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

LIONS CAN DOMINATE SOUTH AFRICAN SCRUM

Ian McGeechan's British and Irish Lions can defeat South Africa in the summer by getting the upper hand in the scrum, according to Phil Keith-Roach, the man who made England’s set-piece the stuff of legend in the last decade and steered them to the World Cup in 2003.

Now in his 60s, the former Dulwich College economics teacher is delighted that Graham Rowntree – a player he worked closely with for years – has been appointed as specialist scrum coach for the Lions, in addition to his identical role with England, and is excited by the prospect of the Lions turning the screw on the Springboks at the set-piece. And central to that could be Phil Vickery, who Keith-Roach backs to be McGeechan’s captain on tour.

Though England’s scrum was below its imperious best in the autumn series, Keith-Roach knows that Martin Johnson’s pack will harden in the Six Nations and that 37-year-old Rowntree, who won 54 caps for his country and two Lions caps on the successful 1997 tour to South Africa, will have a great pool of players from which to select from come June.

“The Lions should have a formable scrum against South Africa – and I think it is an area where the Boks have a slight weakness that can be exploited,” says Keith-Roach, who read social anthropology and economics at Cambridge and won three blues. “But it is important that Graham gets those excellent component parts – especially the front row – working together in a short space of time.

“But, like in 1997, you never really know which combination will work in the front row until you get out there, so you have to take tried and tested players. Graham will be hoping to work with players who have had a good Six Nations and have an impressive international curriculum vitae.”

A bevy of players who have already tasted Lions action are expected to be jostling for the front-row positions. Vickery, Julian White, Matt Stevens and John Hayes, who all featured in the ill-fated New Zealand tour in 2005, will be vying for the berth at tighthead prop. In addition, Keith-Roach earmarks Northampton Saints’ Euan Murray, “who has being playing very well for Scotland for a couple of years,” to make the trip.

At loosehead former Lions Andrew Sheridan and Gethins Jenkins should travel, while Tim Payne, Marcus Horan and Duncan Jones are also in with a shout, says Keith-Roach. He notes that there will be a new Lions hooker, however, and while Munster’s Jerry Flannery is many people’s favourite for the Test shirt, he believes that any of the British hookers can get the nod if they have a good Six Nations.

“A consistently efficient, reliable and strong scrum is the foundation stone of any team,” continues Keith-Roach, “and the Lions can definitely attack the South African scrum. Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira should play loosehead for the Boks while on the tighthead side, which is the vital side of the scrum, South Africa have a number of different combinations. They can use Jannie Du Plessis, whose brother Bismarck could play at hooker as well as John Smit, or Brian Mujati – both are good, legal scrummagers.

“But that is not the case with CJ van der Linde. It is extraordinary that he has won so many caps (54). When he is under pressure on South African ball he regularly moves his right arm and collapses the scrum. Referees around the world have to wise up on what he is doing. The forwards coach Gary Gold will have to sort out that deficiency and make him bind properly, but I think that CJ has a lack of confidence – and the Lions can capitalise on that. They should target him as he is a liability. If selected loosehead Gurthro Steenkamp also has a questionable technique.

“Further back in the scrum the South Africans have huge, powerful men, but unless you get the props right then the scrum will be no good. The Lions will have the men who can cope with the physicality of the Boks, but, with the right technique and guidance – as provided by Graham Rowntree – they could more than match them in the scum and gain a great advantage.”

On the appointment of Rowntree, Keith-Roach continues: “I’m not at all surprised that Graham has been chosen by the Lions. He used to take charge of the scrum on match days for England and proved himself as an international player.

“He was tough, durable and unbelievably determined and a really decent bloke to boot. There is no doubt there are many people more determined than him. There might have been people who could run faster and do this or that, but he has got a remarkable resolve and has a great knack of getting on with people. He has got it all in the bank, all the knowledge is there and he gets on with people – what more do you need, frankly?”

