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

DAVIES: SIX NATIONS ‘AERIAL PING-PONG’ SHOWS IRB GOT ELVS WRONG

Welsh legend Jonathan Davies believes that Ireland fully deserved their first grand slam victory in 61 years, as they were the most consistent side in the RBS 6 Nations. But the former fly-half was less than impressed with the quality of rugby on show and suggests the International Rugby Board cut their losses and bin their Experimental Law Variations, which are due to be reviewed in the coming weeks.

The 46-year-old, who was named man-of-the-match on his debut when, aged 22, he scored a try and a drop-goal to help defeat England 24-15 at Cardiff Arms Park in 1985, thinks that while the trialled rules mean that the ball is in play for longer, it encourages “aerial ping-pong” that dilutes the game as a spectacle.

“I’m not convinced by the kicking game,” said Trimsaran-born Davies, capped 32 times for Wales before he crossed codes to rugby league in 1989. “Maybe you do get more game time, but you do get this aerial ping-pong instead of a constructive game. If the ELVs have not worked then the authorities should have the balls to admit they have been wrong and say: ‘Thank you very much, let’s not change the rules and draw a line under it.’

“I think that the ELVs have not had much of an effect, to be honest, and they haven’t really adapted to the departure of the rolling maul, for example. Whether they keep them or just get rid of them will not make too much of a difference.”

Reflecting on the championship itself Davies believes that Lions head coach, Ian McGeechan, who is set to name his 35-man squad for South Africa on April 21, will have as many selection dilemmas as he did in early February.

He continued: “It was a great finale between Wales and Ireland, and there was some great rugby, but there has been a lack of consistency by most sides and the most consistent side was Ireland – that’s why they won the tournament and the grand slam.

“But I would not say the best team won because England showed in the last couple of games what they can do. They only lost by one point to Ireland and if they had had all their players on the park earlier in the competition it could have been oh so different for them.

“McGeechan will still have plenty of headaches about his Lions selection – but no more than before the championship. One of the biggest debates must be whether he picks specialists or utility players, or a balance of both – because the numbers are less this time.

“Some players can expect the stamp on their passports already – the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones. But there are a lot of places open, not only for the Test team but also for the tour squad. A lot of people are going to be disappointed as they have not performed as well as they might have in the championship.

“Welsh No8 Andy Powell, who had a great autumn, did not perform well against Italy, in particular, and then he was injured. Dwayne Peel has been very unlucky, too, with injury. These boys have really got to stamp their authority on their club matches if they are to stand a chance of making the plane. Again Jonny Wilkinson could come in to it if he gets his fitness back.

“South Africa are looking good at the moment and their key players keep playing well. I’m not sure approaching them purely physically is the answer, though the balance of the back-row will be key. A lot of the English boys have shone in the last couple of games. Many people were saying that the squad would be made up of mostly Welsh and Irish players but I think that has changed now. It is still very open and it will be interesting to see what Geech does.”

BACK OF THE TOURNAMENT: Brian O’Driscoll, 30, Ireland

“It’s got to be Brian O’Driscoll – I’ve looked at him and he does all the hard work. He is one of those guys who, even when he is not playing to his full potential and is faltering a little bit, is still good enough to get in any world side.

“He tackles hard, grafts, is explosive and stepped up when Ronan O’Gara was under-performing. I’m sure he will be asked whether he wants the Lions captaincy or not – I think it is between him and Paul O’Connell. Delon Armitage, Riki Flutey and Tommy Bowe are all also worth a mention.”

FORWARD OF THE TOURNAMENT: Paul O’Connell, 29, Ireland

“Paul O’Connell was awesome in the line-out – both when it is his team’s ball and when it is the opposition’s – and had a very good tournament. Though his ball carrying isn’t as effective as other players, he will always work hard in the scrum and in the loose.

“Ospreys and Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones played very well, too. And Italy captain and No8 Sergio Parisse was immense in all of his games. He would be up there with O’Connell as forward of the tournament – but you have to give it to the Irishman as he won the grand slam.”

IRELAND
Championship record: won five; 121 points scored; 73 against; +48 difference; 12 tries; 10 points

“They have been wanting to win something for so long especially after the disappointment of the World Cup. Expectation has been so high and maybe now, with them winning and getting that monkey off their back, they could grow in to an even better side. In Tommy Bowe, Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney they have a lot of young guys coming through, too.

“Ireland had the two best players in the competition in Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell and even thought they did not play at the top of their form, they won and that shows a good mental toughness. Declan Kidney has got to take a lot of credit for that. Now there is a Munster-esque attitude and application, with a bit of magic when needed. They deserve to have won the grand slam and the competition.”

ENGLAND
Championship record: won three; lost two; 124 points scored; 40 against; +54 difference; 16 tries; 6 points

“They gained momentum and continuity in the last two games – if they had started the tournament like that and kept their discipline it could have been a very different story. Martin Johnson’s England finished the championship very well and they can look forward now with confidence.

“It does take time for a team to understand what their individual roles are. It was difficult for them to settle in the first few games in the autumn but they look to be really coming together now. Earlier on in the tournament they were creating plenty of opportunities to score but not finishing them. The difference in the past two games is that they started to finish them.”

FRANCE
Championship record: won three; lost two; 124 points scored; 101 against; +23 difference; 14 tries; six points

“They have just been so patchy – France are only third because of their poor attitude. Against Wales they were brilliant, physical, passionate and awesome – but against England they were a complete waste of time.

