History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

ARMITAGE: ENGLAND AIM FOR SIX NATIONS SUCCESS

Delon Armitage has set his sights on winning next sping’s Six Nations tournament despite Martin Johnson’s reign as England manager beginning with three defeats from four autumn internationals. The London Irish full-back, who made his debut in the 39-13 win over Pacific Islanders last month, believes that England “will come back firing” and that it is only a matter of time before the team click.

Johnson’s first series in charge concluded on Saturday with a 32-6 defeat to New Zealand, who became the first team to win a grand slam of the home nations without conceding a try, thanks to Dan Carter’s 17 kicked points, Mils Muliaina’s two tries and man-of-the-match Ma’a Nonu’s late score.

England managed just one try in their last three matches – the All Black reverse followed heavy defeats to Australia [28-14] and South Africa [42-6, a record home loss] – and Armitage thinks that the players need to study the defeats to the Southern Hemisphere teams to help sharpen their finishing.

“We are very disappointed to lose three games in the series, but there are plenty of positives that we can work on for the Six Nations,” the 24-year-old said.

“We are creating chances and we have good players getting over the gain-line. We have learned a good lesson from New Zealand, and the other teams, that if you finish your chances, you will win games.

“You want to play against the best and see where you are in terms of progress and what you need to improve on. It is only going to do us good.”

He added: “Hopefully, with the good, young team we have got, we will gel sooner or later.

“We will definitely have to improve for the Six Nations. We want to win the Six Nations – we are not there to make up the numbers. We will come back firing.”

Labels: All Blacks, Australia, Delon Armitage, England, Martin Johnson, Rugby Football Union, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:25 am | Permalink | Comments

ALL BLACKS SEAL WHITEWASH WITH WIN OVER ENGLAND

The All Blacks became the first team to win a grand slam of the home nations without conceding a try, and the Hillary Shield, after their 32-6 win over England at a full-house Twickenham. Martin Johnson’s team, who were humbled 42-6 – a record at home – by South Africa last week, had wanted, in the words of James Haskell, to “regain some respect”. And they did, holding the tourists to 12-6 with only 20 minutes remaining, despite having lost three men to the sin-bin in that time.

Then, alas for Johnson, the proverbial floodgates opened, with full-back Mils Muliaina crossing twice and centre Ma’a Nonu, named man-of-the-match, capping the win with a 60 yard dash and score. And this on a day when New Zealand’s star fly-half, Dan Carter, scored only 17 points, having misfired five kicks at goal. It was the visitors, however, who were handed the new Sir Edmund Hillary Shield, with Johnson left to lick his wounds – after four games as manager of England, his record stands at won one, lost three.

As they did in the 28-14 defeat to Australia a fortnight ago, England conceded a raft of penalties to the All Blacks in the first half. Carter, the world’s best No10, needed no second invitation to punish Johnson’s team for their ‘indiscretions’, as referee Alain Rolland called them. Coupled with the 11 penalties handed to the tourists before the break, hooker Lee Mears and blind-side flanker Haskell were sin-binned by the Irish official for peccadilloes at the breakdown.

In the week England captain Steve Borthwick had urged his team to shake off their naivety and “get more streetwise” against the All Blacks, who are masters of rugby’s dark arts. They put theory in to practice, but were over-keen for Rolland’s liking in the tackle area, and aside from the penalties conceded England lost many attacking positions.

Scrum-half Danny Care could have been ejected after Mears’s yellow card on 23 minutes. And when Haskell was shown the same card 10 minutes later, Rolland warned Borthwick, the Saracens’ lock, “if I have to put another four players in the bin, I will. This has to be the end of your indiscretions”. It was for the half, but Carter had been kind and missed two of the six shots he took at the posts to take the score to 12-3 at the break.

Toby Flood, the Leicester Tigers’ fly-half preferred to Wasps’ misfiring No10 Danny Cipriani, kicked a penalty in reply, and was feeling his way into the game when, just a minute into the second half, was dismissed for a high tackle on New Zealand No9 Jimmy Cowans. This, again, undid impressive England work. No8 Nick Easter had rampaged forward and the hosts were camped in front of the All Black try line, but another rush of blood to the head and England were down to 13 men once again.