And why, in Keith-Roach’s opinion, should Phil Vickery skipper the Lions? “He is a remarkable guy and a great leader who has done it all before,” he says of the Wasps prop, who turns 33 in March. “He is a wonderful player who performs time after time, very straight-talking, and he took England to the World Cup Final in 2007. It is always good to have a captain in the front-row. Indeed consider that South Africa won the World Cup with a hooker as captain.”

Labels: British Lions, Graham Rowntree, Ian McGeechan, London Wasps, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:20 pm | Permalink | Comments

BURGER READY TO TAME LIONS

When Ian McGeechan's British and Irish Lions defeated South Africa 25-16 in the opening Test in Johannesburg 11 years ago, a young blond-haired boy was in the crowd cheering for the Springboks - and he has been dreaming of making amends for the loss ever since.

Schalk Burger was 14-years old on that day in Newlands when he watched, along with his Test-playing father of the same name, Matt Dawson and Alan Tait cross for the Martin Johnson-led tourists, while Neil Jenkins slotted five penalties.

A week later, at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, Jeremy Guscott's late drop-goal secured a 18-15 win for McGeechan's team and clinched the Lions' first series glory in South Africa since Willie John McBride and his team-mates managed it in 1974.

Before then, one has to jump back to 1896 to find the Lions' previous series victory - that's how rare success is in South Africa for touring teams.

That the Boks lost the series in 1997 broke young Schalk's heart – and the flank forward, who has now represented his country 49 times, knows that the upcoming series will be the only chance he will have to put things right.

"I was a youngster but I was very aware of how big it was when the Lions came in 1997," says Burger, whose father played for the Boks as a lock in the 1980s. "I was at Newlands when we lost the first Test and I was pretty well informed about what happened that time.

"The Lions tour only comes to us about once every 12 years, so it is very special. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something we all want to be a part of. I will never get a chance to be part of it again - we only get one shot at it and hopefully we can make it and avenge the result for the boys who lost in 1997.

"It is going to be a good Test series but it is going to be completely different to anything else we have done before. I'm expecting it to be a tough tour. I'm really looking forward to it and it has been something I have always dreamed about."

Burger turns 26 in April and is confident that the world champions can overpower McGeechan's team in the three-Test series in June and July - games that the Wasps director of rugby expects to have the same intensity as "a World Cup Final".

The man named the International Rugby Board's World Player of the Year in 2004 knows all about what that involves, however, having helped South Africa to defeat England 15-6 at the Stade de France to claim his country's second World Cup title back in October 2007.

And he believes that the Boks' whitewash of the Home Nations this autumn - a tour that included a record 42-6 defeat of Martin Johnson's England at Twickenham - bodes well for taming the Lions.

Port Elizabeth-born Burger, famed for his dynamic and indefatigable backrow play and his trademark flash of blond hair, stormed on to the international scene back in 2003 as a wide-eyed 20-year-old, after starring for the young Springbok side that won the U-21 World Cup in 2002.

The 6'4" Stormers and Western Province flanker made his full debut against Georgia in the World Cup in Australia and is now regarded as one of the most formidable figures in world rugby.

After South Africa's busy 2008 - a year that included three Tests against Wales and Italy and a punishing schedule in the Tri-Nations before the tour of the Northern Hemisphere which ended in November - Burger will spend Christmas "drinking white wine and beer, and eating crayfish on the beach".

In June the Boks' season kicked off with two wins over Wales [43-17 and 37-21] and one against Italy [26-0] on home soil. In July Peter de Villiers's team defeated the All Blacks 30-28 on New Zealand turf, and later thrashed Australia 53-8 - although they still ended bottom of the pile in the Tri-Nations table following four defeats.

When, after the seasonal break, he will fully relaxed and recharged, Burger will be raring to continue where the Boks left off in November - with that record defeat over England in London, and with a team spirit which was resembling that felt in France a year earlier.

