The ex-Ireland star defending the Alps + www.follow-rugby.com

I recently went to my first Top 14 match in France and Bernard Jackman, Grenoble's defence coach, kindly agreed to be interviewed shortly before his side faced Toulon in their final home match of the season. Many thanks to him for taking time out to talk to me. The blog was put on www.therugbyblog.co.uk. Thanks again to Jamie Hosie for putting it on the site. 

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/the-ex-ireland-star-defending-the-alps

Please also check out a new rugby site - www.follow-rugby.com - lists rugby Twitter accounts in relevant categories and displays their real time updates on each page #FollowRugby. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Alastair

England post Cardiff collapse – a few (too many) thoughts

In the aftermath of another England Grand Slam fall at the final hurdle, courtesy of a record defeat to Wales, Stuart Lancaster was adamant that his side is still on an upward curve and on the right track for a certain event taking place in 2015. They are making progress, but following a similar climax to Martin Johnson’s last Six Nation’s campaign, interestingly in a Championship when Chris Ashton alone scored two more tries than the whole England side did in this year's event, how can future Grand Slam disappointments be avoided?

The specialist

Mike Brown, Tom Wood and Courtney Lawes were forced to play out of position for all, or part, of England’s Six Nations campaign. They are talented, reliable players but they should all be picked in their favoured full back, blindside and lock positions respectively, or not at all. Start with specialists.

Keep backing youth and form

The likes of Owen Farrell and Joe Launchbury were brought into the England set up last year and they have risen to the challenge admirably. Likewise, Christian Wade, Jonny May and Billy Vunipola, a young trio who have taken the Premiership by storm this season, should be capped sooner rather than later. They have the potential to give England much needed line breaking and game-changing capabilities.

English should also use Freddie Burns more effectively. It took an age to be elevated to the Elite squad but the Gloucester standoff has been injured recently. He was however fit for the Italy and Wales matches and could have been brought on from the bench to provide impetus, even a touch or two of reckless creativity, in attack. He has both composure and confidence in abundance and given the opportunity could work wonders for this England team.

All four should have played some part in this year’s Six Nations.

What to do with the middle men?

What type of players should be deployed in Mike Catt’s England midfield? The All Blacks performance aside, when for 80 minutes everything they touched turned to gold, the combination of Brad Barritt and Manu Tuilagi does not pose a significant threat out wide. They are powerful, but they cut back inside too often or run straight at defenders, focusing on making the gain line rather than having the vision to use overlaps and create chances for others.

A combination of either Billy Twelvetrees, a player in the Catt mould, with Tuilagi outside, or Farrell at 12 (Burns at 10) and Tuilagi would be strong enough in defence, attack minded and much more likely to supply ball to the starved back three. 

Full back spot still up for grabs

England are in the fortunate position of having a number of in-form candidates for the full back berth - is the incumbent the right man for the role? Alex Goode has been solid for England, in his first nine caps, but his garryowens and running from deep have become predictable. It worked in the Dublin rain but with a closed roof in Cardiff England needed a spark for kick return opportunities. All of the top international sides have an attacking player at 15; an elusive runner who is consistently capable of beating defenders. For this reason alone, Mike Brown or Ben Foden should start in the fifteen shirt.

Policy towards France

Wales (Mike Phillips), Scotland (Johnnie Beattie) and Italy (Andrea Lo Cicero + Serio Parisse et al) proved that players based en France can, unsurprisingly, contribute significantly to important tests despite not being in camp for the full duration. Even if certain individuals have to play for their club on a Six Nations rest weekend they should not be overlooked for selection. How important is having complete control over players if, in a few instances, the wrong players are being controlled?

Steffon Armitage deserves a chance. He is excellent in support, playing well off Bastareaud and Giteau for his club and would equally compliment any combination in England's midfield. He is an attack minded player and, at the very least, would certainly improve England's bench. 