It was to Johnson’s team’s credit, and a show of their bristling character, that they did not concede another point until 23-year-old Flood had returned to the action. In fact Delon Armitage had pulled the score back to 12-6 with a penalty kick just inside the New Zealand half while Carter had inexplicably missed another attempt at the sticks.

The All Blacks, who in September won their sixth Tri-Nations title in the last seven years, looked like a team who had played 15 Tests this year. They were sluggish but effective when they needed to be, soaking up England’s pressure. Rarely did they sparkle, or rather have chance to. It took until the hour mark when they had their first sniff at the England whitewash. They managed to turn an England scrum and Cowan’s out-of-the-back pass was shipped through the hands of Nonu and winger Joe Rokocoko before finding Muliaina on the loop. The Waikato man crossed for his 23rd try for his country and put an end to England’s valiant hopes for registering an unlikely win.

Muliaina went over again as a tired England struggled to now cope with New Zealand’s backline, which was starting to fire. Nonu’s line break and converted score, with nine minutes left were the last points of the game. It could have been closer, but with four players yellow carded – substitute flanker Tom Rees was ejected in the second half – England were always going to struggle against the unofficial world champions, who won their third grand slam in as many years. Johnson has much to ponder before the Six Nations begin next spring.

England
Tries: None
Conversions: None
Penalties: Flood 1 (2), Armitage 1 (1)

New Zealand
Tries: Muliaina (2), Nonu
Conversion: Carter 1 (3)
Penalties: Carter 5 (8)

England: D Armitage; P Sackey, J Noon, R Flutey; U Monye; T Flood, D Care; T Payne, L Mears, P Vickery, S Borthwick (capt), N Kennedy, J Haskell, M Lipman, N Easter.
Replacements: D Hartley, M Stevens, T Croft, T Rees, H Ellis, D Cipriani, D Hipkiss.

New Zealand: M Muliaina; J Rokocoko, C Smith, M Nonu, S Sivivatu; D Carter, J Cowan; T Woodcock, K Mealamu, N Tialata, B Thorn, A Williams, J Kaino, R McCaw (capt), R So'oialo.
Replacements: H Elliott, J Afoa, A Boric, K Read, P Weepu, S Donald, I Toeava.

Labels: All Blacks, England, Martin Johnson, Rugby Football Union

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 9:24 pm | Permalink | Comments

McCAW WARY OF JOHNSON'S "HURT" ENGLAND

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw knows that if New Zealand are to capture their third Northern Hemisphere grand slam in as many years, they will have to defeat a wounded and intense England.

Having witnessed Martin Johnson’s determination first hand, McCaw believes that England’s forwards, in particular, will have a point to prove after last Saturday’s 42-6 defeat to South Africa.

“England will be hurting and will want to come out and get it right and show they're a good team,” said the openside flanker, the International Rugby Board’s player of the year in 2006.

“We've been in a similar situation ourselves this year. We were done by the Aussies and it was a horrible week. When you get a chance to put it right, and luckily they have a chance seven days later, that's what you have to do.

“We're expecting them to throw everything into it at Twickenham and will de desperate. We have to match that intensity or else it will be a long day.

“Their forwards are always tough and if they get some ball then the guys at the back have the pace and ability to use it. They are better than they've shown, but their opponents have been pretty good at stopping them playing.”

The 27-year-old views Tom Rees’s demotion as a shock, after the Wasps No7’s impressive display against the Boks. McCaw continued: “I'm a little bit surprised England dropped Tom Rees. He's a damn-good player.

“I'm sure England have their reasons why they dropped him but the guy who has replaced him is raring to go. I don't know too much about [Michael] Lipman but I'm sure he'll fit in pretty well.”

England manager Johnson was captain when, in 2002, the national team last defeated the All Blacks. In Wellington 13-man England slugged out a 15-13 win – and the former lock showed young McCaw what leadership was all about.

“I remember they had two players in the sin bin and Johnson was the one running the camp,” McCaw, whose side have not yet conceded a try on their tour of the Home Nations, said. “You could see watching him play in the World Cup in the final [which England won 20-17] he was in charge, doing the business himself and setting the example.

