition came back in the second 40. Partly because they changed their set-ups at half-time, but partly because France didn't react.
Continue reading "Boring is the way to beat France"
March 18, 2010Where have England's heroes gone?
Posted on 18/03/2010
Martin Johnson was adamant Jonny Wilkinson’s England career is not over after he dropped the iconic fly-half for the weekend’s Six Nations climax in France, but the Telegraph’s Kevin Garside has taken the news rather badly. Having returned to his home and switched on the laptop whilst watching Lionel Messi dance around Stuttgart on Thursday night, Garside wonders where England’s heroes have gone...
No more Jonny. Another staple of British sport stood down by the ultimate arbiter; time. An antechamber of sporting heroes on the way out is filling. Wilkinson, ironically dropped not injured, joins that other blond bomber David Beckham and Michael Owen in the ancient clearing house at the end of careers.All three hope to prolong their playing days but not where it matters, at the heart of the action, and by extension in our hearts. We are in a bad trot. Last year Freddie Flintoff left us, that one-man theatre who commanded the English cricketing stage like none since Sir Ian Botham.
Watching England labour to victory against Bangladesh, a team beaten by an innings 33 times in Tests, showed how much we miss him. The fall of Kevin Pietersen, a convenient Englishman at best, on 99 shone a symbolic light across the landscape. We are a run short of heroes to love, of players to get us out of bed in the morning with a song in our throats.In our three most important sports; football, rugby and cricket, we are thus diminished. Praise be to the higher authority responsible for the gargantuan talent of Wayne Rooney. Where would we be without Manchester United's blue-eyed zephyr? With him England are in the queue to win the World Cup in South Africa. Were he to come to any harm, I'm relocating to the moon for a month.
Continue reading "Where have England's heroes gone?"
March 12, 2010Becks the king of self promotion
Posted on 12/03/2010
David Beckham stole the backpages on Thursday by donning a green and gold scarf. No he was not showing his support for Norwich City, rather a gesture of support for the anti-Glazer movement at Manchester United. The club remain close to Becks’ heart but Simon Barnes in the Times feels Becks’ actions were more of self promotion.
David Beckham knows a must-have fashion accessory when he sees one. Now he has stolen the front pages again, this time not with a sarong or butterfly stitches but with a green’n’gold scarf. Looks good against the black shirt, no?So he’s lining up with the Manchester United supporters who wear the scarf as a statement of their dislike of the club’s owners, the Glazers. There’s no other reason for wearing it, as everybody in football knows.
Beckham said: “I’m a Manchester United fan. When I saw the scarf I put it round my neck. It’s the old colours ... and that’s all I know.” A bit disingenuous, methinks. If he is a United fan there is no way in the world he could be unaware that the scarf has a significance beyond antiquity.
All the same, I don’t think Beckham wore it as an anti-Glazer statement. People don’t wear images of Che Guevara because they agree with Guevara’s notion that: “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” No, people wear the Guevara image because it is cool and because it expresses a certain kind of fashion solidarity.
Beckham wore the Newton Heath scarf to be in the swing of things. It was a gesture of solidarity with the fans who gave him such a cheer when he returned to his former club. In a surreal second half on Wednesday, in the second leg of the Champions League round-of-16 tie at home to AC Milan, United were so far ahead that their supporters had nothing to do except cheer Beckham — “Fergie, Fergie sign him up” — and shout bad words about the Glazers.
So with his sense of timing and his gift for gesture, Beckham took a green’n’gold scarf, knowing that picture editors around the world would lap it up. It was a gesture of sycophancy towards the people who had been cheering him; if you wish to take a more generous line, it was a gesture of thanks. But its meaning was to do with Beckham, not the Glazers: “I’m like you — a real fan.”
Beckham is a junkie for love. He was high as a kite on love after all his cheers and knew the scarf would only add to that love. Whether the move was premeditated or spontaneous, he couldn’t help himself.
