Dragons get Derby Day Blues.

It was a low key start for Henson last night at the Cardiff City Stadium, although Welsh fans were treated to some glimpses of what this gifted player can bring to the game. On a couple of occasions, he managed to fix the opposition midfield with a look as the ball went through his hands like a silk scarf. He offers some impressive options from full back, where he can pick and choose where to enter the line of the attack, and is so much more difficult to mark. It has to be said, however, that the Dragons 15 Martin Thomas shaded that particular contest, and I remain unconvinced by Henson in that position. He has a tendency to let the ball bounce, and one senses that the centre berth allows him less time, and therefore he is able to go back to his rugby instincts. He is just one of those players who try to do too much if they have too much time.
Here's hoping that the Blues don't have to use him at 12 straight away after seeing Jamie Roberts limp off with what looked like a painful knee injury. Gatland (and particularly Edwards, who looks to Roberts for his leadership of the defensive line) will be nervously awaiting reports from the Blues medical team.
Blues owner Peter Thomas was interviewed during the game, and reemphasised the Blues commitment to the City Stadium deal. But how long can they stage home games in such a huge space ? Last night was a good crowd, by league match standards, but the TV cameras gave the viewer the sense that somewhere else in Cardiff there was something else going on. At least we knew for certain that it was not a pack of reporters trailing our Gav around the bars of St Mary's Street. For once.

Will Henson have all the right moves ?

So - another day, another comeback.
The man who has had more comebacks than Status Quo prepares to face the Dragons tonight in an eagerly anticipated Valleys derby. Will the boys from Rodney Parade rain on his parade ?

The acquisition of The Perma-Tanned One will certainly give the Blues more midfield options, and it will be an interesting test of the post Dai Young coaching set up to see how things develop. Henson was acknowledged to be the best 12 in the 6 Nations not so long ago, now his team mate Jamie Roberts has some claim to being the best in the world in that position. The Blues may go for an interchanging 12/13 set up, as the Lions managed so effectively with Roberts and O'Driscoll, but Henson has scant experience of playing with the trainee medic. Indeed, Roberts was pretty scathing when asked about Henson's re appearance in the Wales squad last year - how about this for a put down? -

"...Welsh rugby is not just about him. It's about the team and individuals working hard within that team."

So suffice to say that our Gav has some points to prove, and folk to win over.

Get used to this face...

Quins' surprise defeat of Heineken giants Toulouse yesterday will inevitably increase the stock of Chris Robshaw, who is now widely touted as the next England captain. Strong in contact, and blessed with palpable leadership skills, the young man from the Stoop will be difficult to overlook when Stuart Lancaster and his Band of Merry if Slightly Apprehensive Men gather to select their 6 Nations squad. Robshaw for captain would be accompanied by the popping of champagne corks in SW London, although Conor O'Shea may be secretly less than chuffed. To add the England job to Robshaw's "to-do" list may be asking a lot of a player who, a few short weeks ago, was only a fringe squad player.

No scrum, no chance...

Love it or hate it, it is a defining feature of the game. Hardly surprising to hear Martin Corry, the old Tiger, defending it as an institution on Radio 4 this morning. The boys love it down the Welford Rd, and their whole game plan revolves around the pressure they exert in the darkened recesses of the scrum. Messrs Cole, Castro et al are a force to be reckoned with. The Cardiff Blues may be looking strong in their Heineken Pool, but their lack of real scrummaging bite has cost them in the past, and will do again. Wales without Adam Jones struggle to impose themselves in the tight. To be a force at the top level, you have to be able to depend on your own scrum ball.
But how long can a paying public be expected to put up with numerous collapses, the tiresome macho posturing and occasional outbreak of handbags? The backs stand around and blow on freezing fingers as minutes tick away, and the bewildered ref goes through the litany (crouch-touch etc etc yada yada...). Quite simply, all this puts a premium on "the hit", and the prop who has lost it will probably go down.
My betting is that this farago will not be in place for the next WC - the question is, do we go back to the old days, where men were men and sheep were worried, or will we lose the scrum to a Rugby League type farce, where it is relegated to the role of a rather messy means to simply restart a game ?

How will we remember Wilko ?