His club mate Andrew Sheridan is the old head that England need in their front row and pack. He is in the form of his life, keeping a certain Gethin Jenkins, who was part the Welsh front row that controlled the scrum last weekend, out of the Toulon starting line up. His presence in the England squad would undoubtedly help to develop England's younger props. After all, Sheridan has a very impressive rugby CV - a thirteen year professional career, which has included two Lions tours and an appearance in a Rugby World Cup final.

Don’t be afraid to drop

A forgotten, but pleasing, aspect of the New Zealand win was seeing Owen Farrell slot over a drop goal in the first half. Boring to many, but this three pointer has settled many an important encounter over the years. Both Burns and Farrell have the ability in this area and perhaps it is time for the coaching staff to incorporate this very English, as Rob Andrew and Jonny Wilkinson proved during England’s most recent successful eras, weapon back into the game plan. Keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Don’t be judged on the World Cup

Concentrating on the next Rugby World Cup, a distant two and a half years away, is a risky and in many ways futile strategy. Six Nations Championships (England have won one since 2003), Triple Crowns (0 since 2003), Grand Slams (0 since 2003) and important matches against southern hemisphere opponents are there to be won every year. Focus on the now and do not mention 2015 until 2015.

England are a better side under Stuart Lancaster but he needs to make further changes, some of which might be prescribed above, so the side can push on to a level where Grand Slams and Championships are won. One Grand Slam since 1995....

My England team (and squad), politics and injuries aside:

Andrew Sheridan

Tom Youngs

Dan Cole

Geoff Parling

Joe Launchbury

Tom Wood

Chris Robshaw

Ben Morgan

Danny Care

Freddie Burns

Christian Wade

Owen Farrell

Manu Tuilagi

Jonny May

Mike Brown

Ben Youngs

Chris Ashton

Alex Goode

Alex Corbisiero

Henry Thomas

Steffon Armitage

Tom Croft

Dylan Hartley

Other Elite squad members (33 players in total).

Billy Vunipola

Mako Vunipola

David Wilson

Courtney Lawes

Matt Kvesic

Joel Tomkins

Billy Twelvetrees

Joe Simpson

Brad Barritt

Ben Foden

The injured Lions hopefuls

Every Lions year an unlucky few miss out on the ultimate accolade in British and Irish rugby, through injury. Many players are currently on the treatment table, or are being gradually eased back into the fold. After sustaining a serious knee injury last December, Luke Charteris has already been ruled out of contention for this year’s Lions tour. Who else is at risk of missing out?

Paul O’Connell – the 2009 Lions captain has just returned to action, following back surgery, and completed a half for Munster A last week. He will need to be back to his best quickly, in end of season Pro 12 and Heineken Cup matches, to stand a chance of a third successive Lions tour. 

Richie Gray – the giant Sale Shark, soon to be Castres, second row tore a hamstring in Scotland’s recent home Six Nations defeat to Wales. He will miss the next eight weeks of action but his athleticism and dynamic running would suit conditions in Australia. However, with no more opportunities to state his case before the 35+ names are finalised, only Warren Gatland knows if the 23 year old has done enough to secure a seat on the plane to Hong Kong.

Ryan Jones – the former Osprey’s captain was also injured in the Scotland vs Wales tie, breaking a bone in his right shoulder. Outstanding in Wales’ first win in Paris since 2005, Jones also performed well in their series defeat to Australia last summer but, like Gray, is unlikely to play again before the tour party is revealed. 

Dan Lydiate – the 2012 Six Nations player of the tournament has not played any competitive rugby since breaking an ankle against Edinburgh, in a September Pro 12 clash. The destructive number six has been in worse places and made an amazing comeback to the highest level in 2009, after recovering from a broken neck. A swift return to action and that level of determination could yet see him force his way into Gatland’s plans.

Stephen Ferris – the imposing flanker has had a horrendous run of injuries this season and recently had a second ankle operation at the end of February. His chances of making a second successive tour look slim, which is a great shame as the 35 capped Irishman proved how effective he can be in a touring environment in South Africa, during two provincial outings against the Golden Lions and the Free State Cheetahs (before he was ruled out of the test series through injury)... 

