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

A quick recap of a fantastic weekend for international rugby, from New Zealand’s North Island to Houston and all across Europe

Rugby’s very own Super Saturday began in Wellington with the final stages of New Zealand leg of the IRB Men’s 7’s World Series. Kenya, managed by the impressive former England 7’s coach Mike Friday, beat New Zealand at the semi-final stage, in the All Blacks’ very own backyard. The Kenyan team came desperately close to winning their first ever series title but fellow finalists England scored a try in the final play of normal time and eventually won the match, courtesy of Sam Edgerley’s golden point try.

Not a bad way to start the weekend. The fact that England have recently lost to Spain, Portugal, drawn with the USA and Kenya and are only 8th in the overall series standings illustrates the new global strength of 7’s. The sixth edition of the Sevens Rugby World Cup takes place later this year, held in Russia for the first time, and there are just three years before the sport is reintroduced as an Olympic event at Rio 2016.

Just as Ireland and Wales were getting the 2013 Six Nations underway in Cardiff, the second tier European sides were also beginning their quest for silverware. In the first round fixtures of the Euro Nations Cup, Georgia, who had several Top 14 players in their side, including their giant captain Mamuka Gorgodze, travelled as defending champions to newly promoted Belgium, playing in their first ENC tournament. Shortly after kick off there was an unfortunate brawl between several players, which led to a prop from each side being sent off, but the match settled into a compelling contest, with Georgia scoring a late try to secure a 17-13 win. The Diables Noirs were ever so close to a famous victory.

Remember that Georgia have progressed to become a much more competitive side than when they first appeared at a Rugby World Cup, back in 2003. They narrowly lost to Ireland 14-10 in the 2007 tournament and put up fierce resistance against Argentina, Scotland and England in the group stages of the 2011 event, sixteen months ago.

The other ties saw Romania edge out Portugal 19-13 in Lisbon and Russia narrowly beat Spain 13-9 in Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympics will be held. This season’s second tier Six Nations is proving to be the most competitive yet. Imagine if promotion to the Six Nations was at stake?

Which brings me nicely to what many are calling the best opening weekend of a Six Nations. Ireland beat Wales in Cardiff, with ex skipper Brian O’Driscoll at his mercurial best. Wales have now lost eight matches in a row since beating France last March, when they secured their third Grand Slam in eight years.

In the second match, England continued where they left off from their impressive win against the All Blacks last December, beating Scotland by a similar winning margin at Twickenham. Scotland were competitive and Stuart Hogg had an excellent game at full back. England’s Owen Farrell had a near flawless day with the boot, landing 18 points, added to his side’s four tries, and he very much controlled proceedings from fly half.

Despite missing the majority of their backline, including Emily Scarratt, Katy McLean and Alice Richardson, England started the 2013 Women’s Six Nations Championship in ominous form, beating Scotland 76-0 at Esher. At the same time the Italian team defeated France 13-12, just twenty four hours before their male counterparts went into battle in Rome.

A few hours later round two of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series came to a climax in Houston, Texas. England, bolstered by many of their impressive 15 a side backs, emulated the men’s side by winning the event, beating the host nation in the final 29-12. New Zealand pipped Australia for third spot whilst the Netherlands won the plate final against Russia. Other lesser known rugby nations including Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago also participated in the tournament, held at BBVA Compass Stadium.

On Sunday Ireland’s women also managed a win in Wales by a slender two point margin (10-12), shortly before the final match of the opening round of the men’s Six Nations. Italy proved that their famous 2011 home victory over France was no fluke. Led by the hugely talented Sergio Parisse, the Azzurri demonstrated clever offloading and excellent running lines, to go with their trademark powerful set piece play, and their second Six Nations victory over France, which finished 23-18, was surely their most complete performance since they joined Europe’s top rugby table back in 2000.

With two more home matches and a well-timed away fixture next weekend in Edinburgh, Jacques Brunel’s side will target breaking the highest number of wins in a Six Nations season (2) and improve on their best placed finish of 4th, which they achieved in 2007.

Two IRB 7’s tournament wins and Six Nations victories over Scotland for England but Kenya, Belgium and Italy are the real success stories of the weekend. International rugby, long and short form, in both the men’s and women’s game is becoming more much more competitive worldwide. IRB CEO @BrettGosper will be happy with the progress the sport is making, in a defining decade for global rugby. 

The Heineken Cup – the competition that keeps on giving

Only eleven days till the start of the 2013 Six Nations but Europe’s premier international rugby tournament can wait – let’s focus on its thriving club rugby.  