Cynics (and hard boiled, die hard Welsh fans are pretty cynical about anyone in an English shirt) will say he'll be remembered as a great kicker, and a bloke who kept the medics busy.
It is true to say that Wilko was never in the "classic" Welsh 10 mould. Despite being behind a behemoth of a pack for the vast majority of his international time, he only scored 6 tries. He has probably beaten more defenders playing flat on the line of attack at Toulon in the past three years than he did in all those years at Twickers.
But boy could he kick.
And pass - what is sometimes forgotten about Wilko is his ability to throw sharp, accurate passes off either hand. Like his kicking, this is something that this modest but most driven of sporting stars would have practised endlessly.
He would have easily by-passed Jason Leonard's record of 114 English caps but for that injury record. In redefining the role of the No 10 as THE defender of the midfield channel, Wiko put incredible strains on his body. When also taking into account the endless hours of kicking practice, it was no surprise when he went down with a succession of shoulder and knee ailments.
It was his ability to come back from these career threatening moments that defined him as the ultimate professional in a newly professional sport. Could he have been even better ? Probably. If he'd have made the move away from Newcastle earlier. If the English coaches had taken him to one side and said "Steady on - look after that shoulder". And if those same English coaches had somehow freed him to play the role he has played at Toulon. Watching him play London Irish last year in the Heineken, he was truly impressive. Decision making, passes, kicks spot on, a go-to player in all respects. I feel England only "went" to him to say "Go on - kick the penalty". As a 10 in that English set up he was expected to become the leader as the 2003 vintage faded away, but it never happened. Seeing him play that day at the Madjeski, it struck me that that leadership was there, but its failure to define the latter part of his career was a failure of "Elite Player Development". If that title is meant to mean anything...

Are the Tigers losing their teeth ?

Leicester's defeat at Clermont leaves them in a tough spot in Pool 4. They lie third, with just no hopers Aironi below them. If the French side do the double over them next weekend, it's hard to see the Premiership side finding a way past Ulster and Clermont to get into the knock out stages. Another "giant" heading for the Amlin ?

In a week that has seen our illustrious leader Dave "playing a blinder" (according to Boris Johnson) against everything that nimble footed Frenchie M. Sarkozy could throw at him, it was sobering for rugby fans to see front line English sides struggle to make a dent in their French opponents. Although they have always been famously guilty of putting the Heineken second to their own domestic competition, this season has seen the likes of Castres, Montpellier and Clermont tear into European opponents with all the reckless abandon of a Parisian tucking into his morning croissant. Ominously, they seem to be able to play the power game that was once the preserve of the English. Today, like the Saints yesterday, the Tigers looked clueless when the opposition refused to crack under pressure. Cockerill had better take a close look at the video, because it looks as though this particular outfit is unwilling to let a physical battering bother them. In the heat of battle today, it was Chuter and Tuilagi who lost focus, and French players like Malzieu and the hugely impressive Brock James who kept playing.
Like our Dave, Cockerill and co may leave Pool 4 empty handed...

The Cup that cheers

The day's Heineken action has been typically fast and furious, and there are some surprises as the Pool stages reach the half way point.
Surprise number one is that the Saints, last year's finalists who snatched defeat from the jaws of what looked like a comfortable victory, are already out. Defeat at Castres today was no more than they deserved, in truth. The French side looked pretty comfortable playing a power game against a side that is perhaps the most power obsessed side in the Premiership. Coach Lancaster - be warned.
Interestingly, a referee finally whistled Dylan Hartley for popping out of a scrum. Fancy that. As rare as Tory MP's going into France, whipping out their wallets full of Euros and saying "You know, I just love the convenience of it all..."
Down Wembley Way the Sarries had too much fire power for the Ospreys. The emerging talents of Justin Tupiric and Ashley Beck were outstanding for the visitors, but Borthwick ruled the roost in a line out with out Alun Wyn Jones and Ian Evans, and the Welsh side were starved of possession as a result. Next week has to be a decider for these two sides.
The other big surprise also came in this Pool, where the minnows of Treviso managed to survive a few late scares to hold off the giants of Biarritz. Rugby fans won't be sorry, having suffered X number of games where the Basque side has ground out dull victories, with a stellar set of backs outside the scrum twidding their fingers and chasing the occasional box kick. Again - all to play for next week, although one can't imagine that the Italians will repeat this score in the lions den. I suspect they'll be mauled by 30 points or more - but has the damage already been done ?

So the cat - a particularly smelly one - is out of the bag. Take cover, Mr Rob Andrew, Mr Brian Smith...

"Among the most disturbing revelations were the comments provided anonymously by the players. A selection appear below:

On the pre-tournament preparation:

"It wasn't hard, it was just LONG. We felt physically and mentally drained at the end."

"The man-management was absolutely terrible."

"All the plans we'd worked on for weeks suddenly went out the window because they didn't happen to work in one game."

"There were two massive playbooks, which many players didn't look at because it was in too much depth."

"There wasn't enough focus on basic skills."

On the performances at the World Cup

"To go into World Cup games not having a game-plan, any structure or clear idea of what we were going to do in attack was astonishing."