The gesture won’t harm Beckham, because he doesn’t depend on the Glazers for anything. It will simply raise his stock in certain quarters that matter to him. He hasn’t spoken out against the owners, he has simply, as ever, lined himself up with the fans. He doesn’t want the Glazers out; he wants the love of United fans.
England right to go with Worsley
England must win the Calcutta Cup against Scotland at the weekend to stand any chance of winning the Six Nations and Shaun Edwards,writing in the Guardian, is convinced Martin Johnson has made the right decision by drafting in defensive star Joe Worsley.Anyone wondering why England turned to Joe Worsley this week should have a look at the tape of Wales versus Scotland last month. Not the final four minutes with its 10 points; we've all seen that often enough to commit every run, tackle, pass and kick to memory. No, look at the first 50 and remember the killer stat – that in all that time Scotland made only two mistakes.Two mistakes in 50 minutes of rugby is, by definition, close on perfection. It just does not happen. Not even on the training ground, let alone in a Test match arena where everything is 100mph. It's like applying the principles of Swiss watch-making to the demolition business.
Anyway, after 50 minutes at the Millennium Stadium, Scotland looked to be running away with the game and largely because their back row was causing mayhem. John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie and Kelly Brown, ball carriers all of them, were running through tackles, bursting the defence wide open.
They are a well-matched trio – Barclay at 6ft 3in and a shade over 16st is the shortest and lightest, Brown at 6ft 4in and more than 17st is the biggest – and they know each other's game, all three playing for Glasgow where they are known as the Killer Bs. Take a back step and they can take a game away from you. So welcome, Joe Worsley, one of the game's great defenders.
He's no slouch when it comes to making the hard yards himself but Joe is one of those guys who can be relied on to do a job. Most will remember his performance against Jamie Roberts in last season's Six Nations but Worsley has proved time and again that defence and dynamic tackling do win games, tournaments even.
In 2007, when Wasps last won the Heineken Cup, there were some hairy moments even getting out of the pool stage – particularly at Castres, currently top of the French league, but then a pretty unfashionable club who tended to blow hot and cold about Europe. In the final pool game down there, which we needed to win, they were having one of their hot days. Luckily for us, so was Worsley
March 11, 2010England need to back the right man
Posted on 11/03/2010
There appears to be a lack of understanding in the England rugby camp right now. Jonny Wilkinson says he intends to play more ‘off-the-cuff’, Martin Johnson acknowledges the need to create more with ball in hand, yet arguably England’s most dangerous back, Ben Foden, is once again left kicking his heels on the bench. England, in the eyes of Daily Mirror correspondent Alex Spink, are in the danger of dishing out the ‘Cipriani treatment’ once again...
Ben Foden trains with England today - doubtless asking himself what he has to do to get a game. In the autumn, when Delon Armitage was injured and Foden was the only fit full-back in the squad, team boss Martin Johnson picked three wingers instead. Now Armitage is so out of form as to be unrecognisable from the great player he was last year - and Johnson still prefers him for Saturday's game against Scotland.Foden, 24, won't say he's 'livid' to be ignored, as he did in the autumn, not least because that got him a sharp rap over the knuckles from the England boss. This time he simply says he is "very disappointed".
Continue reading "England need to back the right man"
February 28, 2010A blessing in disguise
Posted on 28/02/2010
England's defeat to Ireland ended talks of a Grand Slam, but the result just might be a blessing in disguise, says Stuart Barnes in The Sunday Times.
This defeat must be a turning point for England. Had they held on to the most tentative of leads established with Jonny Wilkinson’s late drop-goal, this would have been another muddling performance with the only exceptional element being the spin that would have ensued with continued talk of the Grand Slam.Such an outcome would have guaranteed more conservatism from the deeply unimaginative Martin Johnson. Critics would have been told to look at the results, as if three poor displays in what is a second-rate tournament, excluding France, proved anything other than England are content to be second-tier nearly-men. That will not do but you can be sure it is what would have been happened had England held on and won this scrap.