“It just depends on what mental state they are in but selection is key to international rugby and I’m not sure Marc Lièvremont did his team any favours by chopping and changing the side. Next year he will have to build a side for the World Cup in 2011. He has to have faith in the players – it can’t be good for them if they are wondering if they are going to play the next week.”

WALES
Championship record: won three; lost two; 100 points scored; 81 against; +19 difference; eight tries; six points

“The team did well against Scotland and were unlucky against France – Wales could have won it in the last minute. And they could have beaten Ireland late on, too. They did not play as well as they have been and have had to adapt their game as sides have worked them out a little bit.

“Against the Italians they did not play well, but I think Warren Gatland was right to look at a few other players as you have to think about the future. If you think about how far the Welsh have come in the 18 months since the World Cup their development has been great, but we now need to adapt for next year.”

SCOTLAND
Championship record: won one; lost four; 79 points scored; 102 against; -23 difference; four tries; two points

“It has been very difficult for Frank Hadden as the raw materials at his disposal are not that great. Their pack showed that they are still going well and are quick and strong. The Evans brothers – Max and Thom – shone, too, even though they got very few opportunities. But there is a serious lack of creativity at 10, 12 and 15. Until they sort that out they are always going to struggle to score tries. They don’t have that bit of a cutting edge which is what you need at international level. Without those players I don’t think it is Hadden’s fault that the team are not performing.”

ITALY
Championship record: won none; lost five; 49 points scored; 170 against; -121 difference; two tries; zero points

“The Azzurri again showed that they have a strong forward pack led by the awesome Parisse. The centres – Gonzalo Canale, Mirco Bergamasco – were strong, too, but unfortunately the rest of the back line are not up to scratch.

“Italy kicked the ball far too often because they were looking for field position. They need to find a decent scrum-half and No10 very quickly, and the back three are suspect as well. They looked sluggish and lost all their confidence after the England game. But if they had not handed England those points thanks to Mauro Bergamasco, then it could have been different. But, as with Hadden, there is only so much that Nick Mallett can do.”

Labels: Brian O'Driscoll, England, Ireland, Jonathan Davies, Paul O'Connell, RBS 6 Nations, Wales

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

JOHNNO CALM IN DEFEAT - ARMITAGE

Martin Johnson did not deliver an almighty dressing down to his England team who lost 14-13 to Ireland on Saturday – in fact he was calm, according to Delon Armitage.

The result at Croke Park, made to look more flattering by the London Irish full-back’s late try, leaves England in fourth place in the RBS 6 Nations. But two more sin-binnings – making it 10 in only four games – had manager Johnson fuming in the stands.

Eight points from home skipper Brian O’Driscoll and six from the boot of Ronan O’Gara won the game for Ireland. But 18 penalties and Phil Vickery and Danny Care’s dismissals made the job easier for Declan Kidney’s side, who are still on course for their first grand slam.

Johnson, however, did not give the hairdryer treatment to his England team, who have won only two games in seven since he took command. “He didn't go off on one like people might think he would have done," said Armitage.

“He was very calm about it because he could see it on the boys' faces – we knew we had blown a big chance of beating Ireland. There was no point in ranting and raving about. We were already hurting badly.”

The 25-year-old insisted that there were some pluses and vowed his team would produce a better performance against France on March 14. “We showed at times we can play good rugby and be positive,” he continued. “We can score tries.

“I think we are going in the right direction. We are competing with these teams when people are writing us off. If only we can cut down the errors and silly penalties.

“We need to work on our ill-discipline otherwise we will get beaten by teams and we won't give ourselves any chance of winning any games.”

Labels: Delon Armitage, England, Ireland, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:06 pm | Permalink | Comments

O'GARA KEEPS IRELAND ON COURSE FOR SIX NATIONS GRAND SLAM

Ireland remain on course for their first ever RBS 6 Nations grand slam with a hard-fought 22-15 victory over a resilient Scotland side at a full-house Murrayfield on Saturday April 14. The visitors, who last won the tournament in 1985, were trailing for 50 minutes but as the Scottish defence tired, Ireland – and in particular Ronan O’Gara – began to show their class. The 32-year-old fly-half kicked 17 points and in the process became the leading scorer in the competition’s history.

“You don’t get to play at this level for 10 years and not have good mental strength,” said captain Brian O’Driscoll of the Munster No10. “He has huge confidence and a great work ethic – those were combined in today’s performance.”

The Scots began with real purpose and after only six minutes full-back Chris Paterson’s trusty right boot kicked its first three points of the evening. O’Gara hit back with a penalty of his own after 11 minutes but Paterson laced two more in the following 10 minutes to take the Scots to 9-3.

But when Scotland were offside yards from their own try line after 25 minutes O’Gara scored his second penalty – taking him to 481 RBS 6 Nations points, bettering Jonny Wilkinson’s championship record of 479.

Paterson restored Scotland’s six point lead 10 minutes before the interval with a penalty. However that gap was narrowed again just four minutes later as O’Gara countered with a kick of his own. And O’Driscoll’s try-saving tackle on Thom Evans kept the score at 12-9 at the break.

In the second-half the Scottish defensive wall started to weaken and mistakes were made as fatigue set in. And the Irish began to exploit gaps – none more so than man-of-the-match Peter Stringer. The Munster scrum-half darted for the try line off a line out after 51 minutes, and shipped on to replacement No8 Jamie Heaslip, who dived over for his second try of the tournament – and Ireland did not look back.