Simon Zebo – the Munster flyer was in outstanding form before breaking a bone in his foot, in Ireland’s home defeat to England in February. Zebo is roughly half way through a likely ten week spell on the sidelines and faces a race against time to be fit for any of Munster’s matches before the official Lions squad announcement, at the end of April. He may, however, take solace in that of all the other potential Lions wing candidates, only Tim Visser and Alex Cuthbert scored more tries than he did in this year's Six Nations.  

Tommy Bowe – capped three times by Sir Ian McGeechan in 2009, as an outside centre in the third test, Tommy Bowe has arguably been the most consistent winger in British and Irish rugby for the last five years. Injured since December, he is, at best, four weeks away from playing and he will be hoping that his Ulster teammates progress further in both the Heineken Cup and Pro 12, so he has competitive opportunities to prove his fitness.  

Ben Morgan – the Gloucester number 8 injured an ankle against Scotland and it has taken much longer to overcome than initially expected, much to the dismay of the England management and fans alike. Based on Six Nations performances a couple of number 8 spots are still available, although Toby Faletau excelled in Wales' Championship win. Morgan's powerful ball carrying and offloading ability will be hard to ignore, if his ankle heals in the coming weeks. 

Alex Corbisiero - the young loosehead has regrettably played very little rugby since injuring his knee on England duty in South Africa last summer. The scrum, as always, will be crucial and a fit Corbisiero would be a huge weapon in this area. But with no comeback date confirmed, time is not on the London Irishman's side.

Jonny Sexton - the Ireland and Leinster play-maker is likely to be out of action for four to six weeks, due to a foot injury sustained in Ireland training last week. He has not played since early February, after a previous hamstring injury, but he will surely be given every chance to prove his fitness. He is undoubtedly the most complete all-round fly half in the British Isles. 

Who would you risk taking? 

The unfancied Lion King in waiting

It is clear from comments in the media by journalists, pundits, ex players and by fans online, that Chris Robshaw is not everyone’s cup of tea. Strangely that is how it has been throughout his career.

As early as the 2008/2009 season a youthful Robshaw was named as the Premiership player of the season, an award he also won last year after leading Harlequins to their first Premiership title.

His form was just about sufficient to gain a call up to the Lionsless England squad, for the home and away two match test series against Argentina, in June 2009. He received his first cap in the 2^nd test but Robshaw would not wear his nation’s white shirt again until February 2012. His 2009 form was actually of Lions standard, but he was not even close to being selected for that tour. 

Martin Johnson was not really a fan, preferring Lewis Moody and Hendre Fourie, among others, to the Harlequins captain. After England’s disastrous 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign, the leaked RFU autopsy report included references to Robshaw, who months earlier had steered his club to European Challenge Cup glory, even though he was not part of the squad in New Zealand. Certain dwarf throwing England players were baffled as to why he was left out, despite not being given a start in a Rugby World Cup warm up match, yet consistently shining at England squad training and during fitness tests.

If Robshaw was not experienced enough to go to a Rugby World Cup in 2011 he certainly was not ready to captain England at the beginning of the 2012 Six Nations. But Stuart Lancaster felt differently, possibly due to an injury to Tom Wood, and he was entrusted with the ultimate responsibility in English rugby. Few thirty capped players, let alone those with one cap to their name, could have dealt with that sort of pressure. But three away wins, a first for an England side, and a second placed finish in the 2012 tournament was a decent way to start laying down the new foundations for England, in the post 2011 Rugby World Cup era.

He has never shirked a challenge. Even when many questioned “that” penalty decision in the autumn against South Africa, Robshaw responded by getting the better of Richie McCaw at Twickenham a week later. The best way to silence your critics. How many other players can say that in their 12^th international cap, 11^th as captain, they led their country to a win over the All Blacks? Or even say that they captained their nation for the 11^th time, in only their 12^th international test?

British and Irish team wins over the All Blacks are so rare that Chris Robshaw is the only player in consideration for the upcoming Lions tour that has captained a home nation union to victory over New Zealand.

