Have England prepared correctly or has a trick been missed?

Yesterday, Stuart Lancaster revealed his thirty one strong side to take on the world. Many people will go into "why has he chosen X and left out Y?!" "Is he the right fit for the team?" or "where is that guy?" I'm more interested in the preparation aspect of the selection. Lancaster and his team picked the squad, partially aided by an old fashioned closed door in-house contest. Obviously, we haven't been able to follow the team all the way to the States and back, but we have been able to make judgements based on opinion and how players played in the warm up tests. But I think more could have been done and the RFU and management teams have missed a trick. 

If you want supporters to get behind a team, you need to see them play. Club supporters will have wanted to support their national side and watch them improve.  The World Cup prices have had people moaning about being priced out of the game so the RFU could have done something about it. Perhaps they SHOULD have done something and given the fans a chance to watch their England side play live. 

My thinking is this: we have twelve Premiership teams sitting idly by, training for next season. They can't start fully until mid-October, so give them something to do. So to give them a chance to run out against an England side, I would have suggested creating five Barbarians sides, one for the five Premiership regions. Ok, I know we aren't divided into regions but stay with me. If we wanted to divide up the teams to create Barbarians sides, there's a great way to do it. Compass points and then London. Up in the North, Newcastle and Sale could take over the AJ Bell stadium for a day. In the West, Wasps and Worcester can hit the Ricoh Arena. The huge stadium could also host Northampton and Leicester as the East Midlands side for a double header over a weekend. The South West is dominated by Exeter, Bath and Gloucester who have a choice of three stadiums to go to. Finally the London group of London Irish, Saracens and Harlequins who could go to Twickenham but would be better off using the Madejski Stadium. 

How much fun could we have had watching Lancaster trial combinations against the best of the Premiership not selected for international duty? Many of the club mates of the international players have been pressing on the heels of the wider squad. Who wouldn't have enjoyed see if Alex Waller against Alex Corbisiero would show a need to get some extra scrum drills that week? Or if Christian Wade would outpace and tackle harder than Jack Nowell? Or even if Chris Pennell and Ben Foden could recreate their magic from the Crusaders game? A grand opportunity was missed in my view. But what I'd like to know is... If you were to pick a regional Barbarians squad, who would you have chosen to play against England? And would you go to those matches? Get in touch and let me know. And finally, this September and October, make sure you #WearTheRose!

Singha 7's Pool C - Harlequins, Northampton, Saracens and Wasps Part 2

If you've just joined us, you've missed out on some exciting fixtures, so feel free to go back and check Part 1 here. For those who are desperately seeking the final three matches of Pool C's matches in the Singha 7's last Friday, you're in luck!

Wasps v Northampton.

Wasps seemed intent on settling the Premiership clash against Northampton from the trip to the Gardens in March. A well worked 1-2 between Wade and Daly set the former in for his fourth. From there, Saints looked rattled with a frantic passage which ended with a turn over to allow Macken in. The flood gates opened, with the dancing feet of Wade avoiding two defenders on his way to the line, and Macken’s vision on the outside gave Wasps their bonus point before the half. Lozowski’s boot proved he is the man to replace Andy Goode next season.

Wade departed at the half, but the flow of tries kept going with Bassett scoring early on in the first minute. There is some overconfidence as passes are fired amongst Wasps players, forcing a fumble. Northampton tried to counter-attack but some loose play gave a scrum to Wasps, from which Lozowski scored his only try of the evening. He dutifully converted his own score, but Northampton decide to at least get a consolation score. An over-lap goes begging but it is worked back the other way as Alex Moon takes the ball and dives for the line. The final try goes to Thomas Young, with Lozowski finishing off the game 49-5. Wasps were now guaranteed to head to the Stoop the next week for the finals.  

Northampton v Harlequins.

The final game for the Midlanders and the Londoners started badly for the Northamptonians. Two early tries through Marchant and Nairn put Quins ahead, but an interesting tactic was deployed by the Quins to utilise a sweeper. This meant they stood as 6 men in a line, with the seventh player as a full-back. A risky move, and proved costly as Northampton utilised the space on the wing, allowing Emery to score his second try of the evening. Olver converted, reducing the gap to just 5. Magical feet from Calum Waters showed the talent in the Quins academy. Neither team were able to complete moves from chips ahead, with Harlequins opting to end the half after a scrum.