"The way he played, going out and produced the goods on the pitch, was inspirational. And he didn't seem afraid to drag other guys to come along with him. If they weren't pulling their weight he would make that known. His influence will start to come through for England now, too.

“I feel like a better captain than 12 months ago after the World Cup [where New Zealand were knocked out in the quarter-final]. Experiences make you stronger. A year down the track you learn to listen to your guts instincts. Confidence builds from there. The other key thing is to keep performing myself. That's the first thing you have to do.

“We can be proud of what we've achieved this year.”

Labels: All Blacks, England, Martin Johnson, Richie McCaw

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:18 pm | Permalink | Comments

LIPMAN LEADING FIGHT AGAINST McCAW’S ALL BLACKS

Michael Lipman has waited patiently for a proper chance in Martin Johnson’s back-row – the openside flanker was given the nod over Wasps’ Tom Rees for the final game of the autumn series against New Zealand. But then again, he has had to bide his time for most of his England career. Indeed his run out against the All Blacks will be only his tenth cap since his international bow four years ago, and is his first start for the national side since mid-March.

The Bath captain, who played in four Six Nations matches earlier this year following injuries to Lewis Moody and Rees in the Wales game, is rated by many as the best out-and-out No7 in the Guinness Premiership. He is relishing the prospect of facing All Black skipper Richie McCaw – an opponent Lipman first pitted his wits against almost a decade ago and currently ranked the best exponent of back-row’s darks arts on the planet.

“I’m looking forward to playing against Richie,” he says. “It is definitely a challenge I need to rise to. I have only played against him once before – for the Australia Under-19s team when he was playing for the New Zealand Under-19s. I don’t think I have played against anyone quite like him before.

“He definitely gets away with everything – all the stuff on the ground! But that is who he is - it is a reputation he has built up over the years and he deserves that respect from referees, so we will have to deal with him. But he is not alone – he has 14 other mates behind him causing chaos.”

Following the 28-14 loss to Australia - the country that London-born Lipman moved to aged five and left when he was 21 for Bristol - and the 42-6 drubbing last week to South Africa, the 28-year-old believes that his leadership skills are precisely what Johnson’s young team require.

“It is a very good feeling to get the No7 shirt back - I have been given an opportunity and I’m happy about that; I will take it with both hands,” says Lipman, who also played for Australia Under-21s but found good friend George Smith an immovable object when it came to the full Wallabies team. Brought up in Sydney, Lipman began his career at Manly and joined Bob Dwyer’s Waratahs in New South Wales – though he never played in the Super 12 – before flourishing at The Memorial Stadium and then, after moving in 2003, on the turf of Bath’s Recreational Ground.

“I was very disappointed to not get a run out when we were on tour in New Zealand in the summer,” he continues. “Especially after a fairly successful Six Nations when I played four out of the five games. It has been frustrating not to start in the past three autumn games too, but I am very, very happy to be starting against the All Blacks at Twickenham.”

Many viewed Rees as England’s solitary performer against the Boks, but Lipman insists that he has other pluses to his game that make him better equipped to face the All Blacks. And, whatever happens against New Zealand, he is looking to a brighter future for England’s rugby team – namely success in the All Black’s back yard at the World Cup in 2011.

“Tom and I have a mutual respect and I think he has been playing very well,” Lipman says. “But I think I have different facets to my game compared to Tom. I am good with the ball in my hands, and a good carrier. I am big on my defensive game too.

“I think I bring a bit of leadership to the team. I will be able to help Steve [Borthwick, a former Bath team-mate] out a lot. I have the ability to read situations and work out what is going wrong and how we can make it better; what we need to change. That is something I am very capable of doing. I am going to help Steve as much as I can.

“It is very important for England to get a result in this final match of the autumn series. We have to put English rugby back on the map. We lost a lot of respect after the defeat to the Springboks, because it was a big loss – there’s no getting away from that. It is hard for any team to come back from that.

“But in three years time the World Cup comes around and if this is a massive learning curve that gets us to that World Cup Final and wins us that trophy, then it will be happy days and this will be forgotten.”