The future of the Heineken Cup remains uncertain beyond 2014 but this season’s group stages have produced four compelling quarter final match ups, despite Leinster and Toulouse, champions between 2009-2012, being knocked out early, by their very high standards. And there is every chance that a new name will appear on the trophy in late May, joining the nine names already engraved.

There are, however, three former champions left in the competition; two giants of European rugby and a rejuvenated Irish province with a well-balanced squad, assembled over the last few years. 1999 champions Ulster are top of the Rabo Direct Pro 12 and on Saturday recorded their first ever away win in France. Munster and Leicester, both two time winners and multiple finalists, did what was required in round six and have also made the last eight. 

But their efforts have been rewarded with tricky away ties at Saracens, Harlequins and Toulon respectively.

Firstly to Munster and the pressure is very much off the Limerick province, for the first time in well over a decade. They scraped through to the quarter finals in eighth qualifying position, albeit courtesy of a last round bonus point home win over Racing Metro, which included a fine hat trick from Simon Zebo, and achieved without the talismanic figures of Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara (the first time in fourteen seasons that neither player appeared on the Munster team sheet in a Heineken Cup match).

Harlequins have never made it further than the quarter finals but this is undoubtedly their most impressive squad to play in the tournament and the reigning Aviva Premiership champions will start the match as favourites.

Leicester made it through the so called group of death, overcoming four times winners Toulouse and defending Pro 12  champions the Ospreys (and an improving Treviso, who were ever so close to beating the Tigers at home in round 4). Toulon, currently leading the Top 14, have shown cracks in their armour in recent weeks and defeats at home to Racing Metro and this past weekend away to Montpellier, where they were comprehensively outplayed, will certainly be worrying their coach, Bernard Laporte.

But April conditions should suit the Mediterranean giants and Leicester will need to be bold and brave to come away with a win. A smash and grab approach, built on forward supremacy and any hope for the Tigers will surely rest on Manu Tuilagi returning to provide much needed penetration in attack.

Most teams are punished by Toulon’s experienced global international contingent at the Stade Mayol and if Jonny Wilkinson, as many reports suggest, announces in February that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season, this will spur his side on even more, in surely one of the club’s most important ever fixtures.

Ulster’s trip to Saracens’ new Copthall stadium, which opens this weekend, looks to be the most intriguing tie of the round. The Ravenhill outfit have already recorded away wins over Northampton and Castres and have only lost two games this season.

A year older and wiser, Owen Farrell and co have continued to develop despite the club having a nomadic existence this season, playing their home matches at six different venues (including one in Belgium). Their backline has prospered in Europe ties and this has gone someway to removing the unfair boring tag that has stuck with them from their style of play in the Aviva Premiership. Perhaps Saracens’ greater experience with their new artificial pitch could prove the difference and Ulster’s chances could rest on whether the star Lions duo of Tommy Bowe and Stephen Ferris return to action by April.

Clermont will be at home in the final contest, for an all French affair against the surprise package of Montpellier, managed brilliant by former French captain Fabien Galthie. Clermont are seemingly invincible at home, unbeaten in 54 European and Top 14 matches at the Stade Marcel-Michelin and along with Harlequins have a perfect record in this year’s Heineken Cup. But Clermont have beaten Leinster, who have won three out of the last four HCup’s, both home and away, which shows just how strong the central French side are in the 2012/13 season.

Montpellier were hugely impressive in the home win against Toulon and it is great to see another team making the knockout stages for the first time. But Mamuka Gorgodze’s troops will face their greatest challenge in April and will need to be at their very best, and injury free, if they are to stand any chance of progressing further, at the expense of the bookies’ favourites for Europe’s most coveted club rugby prize.

So three English and French sides apiece and two Irish provinces are in with a chance of winning the 18^th edition of Europe’s finest club rugby competition. Enjoy the Six Nations but I expect many fans will be looking forward to the climax of the Heineken Cup just as much.

A final thought.. If Harlequins, Toulon, Saracens and Clermont decide, as expected, to play the ties at their natural homes, the accumulative attendance will be a maximum of just over 60,000. If Twickenham, the Stade Veledrome in Marseille, Wembley and football grounds in either Bordeaux or Lyon were used for the respective ties, the possible attendance would be well over the 200,000 mark.

Refereeing at tipping point

A very contentious issue but here are some thoughts on the current tip tackle situation. A different approach is needed. Referees have a very difficult job and should not be under so much pressure to send players off. Tackles are physical movements and body positions when returning to ground can be awkward but very few tackles are malicious (with the aim of spearing a player to the ground, with force).

I'd much rather tackle situations are reviewed after matches and players are banned, if found guilty, instead of being sent off.

The 1990's saw a similar escalation of red (and yellow) cards in football and the sport has reached the point of no return. Let's hope rugby does not go down this path. 