“I’m not sure how Springer found that space,” said disappointed Scottish coach Frank Hadden. "I thought we should have been out of sight at half-time and made too elementary mistakes in the second-half.”

After O’Gara converted Heaslip’s score he drop kicked another three points to take Ireland to 19-12 with just over 20 minutes remaining. Though Paterson scored his fifth penalty in a perfect kicking game, the Irish kept their noses in front thanks to O’Gara. With eight minutes left he had the final say, sealing victory with another penalty.

The win sets up a mouth-watering finale when Ireland head to Cardiff next Saturday to play reigning champions Wales, who will need to win by at least 13 points. “Playing Wales in Wales is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do, especially with their track record,” said coach Declan Kidney. “We will celebrate this win and thing about next week later.”

Scotland: Chris Paterson; Simon Danielli, Max Evans, Graeme Morrison, Thom Evans; Phil Godman, Mike Blair (capt); Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Jim Hamilton, Jason White, Alasdair Strokosch, John Barclay , Simon Taylor.

Replacements: Dougie Hall, Moray Low, Nathan Hines, Scott Gray, Chris Cusiter, Nick De Luca, Hugo Southwell.

Penalties: Paterson 5 (5)

Ireland: Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Rory Best, John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell; Stephen Ferris, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Jerry Flannery, Tom Court, Mick O'Driscoll, Jamie Heaslip, Tomas O'Leary, Paddy Wallace, Geordan Murphy.

Labels: Ireland, RBS 6 Nations, Ronan O'Gara, Scotland

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:44 pm | Permalink | Comments

KEARNEY: FEAR WILL BRING IRELAND GLORY

Rob Kearney believes that the fear of losing out on the RBS 6 Nations grand slam is exactly what will spur Ireland to glory on Saturday at Wales’ Millennium Stadium.

The young full back, who made his RBS 6 Nations debut last season, has cemented his place with some mature displays in this championship. In Declan Kidney’s all-conquering Irish team he has shown level-headedness in defence and innovation in attack.

And it is his coolness that Ireland will need on Saturday against reining champions Wales, who will need 13 points or more to claim victory in the tournament.

And Kearney, who knows that his country have not won such a competition since 1985 – before he was born – insists that the team are just focusing on the next 80 minutes and not the ultimate prize.

“There is an excitement because we are going to Cardiff to play in the Millennium and it is going to be a great game,” said the 22-year-old. “But at the same time it is just another 80 minutes of rugby and we will go at it like every game, going out to win it and it won’t be any different this week.

“We will go out with the sole intention to win the game and if there is a prize at the end, then that is fantastic. In this championship it is a cup mentality and you go out to win every game and this weekend won’t be any different.

“There is no such thing as complacency when you are playing Wales in Cardiff. They won the grand slam last year so you would be a brave side to be complacent.

“We will have that bit of fear as well in us because we are playing against such a good team, but I think it is important to have that fear as it can bring out the best in you.

“If you don’t have that fear, you have complacency in you, and complacent sides don’t get the best out of themselves and you can go into a box, a bit.”

Kearney’s opposite man on Saturday will be Lee Byrne, many people’s favourite for the Lions No15 jersey. But the Leinster flyer, who has not faced Wales on their own turf, is not fazed.

He continued: “Every week you want to play against the best players, and he is in great form at the moment. I am looking forward to playing against Lee, and a lot of the Welsh backs because they are all great players.

“I haven’t played against Wales in the Millennium. I am learning the whole time – it is a fresh occasion every time.

“But I think we haven’t hit our best rugby yet but hopefully next weekend that will be the time. Potentially it is a good way to the end the season, but it could be heartache for us too.

“We have to have that fear in our game. It is just another 80 minutes of rugby and that is what everyone is going to be focussed on.”

Labels: Ireland, RBS 6 Nations, Rob Kearney, Wales

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:20 pm | Permalink | Comments

ENGLAND v SCOTLAND: PLAYERS' RATINGS

England:

Delon Armitage 8
Another assured performance in defence, especially under the high ball. Has really come of age in this tournament and could have played himself on to the Lions plane.

Mark Cueto 7
The Sale winger bristled with energy but could rarely the ball found him. Was strong in defence and seldom found space in attack.

Mike Tindall 7
Bludgeoned the Scottish backs with strong, hard bullocking runs al afternoon long. The Gloucester centre is forming a promising partnership with the more nimble Flutey.

Riki Flutey 9
His well-taken first-half try was his fourth in the campaign. The Maori-born back sparkled and dazzled the Scots with his fancy footwork. Feels at home in an England shirt now.

Ugo Monye (replaced by Tait 48) 8
The Harlequins wing was having a sensational game before he was withdrawn through injury after the break. A try saving tackle kept was followed by his first score for England.

Toby Flood (replaced by Goode 74) 8
Showed what he is capable of with an impressive all-round performance. Stood flat and gave his backs the chance to shine. Fluffed a penalty in the second-half.

Harry Ellis (replaced by Care 17) 6
Crunched into a tackle in the first half and was carried off on a stretcher after knocking himself out. Had been solid up until then, but Care took his chance.

Andrew Sheridan 7
Had a great game in the loose, putting in a number of shuddering hits on Scottish runners. Scrummaged well, too and looks to have done enough to ensure Lions selection.