"I really can't believe we lasted as long as we did in the tournament. We played like crap."

Peerless, of Wigan.

Some of the secret pie eaters in the Welsh squad will be disappointed, as well as any non tackling perma tanned types who had designs on a Welsh jersey. The boy from Wigan is now full time. No longer will our Shaun single handedly subsidise the Severn Bridge toll with all his M4 dashes, because now he's here to stay. Perhaps Cardiff gives him the environment he's happiest in, the closest experience to being in Wigan on match day, in a rugby town, warts and all.

 The clarity of the WRU move in the wake of the RWC is highlighting the ever deepening sense of confusion at Twickers. As Will Carling observed quite some time ago, it's fine to allow a bunch of gin soaked committee men to run the game as long as the national side is winning. Now, the competence of those committee men is coming under some scrutiny. The obvious question is now being asked - WHY give Johnson the job of running the national side, without ANY coaching and/or management experience?

Quote of the WC

"I'll never make a hooker and you'll never make a referee. Let me do my job' Nigel Owens. SA-Samoa

Rugby Now and Then...

The thoughts of Welsh legends - Gareth Edwards, Jonathan Davies, Shane Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r2ZnzlR5r1I

From Neil Smythe's blog, www.resolutionsquare.com

And the Dream Team ???

The following, coached by him...

Jenkins, Servat, Castro, Matfield, Thorne, Cabello, Warburton, Har'oquy, Phillips, Carter (even on one leg), Roberts, Rougerie, North, Ashton, Dagg...

"Je suis triste pour mes copains..."

"Je ne sais pas quoi dire..." tweeted Sebastian Chabal, as the reality of how close this 2011 RWC final set in.
What will the outgoing coach say, though ? Will he, like Bernard Laporte, shrug his shoulders and say "Boff" to the world and disappear ?
Both men know that their respective squads WERE good enough to win a World Cup. France produces high quality players, born into the cauldron of intensity that is the Top 14. They are usually involved in the latter stages of the Heineken Cup. These guys can play.
And today, at Eden Park, as a unit the French back row outplayed the All Blacks. Rougerie smashed into the Kiwi midfield, giving Nonu his most uncomfortable afternoon for quite some time. As is often the case when the Blacks have their backs to the wall, it was McCaw's cussedness that kept them afloat. French fans will be left ruing referee Joubert's liberal interpretation of the breakdown laws, as well as his frankly clueless control of the scrum.
Perhaps, at the last, it was All Black coherence that won through, and yes, perhaps the task of getting enough Kiwi territory in the closing minutes for Trinn-Duc to have a pot at goal was a step too far for rugby's Sans Culottes, but Lievremont will hope to get home, have a think, hopefully a shave, then find a team to coach.

The RWC according to Nessa

"So, Stace. What's occurin' ?"

An extraordinary feast of Welsh rugby is at last over, and we're left to pick over the carcass. The Grand Slams under Ruddock - a cruelly false dawn - and Gatland's first triumphal year apart, the years have not been kind to Welsh rugby fans since Gareth Edwards was feeding the Pontypool front row. Years of frustration - embarrassment, even, when the Saxons were turning up in Cardiff and expecting to win by 30 points. And against the southern hemisphere sides, Wales would be lucky to keep it to fifty.

In recent years, an improving professional set up has allowed us to close the gap with our friends across Offa's Dyke, and we have given touring Tri Nations sides a scare or two. We may have lost 3 games at the 2011 WC, but only by a TOTAL of 5 points. It is a measure of this group's progress that they are flying back feeling disappointed.

Now everyone is talking about Wales and 2015. How sweet would it be to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy at Twickenham ? Could they do it ? Gatland's contract extension is Phase 1. If Edwards could be persuaded to sign a proper full time one that would help too. Their ability to spot and nurture talent has been truly impressive. Dan Lydiate, Toby Faletau, George North - would such players have come in and been given an extended chance to show their worth in England ? Would Martin Johnson have picked out a young flank forward to skipper his side ? In the case of Rhys Priestland, the coaches took him to Twickenham to play at full back, but Stephen Jones' injury resulted in his move to the fabled 10 jersey. Gatland saw enough of the young Scarlet in that time to completely change his backline. It was brave, inspired coaching.

But over the next 4 years ( and, indeed, 8 years for a significant number of young men in this Welsh squad) the most important thing has to be a sustaining of these current high standards. Let's keep it "Tidy".

Red Card Rolland brings the Welsh party to an end

Is it too easy to blame the man with the whistle (and, crucially, THE card) on this occasion ? Are we Welsh happier with the tag of plucky underdogs ??