Though he figures that Northern Hemisphere teams do not produce enough young stars because foreigners block their path, Burger concedes that he would like to play in the Guinness Premiership.

He continues: "I'll play in South Africa as long as I enjoy it, but you can never rule out moving overseas - it is part and parcel of rugby nowadays. I would love to one day go to England and play a few seasons and experience a different culture."

On last year Burger adds: "South Africa had a pretty good tour against the Northern Hemisphere teams. In fact all the Southern Hemisphere teams did pretty well on their autumn tours. Australia lost against to Wales in their final game but we did well to win the grand slam.

"At first we didn't play very well against Wales in Cardiff - we had a good first 40 but a poor second half. Against Scotland we really struggled. So in the final Test match, against England, all the boys were really up for it. We put in a very good performance so that was pleasing and we have good memories."

Burger views the Boks' captain and hooker, John Smit, as a key member of the changing room and admits that when he is available the team spirit is boosted. "John is a top guy, he is a special guy," said Burger when asked about his skipper. "I have known him for a long time and he really adds value to the team.

"The next time we play together as Boks will be against the best of the British teams, the Lions, and I can't wait. I think we can really build on the team spirit we had on tour at the end of the year. Whenever the team are playing well the team spirit is good.

"We went thorough a stage in the Tri-Nations when we struggled. But we pulled together for a week and we did really well against Australia - that was probably the closest feeling we had to the World Cup.

"Obviously there were different circumstances but we really cracked it and there was a special feeling in the team. And the last game against England we had that special feeling again. Let’s hope we can find that feeling again against the Lions. It should be fun."

Labels: British Lions, Ian McGeechan, Schalk Burger, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:45 pm | Permalink | Comments

ROWNTREE NAMED AS LIONS SCRUM COACH

Graham Rowntree has been named as the final British Lions coach for their tour of South Africa and blasted critics who claim there is a gulf between southern and northern hemisphere teams.

The England scrummaging coach was involved in the recent record loss against the Springboks at Twickenham which followed heavy defeats against Australia and New Zealand.

But he has been selected by Ian McGeechan’s management team as a scrum specialist for the 10-match, two-Test Lions tour to South Africa.

Rowntree, who will coach alongside Warren Gatland (forwards), Shaun Edwards (defence) and Rob Howley (backs), said: "It is a tremendous honour to be asked to become involved with Geech’s coaching set-up.

"Having experienced both the highs and lows of Lions rugby as a player, I am determined to be part of a winning set-up in 2009 and relishing the opportunity to work with coaches that make that happen.

"Geech is someone that I have an enormous amount of respect for and cannot wait to play my part in contributing to a great environment."

When asked how he plans to close the gap between the top three Southern Hemisphere teams and the Northern Hemisphere countries he added: "I’m not prepared to talk about a gulf.

"There is still a lot of rugby to play between now and June when the Lions tour begins. In the Autumn Internationals we have learned a lot about a lot of players."

McGeechan, meanwhile, explained: "I am delighted to have Graham on board.

"He brings with him a direct approach and an understanding of not only what we are looking to achieve as a coaching group, but also an understanding of the Lions ethos.

"Graham is close to the modern game and more than just a scummaging coach. I’m a great admirer of him and am delighted he accepted the role offered to him.

"The scrum will be an intensely contested area in South Africa and we’ll need to be technically accurate at scrum-time from the moment we arrive.

"It is crucial to have a forward pack that are as good as they can be against a renowned set of South African forwards."

Labels: British Lions, Graham Rowntree, Ian McGeechan, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:04 pm | Permalink | Comments

GEECH LAYS DOWN LIONS LAW

Ian McGeechan has laid down the law to his wannabe British Lions ahead of June's tour to South Africa saying there will be NO stepping out of line and NO repeat of England's summer shame in New Zealand.

The Wasps director of rugby, who is in charge of the 10-match, two-Test series, believes that each individual has a duty to honour the Lions jersey - and because of that there is no way his squad will act in an unruly manner.