In the second half, Northampton tried to use the defensive strategy of Harlequins to their advantage, but in an attempt to force the overlap, a powerful tackle against Emery left Northampton a man down. As Harlequins turn the ball over, Northampton were penalised and in a fit of pique, Alex Mitchell was sent to the sin bin. During the two minutes depleted, Northampton pressurised Harlequins but Sam Aspland-Robinson eventually broke through the defensive line to score. Mitchell returned to the pitch, but his return did not stop Harlequins from scoring again with Waters using his footwork again to pick a line through the Northampton defence. Undaunted, Northampton attacked in the dying minutes, using their offloading abilities to gain a consoling score through Hutchinson. The final result – 26 v 12 to the hosts of the finals.

Wasps v Saracens.

The final match of the evening started as all the others Wasps matches started – with a try from Christian Wade. He received a wide pass and sprinted around the defender to finish the score. Saracens tried to counterattack after the score, but a loose ruck meant Wade could pinch the ball. 40 metres up the field and the very next phase saw Wade targeted and floored. However, he offloaded to Young who finalised the move. Saracens tried furiously to keep hold of the ball, but eventually were forced to kick ahead through and into touch. A quick lineout and a counter kick downfield gave the ball to Matt Gallagher who forced his way over the line. The conversion went wide, giving a half time score of 12-5 to the hosts.

A far closer contest than Wasps were used to so far did not last long, and Robson quickly got his name on the scoreboard for this match. Saracens were desperate to take the spot at the finals day from Harlequins and Dom Morris managed to evade Wade’s speed to dot down, closing the cap to 9 points. The try was almost replicated moments later, but a fumbled pass found only touch. From a penalty, Wade receives the ball where, surprisingly, only the referee kept up to watch Wade score his seventh try of the night. As Wade left, the stadium rose to their feet to wave him off, clearly Man of the Round in my eyes. Saracens, meanwhile, were struggling to break the gainline. A dogleg in the Wasps defence did give them a chance, but the final pass went forward. Apologies in advanced for the upcoming pun. The Wasps substitutes swam the field (I warned you) and the fresh legs take advantage. Conor Dolan turned the ball over and offloaded to Bassett who sprinted along the wing to score the final points of the day. The final result was a clean sweep for Wasps and 33-10 to the hosts. 

So the final victors are Wasps and Harlequins who head to Twickenham Stoop to compete with Newport Qwent Dragons, Scarlets, title holders Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs, Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks for the first silverwear of the season. For Northampton and Saracens, there are some bright stars waiting for their opportunity and they did well for their clubs. The class Wasps were able to call upon put them beyond the other clubs though and it will be interesting to see if the other teams choose to rotate their squads. But hey, that's 7's for you! Ciao for now!

Singha 7's Pool C - Harlequins, Northampton, Saracens and Wasps Part 1

I love a bit of 7's. I was born in Hong Kong and my first experience of rugby was the shortened form of the game. For those who don't know otherwise, 7's is to rugby as 20:Twenty is to cricket or 5-a-side is to football: a shorter and quicker version of the game. 7 players on a team, 7 minutes each way and much, much more space to run around in. From a referee standpoint, the game is essentially the same, with the exception of time-wasting being an instant yellow card and scrums are only 6 man contests. This particular 7's contest was the Midlands based round, with Wasps hosting Northampton, Saracens and Harlequins at the Ricoh arena. 7203 people flocked into the Ricoh, the smallest audience they've had since moving as a fun fact! And boy, were they entertained! Now, because there's so many games in one go, I've had to split the games up into two parts. So here are the first three matches kicking off with:

Harlequins  v Wasps.

Quins and the hosts Wasps started us off. An very early yellow card against Guy Thompson for throwing away the ball gives Quins a 2 minute advantage. They fail to sustain the pressure however and they knock the ball on. Wasps take the scrum, then give away the ball to Christian Wade who sprints for the line, virtually the length of the pitch, with Alex Lozowski converting the try.

Harlequins retaliate and a dubious pass to captain Joe Marchant sees him in on the left hand side. Luke White evens the scores, and further tries by both Wade and Marchant, and a conversion each side kept them level. The game showed a lack of defence from both teams as all the tries seemed to come from second or third phase ball. Proving this point, Brendan Macken darted over on a second phase, taking the score to 14-19 to the hosts at half time.

Wasps kept up the scoring in the second half, working from a 5 metre scrum with Wade finishing off for his hattrick. Despite a golden opportunity for Harlequins, Wasps added to their tally with a try utilising the dancing feet of Dan Robson and a final score through Josh Bassett gave Wasps a final score 40 – 14. The boot of Lozowski kept the scoreboard ticking over and the clinical attack kept the hosts away.