If, like me, you were busy debating with your friends whether Sam Warburton deserved a sin binning or not when you were thunderstruck by the caption at the top of the screen that read "Sent Off", you'd be quick to point the finger at Alain Rolland. Probably as quick as he was in whipping out the card.
And you'd be quick to agree with the TV pundits, as well as the post match interviewees, who were unanimous in their conclusion that a potentially great game had been wrecked in that one moment of officiating. The tackle itself was perhaps a yellow card offence. Certainly a penalty. But even a cursory rechecking of the video playback (and poor Sam will see it every night in his dreams for a long, long time) would confirm that it was first and foremost a very heavy hit, right on the target, and it was the French players' momentum that did much to spin him round on his axis. If the Welsh skipper had really wanted to spear him, he'd have driven him down hard into the turf, then followed up with a few choice words. Sam just got on with what he does, and pinched the ball. If refs issued red cards for every tackle in that category, we'd be down to 5 a side matches by half time. Rugby League afficionados must be chortling into their Tetley's.
Gatland said as much in his dignified summing up to the TV cameras. A look at his body language would tell you that he was seething. And I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Shaun Edwards tonight. My betting is that he was still punching the air at the quality of the hit when, like us, he realised what Rolland had done.
But neither man will want Wales to settle for the plucky losers tag. The brutal fitness sessions in Poland were all about lifting Wales over the line after seeing them get painfully close in a number of matches. They won't want the Welsh players, or the fans, to use it as an excuse for another hard luck Max Boyce song. We must kick on.
Meanwhile, just as in 2007, one of the more limited teams in the tournament staggers into the final. Let us hope that, for entertainment's sake, the French don't try to win it by just trying to kick the ball to death.

Irish Eyes Smile No More...

The Prince of Centres exits stage left as the great RWC drama works its way towards a thrilling climactic scene. The Irish, whose Pool victory over the much vaunted Australians did so much to blow this tournament wide open, were left down and out by the ever improving Welsh in the first quarter final.
Later, the robotic English were too slow to respond to the energised French, and went down by 19 points to 12.
Now, the burning question for all Northern Hemisphere fans - which French team will turn up next weekend ? The fractious, moody, disinterested types who lost to Tonga, and who treat their coach like some sort of sporting leper ? Or the slick, ball hungry characters who out foxed and out fought the Saxon hoards ?
Supplementary question - will it matter ? Is this Welsh team going to beat them anyway ??? They are playing a brand of rugby beyond anything we've seen before. The fitness centre in Poland may prove to have been Gatland's best selection of all, because they have looked fitter than any side they've played so far, and their defensive wall broke those Irish hearts, and sent Prince Brian home empty handed - again.

Show me the way to go home...

So England triumph in the Group of Near Death Experiences. With two "gimmes", their progress should have been more serene, but they have been shown to be easily rattled by sides that refuse to roll over and succumb to training ground rugby routines. With all their power, there is still a lack of cutting edge, and the decision to take their own South Sea islander is proving to be their saving grace. Without the Leicester based Tuilagi, England would struggle to get any front foot ball at all.
At the end of the Pool stage, so many gifted players depart, perhaps at the end of their World Cup careers. The Samoan side, for example, are packed full of quality, but the harsh economic truth of the matter is that they can't afford to put together a coherent campaign. They can't plan ahead, they can't get players released from all four corners of the globe, they can't bring in lots of support personnel. To prepare for a World Cup campaign (particularly in the Pool of Death) a squad would need to do a lot more than summon players in the few weeks before the bash and hope they're all in the right shape for the challenge. That takes serious cash and resources.
As well as Tuilagi, England do have that...

Raising a glass or ten...

 

The Irish victory over the Wannabees has turned the rugby World Cup draw upside down. All bets are off...

Now the Tri Nations will have to scrap it out amongst themelves to decide who gets to the final, and although home advantage would lead most to think that the All Blacks should be there, the hosts' fragility in a semi final against either Australia or the Boks should make for compulsive viewing.

Meanwhile, the northerners will be assured of a finalist - assuming the remaining pool fixtures go to plan. A big if, however. That slightly unpredictable ball, allied to the vagaries of the NZ weather, is making it difficult to close matches down, and is creating perfect conditions for playing underdog rugby.

If the Irish can continue to improve, they will be very difficult to beat. If Wales can keep 15 front line players fit after going through the Horror Show that is their Pool experience, if France can play theway they did in the last quarter against Canada, if England can focus on playing rugby rather than perfecting their dwarf tossing techniques...

As I said, a lot of ifs...



Let's hope they're not celebrating here...

Breaking News

Will Henson ever play in a World Cup ?