Lee Mears (replaced by Hartley 73) 7
The hooker had a solid game and regularly hit his man in the line-out. Made way for Hartley who is the future. But for now he must keep the shirt.

Phil Vickery (replaced by White 14) 4
Only on the pitch for a short time but had already cost England a penalty for not scrummaging properly – something that has been suspect in this campaign.

Steve Borthwick 6
The skipper was less impressive than last week – at one point he was outpaced by opposite man White. But he has grown into his role and rallied his troops well.

Simon Shaw (replaced by Kennedy 58) 6
The old haggard lock did all the usual dirty work but rarely gained yards the few times he had the ball in hand. His last England performance?

Tom Croft (replaced by Haskell 73) 6
The tall, quick Leicester flanker had a tidy game and only really had one chance to show his pace. But he was bundled into touch in the first half.

Joe Worsley 7
Another tough-tackling performance from the Wasps flanker. Was hard in defence and popped up in attack. Covered the ground well – who said he was not an international No7?

Nick Easter 5
Crossed the line in the first-half but was missed by the officials. The No8’s mobility, discipline and work-rate must improve if he is to keep his England jersey.

Replacements: Dylan Hartley (on for Mears 73) 6, Julian White (on for Vickery 14) 7, Nick Kennedy (on for Shaw 58) 6, James Haskell (on for Croft 73) 5, Danny Care (on for Ellis 17) 7, Andy Goode (on for Flood 73) 5, Mathew Tait (on for Monye 48) 7.

Manager: Martin Johnson 7
Pumped up his team well and they weathered the early Scottish storm. Was forced into a number of changes but his team adapted well and played with confidence.

Scotland

Chris Paterson 6
Scotland’s record points scorer laced three penalties and gave his country a chance. But missed Monye for England’s first try and looked suspect in defence.

Simon Danielli 6
Had little chance to get involved but was on Blair’s shoulder when he made a break. Had he been found Scotland would have been certain to score a try.

Max Evans 6
The elder Evans brother tackled well in the midfield but had little chance to stretch his legs in attack.

Graeme Morrison 5
The Glasgow Warriors centre did his best but does not look like an international centre. Was totally dominated by his opposite man Tindall.

Thom Evans (replaced by Southwell 44) 7
Ran 50 metres and would have scored but for a superb Monye tackle before the break. Was forced off through injury early in the second-half.

Phil Godman 5
Not his best game in a Scotland jersey. Had a kick charged down and was generally outclassed by his opposite number Toby Flood.

Mike Blair (replaced by Cussier 68) 6
Captain and scrum half, he had a mixed game. Before the interval he broke through England’s defensive wall but failed to see the man on his inside.


Alasdair Dickinson 6 (replaced by Low 76) 6
The Gloucester prop had the edge over Vickery but found his replacement White harder to deal with. Put in a good defensive shift and tackled well.

Ross Ford (replaced by Hall 57) 5
Threw in well but went missing in the loose on a number of occasions. Hooker remains a problem position for Frank Hadden’s team.

Euan Murray 6
The big Northampton Saints prop, tipped by many to be the Lions loose-head, scrummaged well but did not get involved in the rough stuff as much as he would like.

Jason White (replaced by Hines 57) 6
One good run in the second-half, outpacing his opposite man Borthwick. Did the dirty work well and tackled with passion but he ran out of puff soon after the break.

Jim Hamilton 6
The tall lock was good in the line-out and worked hard in the loose. But he and White were outplayed by the English second-row.

Alasdair Strokosch 6
Gloucester flanker tried his best to disrupt England, but was beaten to the loose ball on a number of occasions. Tackled well though and showed typical Scottish braveheart mentality.

Scott Gray 5
His first start for years but the Australian-born flanker found the pace hard to deal with. The English backrow dominated and Gray looked like a fish out of water.

Simon Taylor (replaced by Brown at half-time) 5
The Stade Francais No8 found it had to get into the game and made little impact in the first-half. Hadden replaced him at the break.

Replacements: Dougie Hall (on for Ford 57) 5, Moray Low (on for Dickinson 76) 5, Nathan Hines (on for White 57) 6, Kelly Brown (on for Taylor h/t) 6, Chris Cusiter (on for Blair 68) 6, Nick De Luca, Hugo Southwell (on for Evans T 44) 5.

Coach: Frank Hadden 6
Under pressure still. Made a change in the backrow at the interval and his team started well. But without the raw materials Scotland are always going to struggle.

Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa).

Labels: England, RBS 6 Nations, Scotland

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:16 pm | Permalink | Comments

FLUTEY: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

England rounded off their Six Nations campaign with a flourish, defeating Scotland 26-12 at Twickenham. But despite earning three victories, scoring the most tries (16) and finishing second to grand slam winners Ireland, centre Riki Flutey believes that there is plenty of room for improvement – especially with the team’s fitness.

The 29-year-old, who will move from London Wasps to French club Brive in the summer, crossed for his fourth try of the championship on Saturday and finished as equal top try scorer with Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll.

Harlequins wing Ugo Monye notched his first try for England and there was a late score for replacement Mathew (sic) Tait, while fly half Toby Flood kicked eight points and Danny Care laced a drop-goal. Scottish full back Chris Paterson booted four penalties in reply, but it was not enough to hold on to the Calcutta Cup.