English supporters should send Ireland wing Tommy Bowe a national vote of thanks for his two tries. The blinkers can come off now. There is no fallback position based on results against mediocre opposition.
For all the honest perspiration of Johnson’s England, this team still lack the chutzpah to build on their committed togetherness and reach for something special.
This aversion to risk is part of the England team manager’s DNA; he cannot change the way he is, but he can at least look in a mirror and see that the surplus Johnson spirit lacks a counterpoint to present England with the balance to develop as a team, not just nick another win.
This defeat is an opportunity for Johnson. It remains to be seen, though, whether he has the courage to take it.
Continue reading "A blessing in disguise"
February 21, 2010Cipriani example a lesson to Rodwell
Posted on 21/02/2010
Although his involvement in the Everton vs Manchester United fixture did not span to ten minutes, Jack Rodwell's contribution was crucial. The 18-year-old England Under-21 international scored the Toffees' final goal in a 3-1 victory, provoking comparisons with another player who emerged from Everton's academy, one who went on to become one of the planet's best players - Wayne Rooney. Writing in the Observer, Paul Hayward says that Rodwell is a 'certainty' to play for England:
Upwardly mobile Scottish manager establishing a reputation as skilled team builder sends on two youngsters to defeat big-name opponent. Remind you of anyone? David Moyes, a mini Sir Alex Ferguson, lost Wayne Rooney to Manchester United but can still pull a wizard from an academy.Continue reading "Cipriani example a lesson to Rodwell"
February 17, 2010Cipriani treatment is unthinkable
Posted on 17/02/2010
England’s laboured win over Italy at the weekend left many questioning whether Martin Johnson’s side have what it takes to win the Six Nations. England were crying out for some creative spark from their back line, but it was sadly lacking. Ian McGarry in the Sun is convinced England are architects of their own downfall for leaving Danny Cipriani in the reserves and points the finger squarely at Johnson. Brave man.
Danny Cipriani's been called selfish, flash and injury-prone - a playboy who's more interested in fame than the game. And most damning of all, Cipriani has been accused of disloyalty to his country and putting himself before England.And the cause of so much criticism? His willingness to consider a move to Australia to play for Melbourne Rebels.
How dare he want to further his career in a league where the standard is superior to the Guinness Premiership.
Especially when playing the Super 15's season could rule him out of England duty for the Six Nations.
It's not his fault people made him out to be the saviour of English rugby at the age of 19. He didn't ask to be hailed as the player to fill the vacuum left by injury-jinxed Jonny Wilkinson. And he certainly never wanted the horrific ankle injury in 2008.
Now, however, it's not injury or form holding Cipriani back. It's personality. How else can you account him being dumped in the Saxons each time Martin Johnson names his senior squad? Cipriani is becoming familiar with that slap down from the England boss yet it's inconceivable it would happen in any other sport.
Can you imagine Wayne Rooney being sent to the Three Lions stiffs. Do you think Fabio Capello would survive in his job if he did?
Yet Jonno is barely asked to justify his treatment of English rugby's most-talented player.
Has Cole put Fabio in a hole?
The sex lives of Chelsea and England stars John Terry and Ashley Cole remain hot topics of debate. Terry’s alleged antics cost him the England captaincy and Oliver Holt in the Mirror asks whether Fabio Capello will take a similar stance with Cole.So, now that Fabio Capello has been appointed the guardian of the nation’s morals, what does he do about Ashley Cole?Now that Capello has set himself up as the moral majority’s favourite authority figure, what does he do about a bloke who spends his free time at the England team hotel taking pictures of himself in his underpants and sending them to a woman other than his wife?
My own opinion is that what Cole does in the privacy of his own room has no bearing on his status as the best left back in the world but we know by now that Capello doesn’t separate a man’s private life from his football so easily.