Blog link is below. Thanks all.

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/refereeing-at-tipping-point

Elite England after toppling the All Blacks

My latest blog can be found at the below link (thanks again to James Hutchison). Lots of interesting comments.

http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/elite-england-after-toppling-the-all-blacks

Selecting the 2013 British and Irish Lions

In a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph Rugby journalist, and former England lock, Paul Ackford, Lions coach Warren Gatland admitted that based on recent test match performances, no Lions candidates would make a current World XV.

The New Zealander will not lose too much sleep when mulling over this thought, but it will concern him that certain individuals underperformed in the Autumn Internationals. As of now only a handful of players have cemented their places in next year’s Lions squad.

However, this is also because of more positive circumstances. Firstly, there is strong competition in certain positions, especially in the back row and on both wings. Secondly, many stars will return to action in the coming months, after missing the end of year tests. Rory Best, Dylan Hartley, Adam Jones, Paul O’Connell, Alun Wyn Jones, Sean O’Brien, Stephen Ferris, Tom Croft, Dan Lydiate, Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney all missed out on playing the southern hemisphere’s finest this autumn but most should be fit for the Six Nations, which starts in February.

So as we near the end of 2012, who are the certain Lions 2013 tourists; who are those in the bolter (making a late surge for selection) category and who are the outsiders that Gatland might be tempted to gamble with when the tour party is finalised in April next year?

The Certainties:

Jonathan Sexton – the first man on the plane and certain to head to Australia, via Hong Kong. No other home union fly-half is playing close to Sexton’s consistent level and he continues to shine for province and country.

Dan Cole – Cole’s efforts at the breakdown, where he now looks like a natural openside flanker, have significantly improved since last year’s Rugby World Cup. The Leicester Tiger is also a world class scrummager, a facet of play that the Lions must dominate if they are to have any chance of a series win in Australia.

Cian Healy – The Leinster loosehead is beginning to transfer his Heineken Cup winning form onto the international stage. Mobile in the loose, he could provide the perfect foil to Cole on the opposite side of the scrum.  

Manu Tuilagi – Tom Wood was deservedly awarded the man of the match award in England’s win over New Zealand but the Kiwi press were quick to portray Tuilagi as the main catalyst for New Zealand’s downfall. Many pundits are still unsure on whether he is more effective as a 12 or 13, or even on the wing, but Manu’s powerful running could be equally as devastating on the hard grounds of Australia.

Leigh Halfpenny – Wales’ smallest player but possibly their bravest, certainly based on Wales' recent defeats. Safe under the high ball, dangerous in attack and crucially provides kicking options both out of hand and going for posts.

Jamie Heaslip – only a very brave man would head down under without the experienced three time Heineken Cup winner and three capped Lion. Ben Morgan, David Denton and Toby Faletau are all possible candidates for next year’s touring party but are likely to fight it out for one remaining number 8 spot.

The Bolters:

Craig Gilroy – a hat trick in the Ireland XV, uncapped, fixture against Fiji and a try in his first full international against Argentina, Gilroy is evidently a man in form. The Ulsterman looks like a Lion in the making and a successful Six Nations could see Gilroy force his way into Gatland's squad, ahead some of the more experienced wingers.

Freddie Burns – he may only have fifteen minutes of international rugby to his name but Burns looked completely at ease on the international stage, bringing his excellent passing and kicking form for Gloucester to Twickenham, against the All Blacks. 

Joe Launchbury – despite standing at a giant 6”6, somehow 21 year old Launchbury still looks his age but he plays like a man with ten years more exprience. This debate could be ended if Stuart Lancaster decides to bring Courtney Lawes back into England’s starting fifteen for the Six Nations, but Launchbury’s two caps have yielded widespread praise from across the UK and even from Kiwi and Springbok personnel – no mean feat.

Jason Tipuric – Welsh captain Sam Warburton is blocking Tipuric’s natural path to regular international honours but if Gatland lives up to his promise of only selecting natural openside flankers to tour down under next year, as opposed to Chris Robshaw’s multi back row ability for example, Tipuric fits the bill perfectly.

The Outsiders:

Andrew Sheridan – injury free and playing consistently well for Toulon, in the Top 14 and Heinken Cup, Sheridan’s scrummaging ability might force his way into Lions reckoning, for what would be a hat trick of Lions tour for the former Sale Sharks loosehead.

Steffon Armitage – A stand out performer in the French Top 14, Sheridan’s club colleague is consistently overlooked by England, due to player release issues, but like Tipuric, Armitage might be on Gatland’s radar due to his predatory work at the breakdown down and excellent support play. 

