6 Nations 2012: Italy VS England (Round 2)

6 Nations 2012: Italy VS England (Round 2)

England has announced an unchanged 22 ahead of this weekend’s game in Italy, Round 2 of the RBS 6 Nations 2012. Stuart Lancaster feels the 22 as a unit performed well and is presenting them with an opportunity to gel and build on the promise they illustrated in their victory over Scotland, in the first round of the 6 Nations campaign.

Stuart Lancaster admits that there were some difficult decisions regarding the starting XV, no more so than considering the back row combination. Phil Dowson has been given another opportunity to improve upon his debut in international rugby, at the expense of Ben Morgan receiving his first start. Another avoiding the axe has been Ben Youngs; holding off the challenge from Lee Dickson who is now vying for a starting berth.

Although continuity is good to see, there are sure to be changes in the ensuing weeks with Toby Flood and Manu Tuilagi looking to be available for Wales at Twickenham in two weeks. Furthermore, Tom Wood and Courtney Lawes will be back and in contention for selection when they regain fitness by the finale of the 6 Nations. Making changes this week could depict a situation where Lancaster cannot settle on a starting XV; a feature he does not want advertise on his ‘extended job interview’ as interim manager.

The continuity does validate to the players Lancaster’s trust in them, but including the adage that there is only one more trial game. However, if players are not answering the critics, an example would be Dowson struggling against Parisse, I would like to see Ben Morgan placed at No. 8 as soon as possible. Preferably, it would be good to see a big 40 minutes from either player.

Overall from England I would like to see more competence at the breakdown and at the set piece in looking after the ball whilst it is in their possession.

England XV @ Italy: Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, David Strettle, Charlie Hodgson, Ben Youngs; Alex Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Mouritz Botha, Tom Palmer, Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw, Phil Dowson.

England Replacements @ Italy: Rob Webber, Matt Stevens, Geoff Parling, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, Jordan Turner-Hall, Mike Brown.

Italy have made two changes to their starting XV that lost in France in the first round of the RBS 2012 6 Nations campaign. Marco Bortolami comes in at lock, Gonzalo Canale comes in at inside centre, and Mauro Bergamasco makes a return to the international arena from the bench, as Jacques Brunel prepares to entertain England this weekend.

Italy will be looking to build on their promising first 40 minutes against France; translating it into an 80 minute performance against an English side that is very much in transition. With Jacques Brunel announcing a squad with over 700 caps to beat an inexperienced English side; he will also be looking for them to be inspired by the home support at the sold out Olympic stadium.

Italy XV against England: Masi, Venditti, Benvenuti, Canale, McLean, Burton, Gori; Lo Cicero, Ghiraldini, Castrogiovanni, Geldenhuys, Bortolami, Zanni, Barbieri, Parisse.

Italy Replacements against England: D'Apice, Cittadini, Pavanello, Bergamasco, Semenzato, Botes, Morisi.

6 Nations 2012: Scotland 6 – 13 England (Round 1)

Same old Scotland, brand new England?

The losers should have won and the winners should have lost; the reaction from more or less everybody whether said aloud or not. Scotland lost after dominance throughout most of the contest whilst England defended for their first victory of the 6 Nations. Scotland cannot score a try, but I am not the person who is going to attempt at suggesting a remedy (as an Englishman myself).

The winners England have much to be talked about. Stuart Lancaster has got off to a winning start; and we got much of what was promised. I say England fans got 2 out of 3, commitment and pride was put back into the jersey, including defence and increased tempo.  England fans will have to wait for next week’s game to see if England can cut loose and build solid, going forward rugby.

Patience must be shown. It was 6 Nations rugby that took place and England was victorious on the night. A win is a win; the motto of Round 1 in this year’s tournament. Jeremy Guscott even before the game blew everybody’s bubble stating the weather will prevent the ‘rugby’ that fans dream England to be playing. And he of course was correct.