Labels: All Blacks, England, Martin Johnson, Michael Lipman, Richie McCaw, Rugby Football Union

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:25 am | Permalink | Comments

FLOOD: WOUNDED ENGLAND WILL FIGHT ALL BLACKS

Toby Flood has been handed Danny Cipriani's No10 shirt against New Zealand and is ready to make some headlines of his own. Martin Johnson has given the Leicester Tigers fly-half a chance after Cipriani mis-fired against Australia and South Africa.

The 23-year-old will win his 22nd cap on Saturday at Twickenham and he believes that "wounded" England will raise their game after last week's 42-6 defeat to the Boks. Flood says that England will do everything in their power to stop the All Blacks gaining their second Grand Slam of the Northern Hemisphere in three years.

"It is wonderful to be back in the team," he said. "I've been waiting with bated breath to get a chance. Being on the bench is always such a difficult position because it is a halfway house - you are kind of in the team but you know you might only get 20 minutes.

"Having Danny in the team hasn't affected me - I have just been concentrating on my game. We are all in the same squad and when he was given the No10 shirt I congratulated him and he has congratulated me this week."

Flood is confident Johnson's team - which also sees lock Nick Kennedy recalled for Tom Palmer and Michael Lipman in for flanker Tom Rees - will use the pain from last weekend's loss to hurt the Tri-Nations winners.

He added: "The lads are disappointed after England's worst result at home in a long time. But we gave ourselves 24 hours to get over it and, having seen the guys train this week, the response has been fantastic. We have been trying to raise our game to a higher standard every day.

"All the teams in the Tri-Nations are excellent but the All Blacks are the team you really want to beat. They are going for their Grand Slam but I think we are looking forward to that. We happen to be a wounded team who are looking to turn things around."

Labels: All Blacks, Martin Johnson, New Zealand, Toby Flood

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:21 am | Permalink | Comments

NONU: ENGLAND WILL FACE WAR IF THEY DON'T RESPECT HAKA

Ma'a Nonu the All Black centre, has warned England they must respect the Haka on Saturday at Twickenham – or face war!

Last Saturday Wales faced the traditional war dance at Cardiff and New Zealand were forced, by the referee, to retreat and ready themselves for the start of the match.

The Maori 26-year-old old said: “What the Welsh did wound us up. They were probably told by [Wales coach and New Zealander Warren] Gatland to stand there and wait until we leave.

“But it was really hard - the Haka is a war dance. If you're going to stand there like that then people before now would charge, but it's a rugby match and you can't do that.

“People back home will have been hurt by what they decided to do. Standing in the way they did is like asking for a fight. My blood pressure was pretty high but then I regained my composure. I was a bit upset about it.

“If I was facing the Haka I'd respect it. The Haka is the Haka, after that it's game time. If England want to do that they can - but they'll probably get the same response.”

All Black coach Graham Henry added: “The Welsh thought that was the best way to respond, I just wanted to know when the game was going to start. It took someone with common sense, the All Blacks captain, to get things going.

“We don't need that every week. I hope a copy cat situation doesn't occur. We've been there, it was interesting at the time but it's time to move on and be more sensible.”

Labels: All Blacks, England, Ma'a Nonu, New Zealand, Rugby Football Union

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:19 am | Permalink | Comments

McCAW HOPING TO END ALL BLACK HURT

When Richie McCaw held aloft the Philips Tri Nations trophy following the All Blacks’ 28-24 Bledisloe Cup victory at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in mid-September, it went some way to dulling New Zealand’s collective pain, inflicted after last October’s World Cup quarter-final failure against tournament hosts France. But All Black number 1014 knows, in spite of his team being crowned the best side in the Southern Hemisphere for the sixth time in seven attempts, there is still a long way to go before the disappointments of that 20-18 defeat at the Millennium Stadium are fully exorcised.

Post-France, though Graham Henry retained his position as national coach having been handed a two-year extension in December, there followed much bloodletting. Selectors, with eyes on winning the only trophy to have eluded New Zealand’s grasp in 2011, on home shores, ushered aside certain Test veterans in order to blood young talent.

In less than 12 months three-fifths of the side have changed and after some initial teething problems, the new-look All Blacks have made impressive strides in this transitional season - before the Tri Nations success there was a whitewash of touring sides, England and Ireland. Captain McCaw, however, has set his sights on a Grand Slam tour of the Northern Hemisphere in November to cap off what will be an impressive year and reaffirm New Zealand’s position as champions of the world, albeit unofficially.