He’s our Sleaze Czar. When it comes to punishing moral turpitude, he’s a one-man lynch mob, football’s version of Judge Fenton from Hang ’Em High.
Well, can’t he? If Capello kills Terry for what he does off the field, he has to treat Cole the same way doesn’t he?
February 14, 2010No walk in the Parks for Wales
Posted on 14/02/2010
General theory is that, since the game of rugby union turned professional, rugby players have become about as interesting as a night-in with a dictionary. Outstanding quotes are by-and-large a thing of the past, but on Saturday Wales captain Ryan Jones proved they have it within them to produce when the stakes are at their very highest. Having just triumphed against Scotland after being 24-21 down with 20 seconds left, Jones commented “I put my **** on the block and I guess it paid off.”
Superb. But the Welsh should not be allowed to steal the headlines, not in James Corrigan’s eyes, who championed the cause of Scotland’s Dan Parks in the Independent...
Even allowing for the fact that this Wales team are like the culprit in an episode of Miss Marple – they never turn up until the 60th minute – Dan Parks enjoyed the finest hour of his career. When he stood in the 65th minute with his arms aloft, he must have believed this was his moment. He had just kicked a drop-goal from nigh on halfway and with the score-board at 24-14, glory beckoned.Parks has always put the "much" before "maligned". In the build-up even Warren Gatland, the Wales coach, had pointed to the Glasgow fly-half's selection over Godman and highlighted how limited the visitors' gameplan would be. Well, Gatland was right: Parks' tactical kicking was crucial to the Scottish performance. Yet so was every facet of Parks' game.
If his drop-goal might have been – probably should have been – the afternoon's defining score then his brilliant left-foot grubber kick to set up Max Evans' first-half try was just as spectacular. He is heading to the Cardiff Blues in the summer and there had been whispers of discontent in reaction to the signing. There were none last night.
For the Blues faithful, this was a win-win situation. For the man of the match, there was only agony. "There's no justice," said Parks. "To have it taken away from us like this... heartbroken is the only word."
Continue reading "No walk in the Parks for Wales"
February 7, 2010A step in the right direction
Posted on 07/02/2010
England's victory at Twickenham got their Six Nations campaign off to a much-needed win; Johnno's attacking line-up had the desired effect, but the performance was far from perfect, and there is still a long way to go, writes Stuart Barnes in The Times
This was the result Martin Johnson desired but not the performance. In the first 30 minutes it was hard to know whether England planned to batter or bore Wales to defeat. It was sturdy but second-rate stuff in terms of international rugby.All this despite the management urging the England players to liberate themselves from the proscriptive chains which choked them through the autumn; the crowd were agitated with their turgid play and the men wandered around as if blinded by the light of freedom after a long stretch in rugby’s version of solitary confinement.
Gary Kasparov was once asked how many moves in advance he planned, to which he answered — to paraphrase the chess Grand Master — “look too far ahead and you will miss the obvious”. So too with England; a little less science and some more poetry would improve the balance. This would create a far more ambitious and dynamic driving game, which will be required against teams lacking the lemming-like rugby instincts displayed by Wales. Charging rather than dawdling would give the backs a chance to operate going forward.
Quick ball will prove the acid test for Jonny Wilkinson, whose ability to ignite the midfield remains as debatable as his Test goal-kicking is unquestionable. Delivery of the ball is too slow through his hands and his tactical kicking is shoddy. The hesitancy he engenders outside him, allied with the lack of drive from the front five (for whom Dylan Hartley was an outstanding exception) allowed Wales back into the game.
If not for the petty Alun Wyn Jones trip (England won the yellow card session 17-0) and the Tom James dropped pass on the line, this could have been another awful day for England. Care and Easter were two plusses but despite victory the negatives held sway.
They have the win but to keep winning they must improve substantially from yesterday. In terms of freshening up the team the options are few but experimentation is required. Neither Ben Foden nor Chris Ashton are finished articles but Rome next Sunday is an ideal place for Johnson to try and up the English pace.