 ‘New’ England was better than the quarter final team that lost to France in the 2011 RWC; whether you like it or not. England was 16-0 down to France during half time in the World Cup; they were missing tackles and not looking up for the fight. ‘New’ England were ‘untried’ as a defensive unit, yet had telling levels of commitment and aggression that usurped performance levels at the Rugby World Cup.  The change in personnel has been telling from one tournament to the next, yet improvements were also traced in the 8 players that survived the England ‘make-over’ with their ‘switched-on’ defensive mindset; Ben Foden being the most observable improvement.

Brad Barritt and Mouritz Botha were standout defensive performers, but defence was strong throughout the whole squad. Lapses in defence did occur, which granted Scotland with ‘open-goal’ opportunities. This is an area that requires attention; combinations need time to mesh, it was not through a lack of defensive intensity.

There was a tempo to the defensive work which did translate into their attacking efforts; timely turnovers won by Corbisiero and Botha did set England on the attack. It was in these few situations where we did see England’s attempts to play expansive rugby. England players were running at the Scottish defence with intent, as well as the space on offer, which was refreshing. England had some success breaking through the middle with offloads in the first half, and Hodgson connecting with his wingers in the second. There was a ‘new’ tempo that was attempting to sprout.

Yet the attacking framework and opportunities created was not obvious and too infrequent. There were many occasion where England were penalised for holding on. Unforced turnovers did diminish their performance also. Ownership and securitisation of the ball is a fundamental quality required at any level of rugby, a ‘basic’ skill which Lancaster promised England will do well. An improvement is necessary here for any attacking framework to be put into practice.

This weekend, away to Italy will provide another stern test at the set piece, and question England’s ability to control their ball at the breakdown. A remedy for England’s problem here could be starting Ben Morgan at No. 8, as Dowson struggled to physically withstand the Scottish forwards at the breakdown and on the gain line. If not, may be give this unit another go? Give time to the players to gel? Let’s hope it is not as boring as watching paint dry.

Player Analysis:

15.          Ben Foden                          Reliable, improved defence, hope to see him attacking next week

14.          Chris Ashton                      Solid Engine shown in his chase and defensive work

13.          Brad Barritt                         Most impressive debutant. Extremely solid defence

12.          Owen Farrell                      Debutant; kicked ball away too often in open play, kicked penalties

11.          David Strettle                    Solid Engine shown in his chase and defensive work

10.          Charlie Hodgson               Fronted up in defence, charged down kick for try, tried to attack

9.            Ben Youngs                        Struggled to distribute with breakdown not being secure

8.            Phil Dowson                       Struggled with physicality at 8 & turned ball over a few times

7.            Chris Robshaw                  Captain, lead and carried well. Fronted up to Scottish physicality              

6.            Tom Croft                            England positioned him better to get his work-rate around the field

5.            Tom Palmer                        Experienced was obvious in the pack

4.            Mouritz Botha                   Defence was superb, yet  speed of rugby seemed too much for him

3.            Dan Cole                              Went well in the scrum, needs to be better in the loose

2.            Dylan Hartley                     Went well in the scrum, needs to be better in the loose

1.            Alex Corbisiero                 Went well in the scrum, was effective in the loose

16.          Rob Webber                      Unused, still waiting for 1^st cap

17.          Matt Stevens                     Went badly in the scrum, gave penalties away at the breakdown

18.          Geoff Parling                     Came on for debut, blended in well

19.          Ben Morgan                       Solid from the base of the scrum; pushing for starting berth

20.          Lee Dickson                        Debutant, blended in well

21.          Jordan Turner-Hall           Debutant, made a couple of good defensive hits

22.          Mike Brown                       Debutant, blended in well

Super Rugby Season Preview – Queensland Reds

The growth in the Australian rugby team across last season before the Rugby World Cup can be much attributed and accredited to the Queensland Reds and Ewen McKenzie. 

The playing quality and form shown from star Wallaby internationals Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane and skipper James Horwill were very much the spearhead of the current Super Rugby champions.

I was most impressed however with the depth of the squad, performing consistently at the highest level. Forwards such as James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, James Hanson, Rob Simmons, Scott Higginbotham, and Radike Samo, were playing to a standard that was getting them onto the periphery of playing for the Wallabies and being a part of the Rugby World cup.