And while Maori-born Flutey was pleased, he warned that he and his team-mates must work much harder on their fitness if they are to improve further. “The Six Nations has been fantastic for us,” he said. “In the autumn there was something there and it is really starting to come together now.

“We have definitely kicked on but there are still a lot of things we need to work on. There is a lot of room from improvement in the team right across the board. Our fitness can definitely be improved so we can push on right through and play the way we want to play for 80 minutes.

“You need your fitness, strength and power – there is always room for improvement because I was out on the field against Scotland I got a couple of knocks and the old lungs were pumping a little bit. When you get in that position you wonder: ‘Am I doing a lot of work or is it maybe because I need a bit more fitness under my belt?’”

Labels: England, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations, Riki Flutey, Scotland

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:09 pm | Permalink | Comments

HARRY AND ANDY HAVE GOODE THING GOING

For five seasons Harry Ellis and Andy Goode were the names inked on the Leicester Tigers’ team sheet at No9 and No10. Fly-half Goode headed to Brive in south France in the summer but, as lady fortune intervened, the duo rekindled their partnership at Twickenham last Saturday in England’s 36-11 win over Italy.

Last month Goode, who had been in the international wilderness for over two years, was pulled into the England squad by former Tigers team-mate Martin Johnson, and – following an injury to Toby Flood, and with Danny Cipriani being dropped to the Saxons – was handed the No10 jersey against the Azzurri. He duly crossed for a try after only 94 seconds to announce his return.

Similarly with 26-year-old Ellis, two years Goode’s junior, an element of kismet played a part in his re-elevation to the England team. After being overlooked for Harlequins’ Danny Care in the autumn, he was then banned for six weeks after he dropped Daniel Carter dangerously in a Heineken Cup game. When Care slipped on an icy step before the Italy game, Ellis was promoted from the Saxons and won plaudits for his two-try, man-of-the-match showing.

“I was on the bench for the autumn internationals and then was banned, so I was away from rugby for a while,” says the 26-year-old. “So I was delighted to get the chance to get back in the England team, alongside Andy, and I enjoyed the victory against Italy.

“It’s been great to link up with Andy again – the last time we played together was in the Guinness Premiership final back in May (which Leicester lost 26-16). It is good to be playing with him again – he is a very talented fly-half.

“We communicate well and I have been lucky enough to play alongside him for a number of years. I just try and give a good service to whoever is playing No10, but it helps when you know what to expect from them – where they will be and what sort of pass they want. It’s just funny how things work out.”

Ellis, who made his Tigers’ debut in 2001 and was named young player of the season that year, is determined to make the most of his good fortune – and hopes to inspire England to victory over Wales.

He continues: “I came in late because of Danny’s injury, but I am just trying to take my opportunity because that chance does not come round too often. We have very high standards and a good work ethic, and I thought I could have improved against Italy. Hopefully we can all iron out the mistakes we make against Italy in time for this Saturday’s match. We need to improve in pretty much every area against the Welsh.


“I can’t wait to play against Mike Phillips, or the other two scrumhalves – they are all great. Wales have a very talented team and they are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment. The Millennium Stadium is a difficult place to play, too. There will be a great atmosphere but we are all relishing the opportunity to play against them in their back yard.”

Goode, currently the leading points scorer in France’s Top 14, is far more comfortable having Ellis inside him. “I have played with Harry for a countless number of years and we have built up a good relationship,” he says. “He naturally knows where I will be, and I know what to expect from him.

“He probably picks up my voice more quickly than other No9s, without having to look, and he knows my game-plan. He knows that I like to stand flatter than most, and knows the depth that I like to take the ball at.”

In order for England to get quick ball, Goode believes that his pal at scrum-half needs to be protected by the forwards. In particular, Wales’ openside flanker, Martyn Williams needs to be stopped.

“We need to target Williams, because he will be trying to get over and slow the ball down. He is a very intelligent player. He gets in and around the breakdown and he does slow up a lot of ball. We need to target their backrow and give Harry a good platform to play from and get some good, quick ball away.

“If Harry is digging in the ruck because we are not clearing out as well as we can, then it makes everything that much harder. But it was good to play with Harry last week, and hopefully we can do even better at Cardiff this week.”

Labels: Andy Goode, England, Harry Ellis, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:11 pm | Permalink | Comments

DALLGLIO: ENGLAND NEED TO GET FIT AND ON-PLAN BLOODY QUICKLY

It may have been over a year since Lawrence Dallaglio hung up his boots for England, but the former captain still feels as though he needs to harangue the current Red Rose team after a stream of dismal displays, and shake them from their torpor. Their collective fitness and mindset need to change, and fast, as they are hosted by Wales – the nation Dallaglio and his team-mates used to ridicule – this Saturday.

The 36-year-old, who won his 85th and last cap for England in the World Cup Final on October 20, 2007, believes that while the 36-11 RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy last weekend was a poor performance, the victory will have been a fillip for the dressing room, who – after three “spankings” in the autumn – will have been glad to remember what winning tastes like.

“There are two emotions in rugby,” explains Dallaglio. “There is ecstasy of victory or agony of defeat; the joy and pain. So far it has just been pain, pain, pain for England. After the Italy match they will have been down about their performance in the changing room – as they should be – but ultimately they still won.