Saracens v Northampton Saints.

Saracens opened their account early, moving first left then right after a lineout and captain Tom Whitely finished the move. Saracens kept up their poor kick offs, giving a free kick to the Saints. With the Midlanders unable to keep hold of the ball, Matt Hankin broke away then offloaded to Dom Morris. Whitely converted the score, but from there, Northampton decided to fight back. Will Allman started the comeback by tying up several defenders, creating the space for Tom Emery to crash over the line. Sam Olver took the next try for himself, having previously converted Emery’s score. A beautiful dummy and a high rate of pace, despite the chasing Nathan Earle, give Northampton the lead at half time.

Winning the kick off, Northampton ship it to Rory Hutchinson, the Scotland U20 fly-half finishing off a team try. His second try came shortly after as Olver mimicked Brian O’Driscoll’s antics when he last visited the Gardens – a pass through the legs to set the Scotsman up for the double. Inaccurate passing from both teams shows the stain the shortened format puts on players, but eventually after a sprint from James Grayson and a penalty against the Premiership Champions gave a final try to Alex Rayman. The conversion hit the uprights, so the final score ended with 12-31 to the Saints.

  

Saracens v Harlequins.

Saracens opened the scoring account, despite both teams showing early intent. Whitely finished off a well worked move on the right hand side and converted his own try. From there, the characteristic defence of the Champions held the Londoner’s away from the try line. A XV’s style chip and chase from Saracens was a gamble, but as the last Quins defender fails to release, Kevin Barrett takes the quick tap to finish the move. A final score before the half off the back of the Saracens scrum has Nathan Earle add to the tally.

With a 19 point gap to overcome, Quins attacked early, taking advantage of a Saracens fumble and using clever hands of Luke White gave Marchant his third of the evening. Reclaiming the kick off on the left, Quins work across the field allowing Robbie Nairn to cross for his first of the evening. With conversions off the table for Harlequins for now, both teams gave away penalties before James Tirrell darted down field with Marchant chasing. The Saracens man wins the foot race however, and stretched the lead again to 14 points. The final points would go to the men in white, as Nairn sprinted away before allowing Senitiki Nayalo the chance to finish in the next phase. Too little, too late for the Londoners as Saracens run the clock down. Final score 24 – 17 to the Premiership champions. 

As we go into the interval, of my own writing, Wasps are leading the way on points difference and have a game in hand before they face up to their new neighbours. Stay tuned for more 7's excitement!

England v France - An Overview on those Wearing The Rose

So 23 players have been selected to #WearTheRose this weekend. The first match these players will have in a competitive sense since May. Wales played against Ireland last week, and this will inevitably lead to a major cull in the ranks. Stuart Lancaster's approach to trim the fat last week and then the interesting decision to name his squad yesterday not only messed my plan to speculate on the squad this week, but has also allowed for some theories to form in my head. More on that in a minute, for now, I want to take in this squad.

Let's start with the captain. Tom Wood is a fine leader and probably would have been picked as Lancaster's captain before his injury back in 2012. Still, he's back in the driving seat, set up to be the stand in skipper in case Chris Robshaw takes a knock. And I think he has earned it, he is an obvious leader on the pitch, holding the respect of his teammates and spectators. His work rate is high, but he does have to watch his back, because on the other side, his Northampton teammate is making his debut. Calum Clark has been both a hero and a villain in the eyes of supporters, predominately split along the Northamptonshire border. But his turn over stats have outshone even the England captain, and his presence on the field means he is a hassle to the attacking sides. To complete the back three, Ben Morgan returns and we will wait to see if he is back to his best. He was very unlucky to break his ankle back in January, after such an excellent autumn series so it will be nice to have him in wearing the rose again. Nick Easter's exclusion from the squad suggests his injury is likely to have him behind Billy Vunipola and Morgan. 

Moving forward in the scrum, George Kruis and Geoff Parling buddy up in the second row, with Mako Vunipola, Rob Webber and Kieran Brookes up front. This looks like the second string pack that would sit on the bench against Fiji, with the leading men rested this week. Ah, theory number 1! Yes, I think this set of forwards is the second string as it stands. Those on the bench this week are just behind them, and will need to make a strong impact off the bench to challenge. Corbisiero and Wilson will be particularly worth watching as they would presumably be contesting for the last front row spot. Corbisiero has the advantage of playing both sides of the scrum, whereas Wilson has been with England all year, even following Dan Cole's injury. 