Continue reading "A step in the right direction"
February 4, 2010An early Easter gift from England
Posted on 04/02/2010
If there is one label you would never use to describe England international rugby union player Nick Easter, it is “headline-grabber”. As understated off the pitch as he is on it, the England back row has become as taken-for-granted as the time of year his surname echoes. Easter is also a perfect encapsulation of English rugby, nothing flash but always solid, which is sometimes the trademark but occasionally the flaw of England rugby teams. However, during a one-on-one with the Independent, he does at least provide a telling insight into why English rugby finds it so difficult to change its brand of rugby, as is so often demanded by media and public alike...
"Sometimes people have been involved with England and wanted us to play a new style of rugby and get all the quick youngsters in. But you can't go away from your roots or your traditions because that's what the opposition fear the most. Traditionally we have a good set-piece and try and get a lot of front-foot ball to the backs. From generation to generation you are brought up that way and you pass it on."Continue reading "An early Easter gift from England"
February 3, 2010Bold strategy or blind faith?
Posted on 03/02/2010
Martin Johnson's squad to face Wales in England's Six Nations opener is his most attacking yet, but could this hand Warren Gatland's side the opportunity to take full advantage? Eddie Butler in The Guardian certainly thinks so, as he predicts a high-scoring encounter at Twickenham.
Wales often struggle to escape the stranglehold of a mighty England pack, and by the time the game escapes its rigid structures it is too late for Shane Williams in space to make much of a difference.But if the game is deliberately loosened by England, Wales may consider a fair proportion of the hard work done. And if you're going to experiment with liberty, it constitutes a major risk to do so against experts in broken-field rugby.
Wales have been talking up the importance of the kicking game from hand and how they will increase the volume of punting at the expense of a handling game. It has sounded as if Warren Gatland has swapped his customary pre-match barbs for a promise to be boring.
But what Wales say and what Wales do are not to be confused. And if England accept the perils of the trap and go ahead anyway, we could be in for a majestic opening to the Six Nations. Who will win? Can't say, but it won't be 7-6.
Continue reading "Bold strategy or blind faith?"
January 29, 2010The prop who admits to being scared
Posted on 29/01/2010
Undoubtedly the most insightful article of Friday’s newspapers comes from the Independent, which features a Brian Viner interview with Wales prop Adam Jones. Props aren’t like your average sportsman, they don’t crave the limelight like your Cristiano Ronaldos or even your Danny Ciprianis of this world, although they do often crave the odd beer like Ricky Hatton. Jones is guaranteed to be an integral part of Wales’ opening Six Nations match against England, but he admits to being a little scared of such big games, like the Ospreys’ recent victory over Leicester...
The funny thing was that I'd been struggling for confidence all last week, because the year before against Leicester I'd had a nightmare, a really hard day at the office. If you ask my fiancée she'll tell you how nervous I was. Scared, if you want. Scared of being embarrassed. I thought if I got hammered again then people might think the Lions tour was a fluke.The prospect of facing England must be one of the scariest prospects on offer for the straggly-haired front row then? Viner puts that exact question to his subject.
A few years ago it was, but maybe not anymore.Continue reading "The prop who admits to being scared"
January 14, 2010What is it to be British?
Posted on 14/01/2010
England's rugby union squad announcement on Wednesday confirmed what most of us either already know or refuse to accept, that the nation's best chances of success at world level rest on the talents of 'foreign' players. Kevin Pietersen proves it in cricket, Mike Catt played an integral part in rugby, while the country's flirtations with Manuel Almunia show football is in no great shakes as well. Mick Cleary of The Telegraph takes a look at how Martin Johnson has discarded national pride for this very reason...
What price home-grown talent? What price English distinctiveness? What price development systems for English youngsters? One of the reasons Martin Johnson headed home after representing the All Blacks at colts level was that he felt himself to be first and foremost an Englishman. He takes a more pragmatic view as England manager, as do all international coaches.