The back line did pull their weight also, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai and Rob Davies illustrating international quality midfield play.

The exclusion of Quade Cooper from the beginning weeks of the upcoming season will be diminishing, yet their season-on-season continuity in personnel should pull them through. I share the same view as Ewen McKenzie; it will be a good situation in the long run to have blooded other players into the playmaking role during the early season.

The shaping of play can be aided by Will Genia along with the leadership role from a powerful pack steered by captain James Horwill. A clear skill of Ewen McKenzie is his ability to develop talent, and the young prospect Liam Gill is an example of great talent being moulded in a successful environment.

Queensland Reds will be severely tested without their star playmaker along with the Super Rugby champion tag. A lethargic beginning of the season is possibly a worry due to returning Rugby World Cup internationals, yet I believe Ewen McKenzie will have everything prepared and accounted for.

Squad:

Forwards: Ben Daley, James Slipper, Greg Holmes, Guy Shepherdson, Saia Faingaa, James Hanson, James Horwill, Van Humphries, Radike Samo, Rob Simmons, David McDuling, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Scott Higginbotham, Eddie Quirk, Beau Robinson, Liam Gill, Jake Schatz.

Backs: Will Genia, Ben Lucas, Quade Cooper, Michael Harris, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai, Digby Ioane, Rod Davies, Luke Morahan, Don Shipperley, Aidan Toua, Chris Feanuai-Sautia, Jono Lance, Peter Hynes.

Opinion - Tom Wood as England captain

Tom Wood has let his rugby do the talking, and plaudits to boot. Tom Wood is the next England captain.

Tom Wood’s debut in the 2011 6 Nations opener at the Millennium Stadium against Wales was a dramatic introduction; yet he gave a man-of-the-match type performance. He shone with great work rate and was effective in the loose and at the breakdown. He gets through plenty of the intangibles, the work that nobody traces; the only observable result being an England win.

Tom Wood’s rugby abilities and leadership potential on the rugby field are evidence enough to hand him the captain’s armband. But with rugby experts and fans wanting qualities that rival previous legend captains of the game, delving into his character and life are also that of an England captain.

As a youth, Tom Wood left a position in the Worcester Warriors academy and moved to New Zealand for 2 years; working on a farm and playing New Zealand brand rugby with North Otago. Tom Wood challenged himself in a new and testing environment. He avoided the English academy structure; he wanted to “break the mould”. Who else ventured the same path to New Zealand in their youth? Martin Johnson. In fact Tom Wood confessed he had read his book, and Johnson’s successful time there, was partly his motivation.

Martin Johnson even commented on Tom: "Sometimes a young player comes in and they don't realise how good a player they are." People say that may be Johnson sees himself in Tom Wood; as do others, his teammates referring to Tom as ‘Mini Johnson’.

After the close of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the public were left asking what happened to England; their attack, their dynamic forward play that resulted with the 6 Nations championship crown? Well Tom Wood played the entirety of the 6 Nations, and held a minor role at the World Cup.

Tom Wood was not used against Argentina, and was not included in the 22 against Scotland and the quarter final with France. He was disproportionately rewarded with a start against Georgia and a substitute appearance against Romania. I am sure there are other factors, but the change in England performances without Tom Wood’s inclusion is apparent.

Outside of the England shirt, he also performed well for Northampton; winning the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year award, and receiving nominations for the RPA’s Players’ Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year award.  On top of these recognitions of success, his boss Jim Mallinder, the person who knows him best, believes that he has the qualities to be a great England captain. Tom Wood has also received recognition for England captain from England Rugby legend, Lawrence Dallaglio.

Yet his lack of England caps continues to be his story at present; a foot injury keeping him from competing for a starting XV birth against Scotland and Italy. Tom Wood admits this set back has cut him “deep”. It has stopped him having the ‘fresh start’ with the ‘new’ England team. But it will never stop his graft. As quoted by ESPN Scrum:

"For example, I've hurt my foot, but I'll make sure I make some gains in other areas: whether in strength in the gym, overall conditioning, or shoulder stability. I use the anger and put it to good use. I'll take it out on the punch bag in the weights room."