“I have been involved in losing England teams, so I know how they would have been feeling after the autumn. But you would have thought that they would have been bottling that feeling up and there would have been an explosion of emotion against Italy on Saturday. There was nothing like that and there was nothing England showed that Wales will be overly worried about.”

Against reigning grand slam champions Wales, Dallaglio suggests that England need to change their mindset, and banish their insecurities – in essence they need to front up. Gone are the days when the super-fit England players would sneer at their over-weight opponents from over the Severn Bridge – now it is the complete opposite, and it is the Welsh who are drinking less of the Brains bitter and adding more brawn and fitness.

“We always used to look at the Welsh team and take the piss, really,” says World Cup winner Dallaglio, speaking on behalf of Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. “We would tell them how unfit we all thought they were, and wonder how they could even come to Twickenham and even think about beating us if they couldn’t run for 40 minutes. It’s sad for me to say, but I think it is the other way around now.

“That is the main thing that concerns me – England’s level of fitness. Really, when you are the best player in your position in the world – which is what all the England guys should be trying to do – you have to be one of the fittest players in the world, too.

“Guys like Jonny Wilkinson and Neil Back drove our fitness and made me even question myself on a number of occasions. I want to know who is doing the finger-pointing within the England dressing room now.

“If you want to aspire to be the best player in the world in your position, you have got to do more on the odd sprint session. You have to get there by hard work. I would let the fitness coaches have them for the next six months and put them through some really hard work, as I don’t think it is being done at their clubs; not to the level it needs to be.

“The standards were set in 2003, and five, six years later we should have moved on – not gone backwards. There has been no evolution. When I was playing I used to get up at 6am and meet Will Greenwood and Jason Leonard and the fitness coach Dave Reddin and do an hour-and-a-half training session even before we went to the club. Of course there is an extra sacrifice involved in that, but what are you trying to do? Are you trying to be the best in the world, or just the best in your club?”

On Saturday’s hosts at the Millennium Stadium Dallaglio adds: “Wales have made huge strides in the last 12 months with their fitness, and we have the staff to do it, but there has to be a mindset change with the players. Let us not forget that it is, more or less, the same Wales team that are performing so well now who got dumped out of the World Cup by Fiji. All Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards have done is opened their minds a little bit. That is something that needs to take place with England very, very quickly.

“Each player has to set his sights on being the best player in the world in their particular position – we are nowhere near that. At the moment if you were to pick the top four or five players in every position then I don’t think man England players would feature. The trouble is, in their own minds I think they think that. You just want someone to grab that team forward by the scruff of the neck.

“If you are Martin Johnson you would be pointing your fingers at some of the guys and telling them that international rugby is not for the mentally weak, that you don’t get a second chance, and that some of you owe me, and the rest of the country a special performance. Martin has done very well to keep his temper in front of the media – because I would have been going mental by now at some of the performances I have seen from the players.

“Against Scotland last week Wales showed they had a pattern and understood the way they were trying to play. When England have the ball they don’t, at the moment, look like a team who know exactly what they are trying to do. Martin said that people had gone off-plan after the game; well I suggest that people get back on-plan, and bloody quickly.”

Labels: England, Italy, Lawrence Dallaglio, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations

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HADDEN SLAMS SCOTLAND PERFORMANCE

Under-pressure Scotland manager Frank Hadden branded his team's display in their RBS 6 Nations opener against reigning champions Wales as their worst for almost three years.

Asked why they were so comprehensively out-manoeuvred up front in the 32-16 loss at Murrayfield, Hadden said: "That's one of the things that we're going to have to look at very closely during the course of the week.

"There could be a number of reasons for that. It could be technical problems. But, for me, it just seemed as if we were too passive.

"I haven't seen us look so passive or tentative. The last time I saw that was South Africa 2006.

"Maybe they're thinking too hard about the shape instead of just getting wired in.

"It's early days in this competition. You can never be sure how you're going to start.

"One thing I do know is that we'll definitely get better."

He added: "We knew we were playing the best side in the northern hemisphere today but we're bitterly disappointed that we allowed them to show it so easily.

"I felt we were outmuscled, especially in the first half an hour.

"But for me, the killer blow was just after half-time. We were always chasing after that.

"It was inevitable we were going to come strong at some stage and, sadly, like too often before, it was too late before we got going."

Labels: Frank Hadden, RBS 6 Nations, Scotland, Wales

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WILLIAMS WORRIED ABOUT INJURY

Shane Williams hopes to be back in RBS 6 Nations action next Saturday when Wales host England. But the winger, 31, is worried that he might not recover from in injury sustained to his left ankle.

"I went over on my ankle tackling Jason White," said the IRB Player of the Year who hobbled off in the 32-16 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.

"I don't know how bad it's going to be. I've iced it up and compressed it.

"It's a short turnaround this week and I just hope I can come back and be in the selection for next week.

"Hopefully, it's not as bad as I first thought. I am more determined than ever to play against England. I'll be gutted if I have to miss it."

Labels: England, RBS 6 Nations, Shane Williams, Wales

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GATLAND SATISFIED WITH OPENING WIN

Warren Gatland believes there is much more to come from his Wales team in the Six Nations, after they recorded a 32-16 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.

While Wales dominated the game for large periods, the reigning RBS 6 Nations champions failed to really punish the Scots - and fly-half Stephen Jones missed a number of kicks.

But New Zealander Gatland said: "I am happy with the result because Murrayfield is a hard place to come. It is a good position for me to be in because there a number of things that we can work on and improve.