Henson's enforced 6 to 8 week layoff following surgery on his wrist underlines the dangers inherent in these so called "warm up" matches. Competitive, meaningful rugby matches can't be played at anything less than 100% and a small country like Wales is inevitably going to lose personnel due to the extraordinarily high attrition rate in the modern game.
The loss of Henson may be difficult to estimate - but the loss of players like Adam Jones and Mike Phillips would be plainly disastrous. This Welsh squad is full of high quality players, but scratch a couple of names out, and Fijians will be licking their lips.








Search Amazon.com for rugby world cup 2011

The moment Stoddart's RWC dream died...

Legendary Lions coach Carwyn James chooses his top tries

And Carwyn knew his stuff...

John Dawes recalls British & Irish Lions' 1971 success

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/13913041.stm

from ScrumV - Dawes reflects on 40th Anniversary of the Tour

"Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"

Fans at the Millenium may have been asking "WHY?" on Saturday, as the impressive Barbarian line up threatened to overwhelm the young Welsh side. WHY award caps for the summer jamboree ? WHY stage it here, when it was always going to be half full ? Most obviously - WHY does Henson get another chance at redemption ?
To which, the words of RFK might be relevant.
WHY NOT give Sam Warburton and his charges exposure to life in the fast lane ? Ryan Bevington would have learned more from Saturday's arm wrestle with Carl Haymans than he would in 6 months on the bench with the Ospreys. And if we are serious about competing against the best this Autumn, WHY NOT see if our Gav is worth a run. If he can face 80 minutes in close contact with Monsieur Bastareau's thighs, then he's on the way to being ready.

On the Front Line

Mike Ross, Cian Healy and Richard Strauss were not in the game in the first half of the Heineken Final against the Saints, but were central to a breathtaking turnaround in the Milleninum last Saturday. Quite what happened in the Leinster dressing room over the half time oranges will remain in the annals of rugbying history as long as the game is played.
They were free of the crushing pressure of Hartley and co for the first quarter of an hour of the second half, and that may well have been critical. The ethereal Jonny Sexton ghosted through a gap out wide to get the Dubliners swinging, and when the front rows next locked horns, it was Heaslip's turn to play on the front foot, and Hartley's to be popped out. From that point on, the Leinster side was in cruise control, recycling the ball quickly and always looking dangerous in attack. For all Foden's prompting, the Saints faded badly. This will be a difficult pill for Mallinder's charges to swallow, but they have established themselves as a force in European rugby, and no one will relish visits to Franklin's Gardens in next year's Pool stages.

Ben Foden and girlfriend Una Healy (who does SHE play for ???)

The Saints march on to the Heineken semi finals after a tough encounter with this year's surprise package, the men of Ulster. Watch for them next year !
The winning try was created due to the quick thinking of England pair Foden and Ashton, and Martin Johnson will be happy to see these two developing their counter attacking game. But Johnson will be wary of Foden's tendency to court the papparazi. Not too long ago, the Welsh fans lost (possibly permanently) the perma tanned Henson, who sacrificed himself on the altar of self publicity. Foden's yobbish behaviour in the back of a London taxi will be a development that will have the famous Johnson frown full on.



Now he's going to be REALLY fed up...

The unlikely possibility of Wales snatching the Championship from England by defeating the French in Paris was quickly snuffed out by the delicate skills of Lionel Nallet. The biggest man on the Parc sold the Welsh defence an extravagant dummy before galloping over for the first of his two tries. Shaun Edwards, the Welsh Defence Coach left at home following an unspecified incident at the team hotel last weekend, would have been distinctly unimpressed. For the ref to sinbin James Hook for an aggressive bit of work on his opposite number would have rubbed salt into the wound.

All in all, Gatland's charges have recovered pretty well after a disasterous opening Friday night, when their own indecision, allied to a strong forward display from the Saxons, meant that they were immediately under pressure.  

Next up - the World Cup...let's just keep well away from the Fijians...

Will it be a lucky weekend for the Irish ?

O'Driscoll, the Prince of Centres, holds the key to the next match in the 6 Nations campaign. His mucker-in-chief, Gordon D'Arcy, looks off form, so it is up to Ireland's captain. Will it be an unlucky 13 for James Hook and co ?

Back at No 10

Restored to the near mythical Wales 10 jersey, Hook's break and offload provided Wales with a red hot start against the hapless Scots, who never looked likely to catch up. This was despite Wales being down to 13 men at one stage, with Bradley Davies and Lee Byrne in the cooler. With only three points to show for this critical period in the match the Welsh were able to shut things down in the second half and get the win they so desperately needed. My man of the match - Dan Lydiate. A Lion in the making.