Half backs would similarly be the second string players, but some relief for the scrum halves in that their rivals have been removed, so the three are safe. Danny Care needs to find his form again, with Wigglesworth and Youngs leading the way. Owen Farrell is certainly behind George Ford, and where Cipriani fits in, I don't know. Theory number 2 might shed some light on this, but I'll save that for later.

Centres next, and I'm going to be blunt and brief. The press and social media have their opinions and a certain elephant in the room is central (tee hee) to the debates and news. If I'm honest, I'm bored of it and so are many Bath supporters as I found out on Saturday at Bath's open day. Instead, I'm going to veer off and go to the bench first. Billy Twelvetrees is at his last chance saloon. He has to perform if he is to stand any chance, and even then, Henry Slade offers so much more. He fits the mould that Lancaster wanted Twelvetrees to be in that he is an extra kicking option but offers a left foot option none of his competitors have. His ability to be a fly-half or a 12 in a pinch means he is far more valuable than a convert with a number that seems to double when it's in white. Shall I move on? No? Oh alright then. Sam Burgess has his first chance to play a full international union match, but it's in his worst position where he was outplayed by the Irish Wolfhounds back in February. Was that match too early? Is the World Cup? We shall see. I'd love to be proven wrong... Well that's not true. Anyone who knows me knows how pedantic I am and being right is a massive benefit. That aside, Burgess needs to learn the game more. I hear Japan is lovely.

Finally the back three, and this is where the theories come in. Alex Goode, Jonny May and Jack Nowell are the fullback and wings respectively, and May, who has been reported as the best in training, has been given a reprieve. Let's see if he can recreate his special skills used to score against the All Blacks. Defensively, the three aren't the biggest, but they work hard and will do their best to defend against the attacking French forces. 

Now some conspiracy theories! Theory 1 is already out there: our front row rankings. 

Theory 2: Cipriani and Slade will be tested in two positions. I think Slade will see himself playing at fly half for at least 10 minutes, and Cipriani will replace Goode at fullback. Slade needs to demonstrate himself across the midfield to maximise his chances, and Cipriani has a need to prove his extra string because of theory 3...

Theory 3: Mike Brown isn't quite fit enough. Something about Chris Pennell and Ben Foden joining in with training suggests the fullback isn't as settled as we might think. Both might feature next week in France, reprising their roles from against the Crusaders, with Anthony Watson on the other side. 

These are just theories. Do you have any theories of your own? Keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter for more about those who #WearTheRose!

Who Will #WearTheRose Against France? Part 2

The countdown to the World Cup continues. For those who missed the last post, here's a quick recap. With the upcoming selection cuts, I have taken the task of predicting who will be selected for Stuart Lancaster's match day squad against France on August 15th. Now since the first post, I have found out that Lancaster intends to cut a further 9 from his squad before the France game. So if I have to, I will enter updates to the previous appointments if it turns out they have been left to one side.
Today is the day of the centres, and these positions are already being wildly speculated as two stand-outs who will contest for a position in the World Cup squad.

#13. Henry Slade. 

The Exeter fly-half was forced to play outside his comfort zone all season. Pushed out wide by Rob Baxter, the decision has opened up Slade to a world of new possibilities. His kicking ability offers the extra option that Lancaster seems to have adored in Billy Twelvetrees, as well as a left footed kicking option for the tricky shots at goal, and for getting the team out of trouble. Following his outstanding performance during the Six Nations, Jonathan Joseph has cemented himself into the 13 shirt for the opening fixture against Fiji, and Luther Burrell has proven himself at both centre positions in the 2014 Autumn internationals. Slade has the ability to play as a fly half, centre and a full back, and has his previously mentioned kicking prowess. He offers something that the other centre options don't have. Baxter sees it, and he begs for Lancaster to select Slade over the next option to be picked at...

#12. Sam Burgess.