The drive and intensity that moves with Tom Wood, injured or not, is a great thing for English Rugby, and a great asset that you would want in a captain. He’s inner-drive rivals that of Jonny Wilkinson, with a Johnson-esque aura. Tom Wood must be England captain.

UPDATE – Saracens strengthen with Chris Ashton acquisition

The press are drumming up the drama at Franklins Gardens, yet Saracens are the most intriguing; employing a world-class finisher, and depriving a rival of their own.

Uncharacteristically a low profile was the stance from Saracens, speaking briefly on the matter “out of respect for Saints”. The possible 2013 Lions touring candidate reflected that gesture on Twitter that although he has signed for the rivals, it is presently “all about Saints”.

The Saracen’s blueprint seems to becoming the Master Plan. The ex-pat South African fan base that Saracens has gained the attention of has now got to watch a potential England backline. With Morgan, Hodgson, Strettle, Barritt, Farrell, Ashton and Goode 9 to 15, the dots are slowly being drawn together.

Chris Ashton was already claiming caps in colourful style, and playing for a club side that ran parallel with Saracens. Yet the sales pitch made by Saracens must have been a swallow-dive over the line.

With Chris Ashton racking up income as quick as he is running in tries, I am sure he was receptive to an increase in wages. I think he may have been aware of his good friend from league signing for Saracens; including the synergy agreement between Saracens and Ashton’s former league club, Wigan. Reverting back to the old code for stints may seem as some fun for him.

Originality regarding the off-field Saracens organisation is too much to ignore. The care placed on player development, community and family life is great. Even the team ‘bonding’ breaks abroad must be nice. But the off-field standards will never match the standards they have set and adhered to on it.

Chris Ashton is looking at a squad full of depth and quality. Similar to Northampton, but this team has gone to the big game and won. Ashton may have lost his patience with the Saints falling short on both fronts last year, exacerbated by England’s woes in grand slam deciders and a World Cup also. A fresh start for club and country is may be what he needed.

Melbourne Rebels: Take 2. Rebels with a Cause

Melbourne Rebels are sure to go well in the upcoming Super 15 season. It would be hard to call them a ‘surprise package’, considering the superstar entities going by the names of James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale entering the line-up. The Melbourne Rebels are developing at a great rate.

As a UK-based rugby fan, Melbourne Rebels grabbed my attention through the signing of the England-calibre fly half, Danny Cipriani, Welsh international Gareth Delve, England international Michael Lipman and ex-Wasp Lachlan Mitchell. Going into their first season, I was keen to watch the substantial coverage of the Super 15, provided by Sky Sports. And I was not disappointed.

Highlights of the season include their first franchise win against the Brumbies in round 2, Danny Cipriani’s solo try at home to the Sharks in round 4, their defeat of the Hurricanes at home in round 6, and their victory in Perth against Western Force by a point in round 7; with the greatest moment coming at the end of the season, being the acquisition of James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale.

The Melbourne Rebels will possess a backline with serious firepower: Nick Phipps, the current Australian Rookie of the Year, at 9, fly-half Danny Cipriani, midfielders James O’Connor and Stirling Mortlock, and gliding Kurtley Beale at fullback. Blending solid performers such as Lachlan Mitchell, Mitch Inman, and Mark Gerrard, Rebels fans must be excited.

With the backline requiring quick ball, Melbourne Rebels recruitment have done well and continued with  back-row players Gareth Delve, Michael Lipman and Jarrod Saffy; standout players for the Rebels in the pack. All looks promising for on-the-field success in 2012.

Their off the field performance seems to be progressing well also. Being in sporting Victoria, the AAMI Park with a capacity of 30,000, provides a great home for them and their already solid fan base.

Their UK development tour was a great surprise also as they played Bath and Worcester in the off-season; testing the youth in their setup and projecting their name overseas. Their arrival at The Rec, where I was a spectator, was well received with a good crowd for a Bath Rugby pre-season game.

With their name in the rugby world developing alongside their on-field progression; the Melbourne Rebels are on an exciting journey. As a fan, I am looking forward to the start of the Super 15 season.