During the summer, four England players were accused of being involved in the alleged rape of a teenager while on tour in New Zealand. Although charges were never brought, the quartet were disciplined internally for drinking and acting improperly.

McGeechan has now revealed there will be a strict code of conduct for all the Lions players in South Africa, but he hopes that it will not be needed.

The 62-year-old explained: "We have a code of conduct, but it comes back to what we want to look like as people.

"There is a huge responsibility on a Lions group simply because of the numbers that follow it. Now the Lions are probably the biggest product in world rugby.

"There are principles of behavour and what we would expect players to look like to people on the outside. If we are honest about that then you should not need a written code of conduct.

"It's like contracts - you only go to a contract when things are going wrong. It might be there in the background but the overriding ethos is what what we want to be.

"I want to see someone walking down the street proud to wear a Lions jersey because of what they are seeing, not because it's a Lions jersey with a Lions flag. It's because of what we look like in it.

"That is the ultimate thing about being a Lion - people want to put a jersey on when there is a game or a Test match coming up because of what we represent and what we are showing in it."

McGeechan led the Lions to success in South Africa last time they were on tour there, in 1997, and he knows how hard it will be to win against the World Cup winners next year.

He continued: "Playing a Lions Test series is as much pressure as playing a World Cup Final because to play and learn in that environment when your opponents see you as the biggest opposition you can play, and you are doing it in their country, is very pressured."

Labels: British Lions, Ian McGeechan, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:02 pm | Permalink | Comments

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

MONYE’S RESURRECTION

Ugo Monye's rugby career has undertaken a miraculous resurrection following a full recovery from an injury that rendered him immobile while watching England’s efforts in the World Cup 14 months ago. The Harlequins winger, who earned representative honours for England Under-19s and U-21s, and also starred for England Sevens and the Saxons, vowed while supine, suffering from a bulging disc, to work harder than ever before to break into the full England team. In a remarkable turnaround, Monye will line up for his third international against South Africa alongside good friends Paul Sackey and Delon Armitage at Twickenham.

“I felt like a baby,” admits the 25-year-old paceman, who was only promoted by manager Martin Johnson to the elite squad after the injury to Gloucester’s James Simpson-Daniel, of his week in bed last year. “But I really pushed myself as I wanted to prove that I was good enough to win a full cap.

“It was great to meet up with the squad three weeks ago, and training has been going very well. The Pacific Islanders [a 39-13 win on his debut] was a great game for us and spirits are high, even though we lost against Australia [28-14]. I've thoroughly enjoyed my start with England.”

Islington-born Monye’s sporting life could have taken a very different course almost a decade ago, after he ran the 100 metres in 10.6 seconds aged 16. He whittled that time down to 10.46 seconds and appeared in the English Athletics Association Championship, making it to the national trials where he ran alongside now-Olympians Mark Lewis-Francis and Tyrone Edgar.

But it was UK Athletics sprint coach Tim Richards who helped shape young Monye’s career, when he contacted Harlequins U-19s coach, Colin Osbourne, who offered him an academy contract.

The 6’ 2” flyer had played rugby since the age of 13 and represented Hampshire U-17s and U-20s, after starring for Lord Wandsworth College. In the Hampshire countryside young Monye’s decision was further influenced by two of the school’s alumni a few years above – a certain Jonny Wilkinson and Pete Richards.

After making his Harlequins bow in 2002 and underlining his potential with a brace against Wasps at the end of the season Monye suffered double disappointment with relegation and a string of niggling injuries causing him to be overlooked for the national team.

The strict Christian, a group leader at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, West London, used the emotional hurt of his disappointments to channel his energies – and his faith and determination has paid off. He is now thriving in Johnson’s new-look England team.

“It's been good fun,” continues Monye, “and Martin has given me his faith. I've played the last two games and I'm selected to play this one [against the Boks]. All I know is that if I keep playing well then I want to make it difficult to lose my spot, though it would be great to score my first international try soon.