Nathan Hines – a 2009 Lions tourist to South Africa, an old warrior with excellent hands for a lock, Hines, who was born in Australia, has recently served a six match suspension but the Lions need some aggressive and experienced forwards, especially if Launchbury and other young forwards are also selected.

With so many Lions places seemingly up for grabs, next year's Six Nations could be the most exciting tournament in years. The fixtures involving the Home Union sides will certainly be played with added spice. And in twelve months time Gatland will certainly be hoping that talk of a World XV includes some of his victorious Lions stars.  

A final thought... After a depleted Australian side posted recent wins over England and Wales, next year will see the likely return of the likes of James Horwill, Will Genia, Rob Horne, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor but another name, less known in northern hemisphere rugby circles, could pose an enormous threat to the Lions. Israel Folau, a household name in both the NRL and more recently AFL, has changed codes again by signing for the NSW Waratahs. Folau will hope to learn the fifteen man code quickly and make an immediate impact in Super Rugby, ahead of possible Wallaby selection in 2013. Andrew Walker, a former NRL player but smaller in both reputation and physical size to Folau, proved a thorn in the 2001 Lions side. Do not be surprised to see Folau, the former Queensland State of Origin and Kangaroo try-machine, line up against the men in red next summer. 

@AMP_Rugby

I wrote this before the IRB announced their list - have a read

Who will be crowned as the 2012 IRB Player of the Year?

The IRB Player of the Year award, based solely on performances in international matches, has been won by many of the best players from the professional era, including Keith Wood, Jonny Wilkinson and Richie McCaw. Who are the favourites this year?

Kieran Read

The Crusaders star has continued his sublime World Cup winning form from last year and cemented his reputation as the best number eight on the planet. Back to back man of the match awards in his last two internationals, against South Africa and Australia, Read has terrorised opponents in both attack and defence in 2012. He is a very strong candidate to captain the All Blacks next year, when Richie McCaw takes a well-earned six month break from professional rugby, and like New Zealand’s most capped player, Read never puts in an average performance on the international stage.

Dan Carter

The 2005 winner has had an excellent comeback from the injury that prematurely ended his 2011 Rugby World Cup. Despite facing competition for the All Black number 10 shirt from Aaron Cruden, who has had a very promising 2012, the 93 capped stand-off has proved that he is still the best fly half in world rugby, emphasised by a commanding display against Scotland last Saturday. Carter has been at his best in New Zealand’s away matches this season, which will send shivers down the spines of the coaches and players from Italy, Wales and England before New Zealand’s remaining autumn internationals.

Dan Lydiate

Dan Lydiate produced a series of outstanding defensive displays in this year’s Six Nations and he was dually named the player of the tournament in Wales’ third Grand Slam since 2005. The Gwent Dragons blindside flanker also performed strongly down under, albeit in a test series defeat to Australia. He is a huge loss to Wales this autumn, following an early season ankle break, and judging by the performance against Argentina they are already missing him. But Lydiate should still be considered as one of the best international performers in 2012 and a return to fitness and form should guarantee him a place in the Lions squad next summer.

Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe

The Pumas captain led his country into unchartered territory when the South American side appeared in the Rugby Championship earlier this year. But the Toulon star well and truly led from the front, with his fiercely competitive spirit, immense work rate and impressive line out play. Argentina’s win over Wales in Cardiff was much deserved and Lobbe put in a very telling man of the match display, which included an excellent offload assist for his country’s first try, against the 2012 European champions. 

Bryan Habana

A resurgent Habana was far more consistent in 2012 than he was in the previous three seasons. Top try scorer in the inaugural Rugby Championship, the 2007 IRB Player of the Year was recently named the South African Rugby Union’s best player in 2012, for the third time in his career. Like Lydiate, he is unavailable for selection this autumn, due to an injury he picked up in Western Province’s Currie Cup Final win over the Sharks, but the 2007 Rugby World Cup winner looks as hungry as ever as he approaches the final few years of a glittering career.  

Players that deserve honourable mentions include Will Genia, Chris Robshaw, Wesley Fofana, George North, Rodrigo Roncero and Ma'a Nonu (plus many of his All Black teammates that have not been mentioned already). Sonny Bill Williams played superbly at the start of the international season, and would be a strong contender, but by moving to Japan, and confirming a return to Australian NRL Rugby League next year, he is unlikely to be considered for the IRB’s top individual prize.

You can never rule out three time winner Richie McCaw but Read has performed marginally better than his great club and country teammate this year (hence McCaw’s omission from this shortlist) and he would be a fitting choice to take the award back to Christchurch, where it has resided for four of the last seven years, thanks to Carter and McCaw.