The Bath based League convert seems to dominate opinion polls, newspaper articles and the internet. He divides opinion between those who love and adore everything he does, and those who think he is not ready. My personal feeling is irrelevant here, though it may be made clearer as this post goes on. If you've been living under a rock for the past 9 months, Burgess came over from Sydney in October, following a Man of the Match performance in the Super League final. His debut in a Bath shirt was massively delayed by a fractured cheekbone, and when it came, a game of Burgess Bingo was a popular drinking game. His debut came as an inside centre, and was unremarkable. Which was to be expected; no-one picks up this game in less than 5 months. He was soon selected for the Saxons game against the Irish Wolfhounds, squaring up against the likes of Gordon D'arcy and Keith Earls. And he was targeted, so much so that he made very little impact on the game. His best games for Bath have come since then, where he was switched to the forwards. And he has looked better, but not the complete article. Which is why Mike Ford seems to be wanting to state his players case.
Since Lancaster categorically stated that Burgess's immediate future in an England shirt is as a centre, Ford has done everything he can to sway the public opinion. Including the strange statement of "if he had been with us, he would've learnt about the lineout." Odd propaganda aside, Burgess will likely be given a chance to play against France. My worry is he will be found out as a positional concern. Defensively, the safer bet is Brad Barritt, and he will be most likely joining Burrell and Joseph in the inked in side of the ledger. Sadly, this means that Twelvetrees and Kyle Eastmond will be left to head back to their respective West Country clubs, with the single remaining slot left for the two who will  #WearTheRose on the 15th.

So that's the centres. Burgess and Slade squaring up against the French. We shall have to wait and see if this is the correct prediction, but this squad will be crucial in the Lancaster decision. Let's look forward to the next installment, where we will challenge the tricky consideration of the Half-Backs.

The Squad So Far...

#15 - Mike Brown/Ben Foden (Depending on fitness)
#14 - Chris Ashton
#13 - Henry Slade
#12 - Sam Burgess
#11 - Semesa Rokogunduni
#10 -
#9 -
#8 -
#7 -
#6 -
#5 -
#4 -
#3 -
#2 -
#1 -

#16 -
#17 -
#18 -
#19 -
#20 -
#21 -
#22 -
#23 - Jonny May

If you want to recap, here is the link for Part 1.

Who Will #WearTheRose against France? Part 1

We are very close now. The 50 day countdown began, and England’s first warm up match against France is just over the horizon. Annoyingly, I will have to watch that match on the Sunday, what with my brother inconveniently arranging his wedding on the Saturday, but no matter. This is when Stuart Lancaster starts to show the world the squad he will unleash on Twickenham on September 18^th. With 14 days until France are welcomed (perhaps the wrong word, but never mind) to the home of English rugby, I want to throw out some speculation of who I think Lancaster will select in the various positions. This post is about the back three, both wings and the full back.

#15. Mike Brown. 

Most likely to be the starting fullback in the World Cup, he has masses of credit in the bank. But he does have one drawback – he hasn’t played since February, which is exactly why I expect to see him in the squad on the 15^th. He needs the match time, something that Alex Goode and Anthony Watson don’t, with both playing in the Premiership final. Albeit, briefly for Watson. (Which wasn’t a red card offence by the way, Ford Snr, but that’s a debate for another day.) The other possible is Ben Foden. Like Brown, he’s been out for a while, but his recovery has finally come to an end, and Lancaster would have been chatting with Jim Mallinder whilst pre-season training has been going on in Northampton. But the likelihood is that Brown will be pulling on the shirt. Giving Foden a chance here though would increase the wing options if it works well. Goode offers an alternate as a fly half, but he doesn’t add the same options to the back three that Foden, Watson and Brown offer. All of the aforementioned offer greater attacking lines, but have different kicking options. But this isn’t about what will come in September. This is who will play against France, and that is most likely to be Brown.

#14. Chris Ashton, and #11. Semesa Rokogunduni. 

Wing options are pretty full here. Even with the withdrawal of Ashton’s former Saracen teammate, David Strettle, a replacement was found in a matter of days. With speculation that Marland Yarde is on his way back to Harlequins when Lancaster makes further changes to his squad, these two are the most likely to be selected against France. They are the ones with the most to prove, perhaps with Jonny May sitting on the bench. Rokogunduni hasn’t pulled on the white since his test debut against New Zealand last year, Ashton has had even longer in the cold. With Watson as a strong wing option, Jack Nowell offering an alternative as a centre, and even Brown offering himself as an extra winger, these three players will need to give a strong showing to push their way into the final 31, and this will be their last chance to do it. Some even question the reasoning behind their inclusion when Wasps flyer Christian Wade has been left in Coventry. Time to stand up and be counted.

Next time, I will be casting an eye over the centre partnership likely to be selected, and a chance to weigh in on the ongoing argument of the selection process. Yes, that elephant in the room is going to be challenged. Stay tuned to find out who I think should #WearTheRose.