“We're a new squad, we've only been together for three weeks and each week we are making improvements. Although we lost to Australia we feel as if we have made another step in our work in progress.

“Our discipline probably was our biggest problem against Australia but there were other reasons why we didn't win that game. Our execution at times was a bit poor – we missed a lot of opportunities, so there are certainly a few things to work on.

“But we're very positive within the camp this week, we're working hard and we know the size of the task we have ahead of us against South Africa and then the All Blacks. More than anything there's huge excitement and a willingness to get back on the pitch to put things right.”

Monye makes up one third of Johnson’s preferred back three. London Irish’s full-back Delon Armitage made his debut alongside Monye against the Pacific Islanders and was named man-of-the-match. On the opposite wing to the Quins player is Wasps Paul Sackey – a relative veteran of international rugby in comparison who will win his 18th cap against South Africa. The three know each other well, and affectionately call themselves the ‘black three’.

“It is fairly apparent and fairly obvious the reasons why we call ourselves the ‘black three’,” adds Monye, “it's all tongue-in-cheek. We're getting on very well.

“Socially we've known each other for five or six years and it helps when you're standing on the pitch. Delon lives down the road from me and I've known Paul for years. We're a new unit as a back three and we play a similar brand of rugby - it's an absolute pleasure to play alongside them.”

Labels: England, Martin Johnson, Rugby Football Union, South Africa, Ugo Monye

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:40 pm | Permalink | Comments

KALLIS WANTS TO HALT KP'S DOMINANCE

South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has vowed to wipe the grin off Kevin Pietersen's face by thrashing England at Trent Bridge in the second one-day international on Tuesday afternoon.

Man-of-the-match Pietersen made it two wins out of two as England Test and ODI captain as he smashed an unbeaten 90 at Headingley Carnegie last Friday to help his team to a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.

The 20-run victory was the Proteas' first one-day defeat in 10 games - they are second in the world rankings behind Australia. And Kallis is determined to stop Pietersen's winning run.

The 32-year-old, who top scored for the tourists in Leeds with 52, said of Friday's defeat: "It was probably the worst one-day international we have played in two years.

"England certainly played well but we were more disappointed in our performance. We pride ourselves on our performance. The one we put in the other night was not up to scratch and we feel we are a lot better side than that.

"We've got to improve in all departments. England probably scored 25 runs too many and from a batting point of view we lost wickets at key moments.

"And certainly we weren't up to standard in the field. There is a lot of work to be done in all three departments.

"We've had a couple of days now to get out, practice and chat about it. Hopefully we can come out and turn the tables."

On Pietersen's 158-run partnership with Andrew Flintoff, who clobbered 78, Kallis added: "They played well - they are world class players and if you allow them to play like that then they can take the game away from you.

"So we have to make sure we bowl well and don't allow players like that to get in. Kevin has obviously started off well as England captain and it is not up to us to turn that around and put a halt to it."

Pietersen is able to call upon Durham all-rounder and former ODI skipper Paul Collingwood, who returns to the one-day setup after serving a suspension of four games for England's slow over rate against New Zealand in July.

The 32-year-old, who earlier this month relinquished his one-day captaincy on the same day that Michael Vaughan resigned as Test skipper, warned Pietersen that there will be darker days ahead.

Collingwood took over from Vaughan as ODI captain in June 2007, following England's poor showing in the World Cup, but stepped down on the grounds that he could not concentrate on his own game.

"I'm back in the ranks and now and very much looking forward to it," he said. "It's nice coming back into the ranks with the opportunity just to concentrate on your own job.

"I know that sounds selfish but I can be a leader in the ranks anyway by setting the example.

"We have had a good start to the series, going 1-0 up. But we will put our feet on the ground and hopefully put a similar performance in."

Collingwood also had advice for 28-year-old Pietersen, who currently boasts a Test batting average of 50 and ODI average of 49.