"This week we will work on a little bit of line speed defensively, and look for a bit more accuracy in the line-out.

"I thought we showed some nice touches in periods, we had them under a lot of pressure and the game was there for us to lose, not for us to win.

"Apart from the sun-binning at the end that put us under a little bit of pressure, I thought we controlled the game and were very disciplined."

Defending fly-half Jones's kicking Gatland added: "It was a difficult pitch to kick on - it was a bit slippery and it took it out of the legs. But [the misses] are not something that I am concerned about. Sometimes these things happen."

Labels: RBS 6 Nations, Scotland, Wales, Warren Gatland

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CHAMPIONS WALES KICK-OFF WITH VICTORY OVER SCOTLAND

Warren Gatland's Wales began their defence of the RBS Six Nations Championship with a comfortable 13-26 victory over a battling Scotland side in Edinburgh.

The visitors may have been without centre Gavin Henson due to a calf complaint and blindside flanker and captain Ryan Jones, who also suffered with a similar problem just 90 minutes before kick-off, but last year's grand slam winners comfortably managed without them.

The match got off to a quiet start and the game was 10 minutes old before its first real moment of drama when Scotland winger Simon Webster knocked himself unconscious after tackling Wales' stand-in skipper, Martyn Williams.

He flew at the Welsh captain and forced him to knock on after a chest-high collision but he hit Williams so hard he momentarily did himself more damage. Yet it was a superb indicator of the level of commitment being displayed by Scotland in defence.

A straightforward Stephen Jones penalty soon after finally got Wales on the scoreboard before Scotland were once again involved in a self-inflicted injury crisis when debutant prop Geoff Cross repeated Webster's trick and also knocked himself out following an appalling late tackle on full-back Lee Byrne.

Cross caught the Wales No15 in mid-air and clattered into Byrne's knee and not only was he stretchered off the field he also rightly received a yellow card for his troubles.

Wales immediately took advantage of their extra player as centre Tom Shanklin managed to collect a simple Byrne pass just five metres out to finally get Wales the try they deserved.

It went from bad for worse for Scotland close to the half-hour mark as lock Alun-Wyn Jones then crashed over from just one metre out after an impressive scrummaging effort put Scotland on the defensive.

The Welsh pack completely overwhelmed the opposing pack just inside Scotland's 22, Stephen Jones took the resulting ball forward and almost scored himself before the ball was passed out to Jones who could not fail to score, although Stephen Jones was less successful with his conversion, missing his second of the match.

Webster's replacement Chris Paterson kicked a penalty for the home side as half-time approached and it ignited the Scotland side as they repeatedly went close to scoring.

However they could not quite get past some awesome Welsh defending and their failure to score was made to hurt even more when Jones slotted a penalty on the whistle to extend Wales' lead to 16-3.

That lead became 21-3 just 47 seconds into the second half when young winger Leigh Halfpenny managed to stretch over the Scottish tryline in the right hand corner. But a further penalty from Paterson soon after ensured Scotland were not entirely finished.

However, they continued to offer very little in attack and allowed Wales to completely dominate them, a point underlined when IRB Player of the Year Shane Williams finished off 14 phases of play by crossing for 45th international try with 20 minutes to go.

Williams was then sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on and Scotland used his absence to their advantage as substitute Max Evans jinked through the Welsh defence to finally give Murrayfield something to cheer.

Paterson easily kicked the conversion to close the gap to 26-13 but a dramatic comeback was not to be as Wales managed to close the game out without further loss.

Scotland: Southwell, Webster (Paterson 21mins), Cairns (M Evans 52), Morrison, Lamont, Godman, Blair (Cusiter 62), Jackson, Ford (Hall 62) , Cross, White (Dickinson 27), Hamilton, Hogg (Brown 74), Taylor, Barclay (Gray 56)
Scorers: Tries: Evans Pen: Paterson 2 Con: Paterson

Wales: Byrne, Halfpenny, Roberts (Bishop 62mins), Shanklin, S. Williams (Davies 71), S. Jones (Hook 62), Phillips (Peel 60), Jenkins (Yapp 62), Rees (Bennett 62), A. Jones, Gough (Charteris 62), A. Jones, D. Jones, M. Williams, Powell.
Scorers: Tries: Shanklin, A Jones, Halfpenny, S Williams Pen: S Jones 2
Referee: A Rolland (Ireland)

Labels: RBS 6 Nations, Scotland, Wales, Warren Gatland

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JOHNSON ON STEVENS

Matt Stevens's positive drugs test is a big blow to England’s Six Nations campaign, admitted manager Martin Johnson. The Bath prop was been dropped from the squad after it was found that he had been taking a recreational drug, thought to be cocaine, and is likely to be disciplined with a two-year ban.

“It is a very sad situation,” said Johnson of the 26-year-old’s predicament on Wednesday morning. “When I heard I felt surprised, disappointed and let down. We don’t want guys taking drugs – it is not good for them and it is not good for the sport.

“We hope Matt sorts himself out, but he won’t be playing for us for a fair old while. It is a blow to us, to him as a player and as a person. But we have to deal with that as a team.”

England last won the Six Nations six years ago – the same year that Johnson lifted the World Cup. And the former Leicester Tigers lock knows that after the disappointment of the autumn internationals, a big win at Twickenham against Italian next Saturday is imperative if they are to succeed this year.