The 27-year-old openside flanker, whose team take on Australia in Hong Kong before a gruelling schedule in Britain that includes games against Scotland, Ireland, Heineken Cup victors Munster, Wales and England, is in buoyant mood ahead of the tour.

"It will be a very busy month but will be very exciting too," McCaw, who announced himself on the international scene with a man-of-the-match display against Ireland in Dublin seven years ago on a similar tour, suggests. "After the unique Test against Australia we have the four Home Nations, who all provide different challenges. It'll be tough but it will be satisfying if we win.

"Winning the Tri Nations was a big lift - it was something we really wanted to do. After the disappointment of last year there was a lot of negativity about the rugby in New Zealand, so we really wanted to ensure that we did it right. We had some new players and we had two losses in a row, but the guys bounced back from that, and to come out on top on top against two other good sides was pretty satisfying. It’s gone some way to alleviating some of the pain of last year.

"But it is important we have a good tour now. It's been a challenge this year because we have had quite a lot of experience move on. But we still have a good group of guys who have been around a while and have experienced what it is like in the UK.

"The guys that haven’t played in the UK before are excited about it, and the guys that have need to ensure we use that excitement to make sure the team performs every week. If we do that, we’ll hopefully finish off the year really well. It’s been good up until now, but if we don’t have a decent tour it could easily not be so good - we can’t just go into it expecting to win every game."

McCaw has led out the All Blacks in 29 of his 65 appearances and believes that 62-year-old Henry is the right man to build the foundations of World Cup success in three years’ time. The 2006 IRB World Player of the Year, who was mystifyingly overlooked for the five-man shortlist in September (or last month, depending when you go to press), is relieved that the team and the New Zealand public can finally begin to look ahead.

"From October until the first game we had this year, against Ireland back in June, it was all looking back," he continues. "But once we got a couple wins, we could start talking about the next game and the lead up to the Tri Nations. To some degree the issue of the World Cup was put to bed. Now that the All Blacks are starting to win a few games, it looks a lot better.

"A number of the new guys in the side have impressed me too. No6 Jerome Kaino, a big but athletic man, has huge potential. Against Australia in the final game of the Tri Nations, the hits he was putting in were inspirational. Richie Kahui, who’s been playing on the wing, but could play in the centre, is another big man with a lot of skills and one to watch this tour."

He believes the Southern Hemisphere’s mastering of the experimental law variations, which have only come in effect this current season in Britain, might provide the All Black with the upper hand on tour. "It will help," he says, "and it may change our approach a little bit. They improve the game, in my opinion, but I don’t think it is 100 per cent right yet - there are some things that could be done away with. But if the referee is strong at the break down, then you get some good rugby."

McCaw lists Sean Fitzpatrick, who won a record 92 caps for the All Blacks, and his old Canterbury Crusaders captain Todd Blackadder as his greatest idols. He also holds England’s 2003 World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson in high regard, having witnessed first-hand his influence. Five years ago 13-man England defeated the All Blacks 15-13 - the last time they have done so - in Wellington, and one man, who is now in charge of the England team, was central to that.

On the 38-year-old former second row, McCaw adds: "I remember they had two players in the sin bin and Johnson was the one running the camp. You could see watching him play in the World Cup in the final [which England won 20-17] he was in charge, doing the business himself and setting the example.

"The way he played, going out and produced the goods on the pitch, was inspirational. And he didn't seem afraid to drag other guys to come along with him. If they weren't pulling their weight he would make that known. His influence will start to come through for England now, too. I'm sure when we play them in London it will be a hugely different team from the one we played here in June."

McCaw’s team face Johnson’s England at Twickenham on November 29, in the final game of their tour. If things go according to plan the All Blacks, with their new fusion of youth and experience, will be on course for a Grand Slam of the Northern Hemisphere and a year of world domination. And, more importantly for New Zealand, closer to neutralising the hurt of last October.

Labels: All Blacks, New Zealand, Richie McCaw

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:43 pm | Permalink | Comments