He continues to impress for club and country. Whether he is an out and out openside is largely becoming a broken record-esque debate. His strong offload skills and excellent work rate make him a very good option as a seven, one that Conor O’Shea and Stuart Lancaster both want to build their respective teams around. And he can fetch – just look at the stats from England’s 2012 summer tour of South Africa.

Only Warren Gatland, the former Ireland, London Wasps and Waikato Chiefs coach knows what his strategy will be for the Lions captaincy decision, or even if he will name a test skipper at the official Lions squad announcement, but he should be wary of doubting the current England captain’s credentials.  

Lions captain contenders seem to be in short supply, at least of the stand out variety. A star performer at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and a Grand Slam captain last year, Sam Warburton’s form dramatically dipped, after suffering a shoulder injury in the final 2012 Six Nations match against France, as Wales lost eight consecutive matches. Recently he lost the Welsh captaincy to the impressive Ryan Jones, who has useful Lions experience to his name, but a recent shoulder injury could rule him out of contention for the tour.  

Kelly Brown has led Scotland well this season but has the least captaincy experience of any of the main contenders. Paul O’Connell, the 2009 Lions captain, is injured and that leaves a battered Brian O’Driscoll, hoping to go on a fourth consecutive Lions tour, as the main captaincy alternative to Robshaw, despite not leading Ireland in this year’s Six Nations. Jamie Heaslip, a Lion in 2009, has looked somewhat burdened by the added responsibility of captaining the men in green.

Back to back Six Nations man of the match performances, against Ireland and France, illustrate that Robshaw is a player on form and a captain leading his troops by example. A Championship decider, and possible Grand Slam match for England, in Cardiff this weekend could be a Lions captaincy audition for the twenty six year old. All the more intriguing if Sam Warburton regains the Wales captaincy.

Even if England lose it would be foolish of Gatland to rule him out. He still has plenty of important club games to prove his mettle and is likely to lead Harlequins in Heineken Cup knockout and Aviva Premiership play off matches before the Lions tour.    

His own rugby career history suggests that he will not be chosen as captain but if he is, Robshaw will do what he does best – getting on with whatever job is required of him and working his hardest on and off the field. He is more than capable of captaining the Lions. He thrives when he is handed more responsibility and under increased expectation, whenever a coach finally realises that he is a go-to man. 

The Second Six Nations

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece on this year's Euro Nations Cup. The fourth round of fixtures took place yesterday and, as predicted, Romania will face Georgia in a ENC 2013 Grand Slam decider in Bucharest next Saturday. Nothing between these sides - they are currently joint top of the table, each on 17 points.  In the 16 previous meetings each country has recorded 8 wins!

Round 4 results are below:

Georgia

61 - 18

Spain

Portugal

23 - 31

Russia

Belgium

14 - 32

Romania

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/the-second-six-nations

Seven sometimes six

My thoughts on the Lions blindside conundrum. Unfortunately it looks like Stephen Ferris is definitely out of the tour, after undergoing another ankle operation. Does this make it more likely that Lydiate or Croft will tour? Only Warren G knows.

Thanks to Jamie Hosie for publishing it on the site. Follow him on Twitter - @jhosie43. 

Thanks also to the great Oliver Blazeby for being the inspiration behind the title!

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/seven-sometimes-six

The former Cheetah loving life as a Wasp

London Wasps kindly let me interview their star Springbok flanker, Ashley Johnson (@ashj1605), a couple of weeks ago. Massive thanks to Alison Donnelly and Ben Lloyd, who both work for Wasps, and of course to Ashley, for giving up his free time.

The blog piece can be found at the below link. Ashley was named man of the match in his first outing since the interview (in Wasps' crucial Aviva Premiership win over Gloucester at Adams Park yesterday). I should interview players more often!

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/the-former-cheetah-loving-life-as-a-wasp

Thanks also to Jamie Hosie and James Hutchison for putting the piece on therugbyblog.co.uk