“It has been too long since England won the Six Nations,” said the 38-year-old. “The Welsh are champions and the French are always strong, so it is going to be tight. We have to start the tournament well. Off the back of three losses we need some confidence and momentum.

“We have to improve from the autumn, and learn the lessons. We had new, young players playing the best teams in the world. So they have more experience now.

“We gave away points too easily and we didn’t take our chances. But we are now a more experienced squad that we were four or five months ago.”

Labels: England, Martin Johnson, Matt Stevens, RBS 6 Nations

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MALLETT JEALOUS OF ENGLAND’S RICHES

Martin Johnson's dilemma of who to play at fly-half – either Toby Flood or Danny Cipriani – for England, is a problem that Italy coach Nick Mallett would love to have. The Azzurri take on Johnson’s side next Saturday at Twickenham in their Six Nations opener, and the South African admits that he is jealous of the half-back talent at Johnson’s disposal.

"As usual we have a very good tight five and a good pack of forwards, but the perennial problem is settling on a good half-back combination,” the 52-year-old, who is considering playing veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco at scrum-half.

“It's fantastic for Johnson to have two players of Flood and Cipriani’s quality. Flood is very good defensively, has a good kicking game, very courageous, while Cipriani has flashes of brilliance which on a good day gets all the headlines and when there's a charged-down kick gets all the headlines as well.”

Captain Sergio Parisse hinted that Johnson’s team will have to be inventing in attack, and not squander as many openings as they did in the autumn series, if they are to defeat Italy.

“We want to try and beat England with our defence so we are working hard and hoping we can win our first match,” the Stade Francais No8, who led Italy to only one Six Nations victory last year, said.

“England’s players will really want to win this first match. They have some problems because they lost some Tests in November, so it’s been difficult for them.”

Labels: England, Italy, Martin Johnson, Nick Mallett, RBS 6 Nations

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:37 pm | Permalink | Comments

STEFFON DETERMINED TO GIVE IT HIS ALL

While Steffon Armitage concedes that his inclusion at openside flanker for England’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy on Saturday is by virtue of injuries to others, he is certainly determined to make the most of his opportunity.

The 5’9” London Irish No7 may not have the traditional frame for an international backrower, or indeed the experience of the sidelined trio of Tom Rees, Lewis Moody and Michael Lipman.

But what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in dynamism and ubiquity, and has – in the eyes of punters and pundits alike – fully earned his first cap, following a number of scintillating displays for his club that has helped lift them to second in the Guinness Premiership.

Dismissed by Saracens in 2006 for being too small, Armitage was snapped up by Irish, where older brother Delon was already starring at full-back. Injuries, once more, played their part and when he eventually broke into the first team he vowed to give his all, so that he would be impossible to drop.

“I finally got my chance to play at Irish through injuries, and all the boys stuck with me,” says the 23-year-old. “And I didn’t want to let the guys down at all, so I gave it everything I had in every single game. I would go out there and give it 110 per cent, every single time. I can't sleep before any game because I get so nervous and go into it thinking it's my last one.

“I’ve also got my England chance through injury and I hope I can go out there and take my opportunities with both hands. I will be trying to do the things I have done over the years – driving and getting stuck in, giving the opposition a hard time.”

Perhaps Martin Johnson sees in Armitage something of his former Leicester Tigers, England and Lions team-mate, Neil Back, who was similarly pint-sized in comparison to most other international backrowers. Regardless of the thinking behind the decision, the Trinidad-born No7 admits that he was delighted to be told by one of his heroes that he would be playing for England, alongside his brother.

“My heart is still pumping having got the call,” he continues. “It really hasn't sunk in yet. Martin and I sat down after dinner on Monday and he said: ‘Steffon, I have been really impressed by you, and we are going to give you a start this weekend.’

“I stopped breathing for a second! And then he said: ‘We have picked you because you are one of the form players in the Premiership, and we have faith in you.’ And that is the bit that got me the most. It was coming from an absolute legend – Martin Johnson, a World Cup-winning captain. It was a bit emotional.”

When he runs out on to Twickeham with Delon, who made his international bow in the autumn and was named England’s player of the series, Steffon will become part of only nine brothers to have played together for the Red Rose.

“I'm pretty happy we're both in there and so proud of Delon for getting there before me,” he adds. “But I want to do my best in every game. I am going to go into Saturday’s game with the same mentality.”

BOX OUT

The Armitages are the first brothers to represent England on the same pitch since Rory and Tony Underwood in 1995. Reginald and Louis Birkett started the trend back in 1875.

Delon, 25, is delighted that his younger brother has been given the nod to play alongside him against Italy. “Playing on my own [for England] was brilliant,” he says, “but to have my brother there now, I'm speechless.

“If we get a chance to stand next to each other at the national anthem we probably will sing together and probably shed a couple of tears.

“I have tried to let Stef take all the England stuff in himself, like I got the chance to. The last thing you want is an older brother telling you what to do, what will happen. But I want him to learn it all on his own. Obviously I will be the elder brother and there if he needs any advice.

“He was disappointed not to get picked in the autumn and he worked on his fitness and played even better. He has worked really hard and I am glad he has the chance, like I did, to see if he is good enough to compete at international level. Hopefully he can improve even more and we can both keep our shirts now.”

Labels: Delon Armitage, Guinness Premiership, Italy, London Irish, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations, Steffon Armitage

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:46 pm | Permalink | Comments