He added: "Kevin's had a fantastic start and already he has made some really good decisions.

"Hopefully England will go from strength to strength but he'll learn all the time. There will be difficult times ahead, but hopefully not for a while yet.

"I found the added responsibility of captaincy very draining. I was always thinking about decisions and game situations.

"It was taking my form away in Test cricket and that was the last thing I wanted. I had grown up as a little kid wanting to play Test cricket.

"But with the amount of energy that it was taking away from me, I had to make a decision with the captaincy. I didn't want to lose my Test spot. Now I feel a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"We'll see how the captaincy affects KP's batting. It didn't seem to the other day and hopefully it will continue in that manner. He has done a great job so far."

Meanwhile, England have been hit by an injury blow after left-arm seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out of the remainder of the one-day series due to troublesome hip and groin injuries.

Labels: cricket, Jacques Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:18 pm | Permalink | Comments

BELL: KP NOT NUTS

Ian Bell has backed new captain Kevin Pietersen to help England emulate the Ashes glory of 2005 when the Australians tour next summer.

Swashbuckling batsman Pietersen was named as Michael Vaughan's successor as skipper for the final Test against South Africa at the Oval. England won the match on Monday - their only victory of the series - and KP impressed in the field and at the crease.

After the six-wicket win, and despite England losing the series 2-1, KP claimed that England could reclaim the Ashes urn next year.

And Warwickshire batsman Bell says the South African-born Pietersen is the right man to lead England.

The 26-year-old No3, who was England's second highest scorer behind Pietersen in the South Africa series, said: "I think KP is dead right - we can beat the Australians next year.

"I think that we have the ability in the dressing room to regain the Ashes urn, without a doubt. You only have to look at the players we have in the team - there is certainly enough there to win the Ashes again.

"We have the ability to do it but we have to put that together with consistency. We have to perform how we know we can a lot more regularly.

"We just need to make sure that we produce the cricket that we did at the Oval in the last Test against South Africa on a much more consistent basis.

"One thing we haven't done for the last 12 months is produce that standard of cricket in back-to-back games. We have done the business occasionally, in one-off matches, then put in a couple of poor performances."

Bell dismissed claims that the Oval Test was a dead rubber match, with the Proteas having already sewn up the series, and believes that England should take great confidence from the win.

He continued: "Every time you play a Test match for your country you have pride. I'm sure the South African guys were trying to win - everyone does as soon as you put that shirt on.

"It was a full Test match and it was important that we improved. As a player you never know when your last Test match is. Everyone was dying to play in that game and it was great that the result went our way."

Bell, who has played 43 Tests and has an average of more than 42, praised Pietersen, adding: "KP had a great week - not just with the captaincy but with the bat too. That is exactly what you need in a leader.

"As a team everyone is behind him and I hope we can move forward and start putting in good, consistent performances more regularly now."

In the new ICC Test rankings, which were published on Tuesday, England dropped one place to fifth in the world, having lost to second-placed South Africa. Sri Lanka moved up to fourth after beating India, who remain third.

England spin king Monty Panesar, who had the best bowling average of the series - 13 wickets at 31.69 - moved into the world's top 10 for the first time.

The 26-year-old is now equal with Indian legend Anil Kumble. Jimmy Anderson also moved up to a career-best 15th, while Ryan Sidebottom dropped a place to sixth.

Labels: England, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Monty Panesar, South Africa

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:35 pm | Permalink | Comments

HARMISON RECALLED FOR THIRD TEST

Steve Harmison, the Durham fast bowler, has been handed the chance to revive his international career having been named in England’s 13-man squad for the crucial third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Geoff Miller, head of England’s national selectors, challenged the 29-year-old to bowl well enough to save England’s series - they are trailing 1-0 with two Tests remaining - and reclaim his long-term position in the team.

Harmison, who has 212 Test wickets at an average of 31.39, had been dropped in March after bowling 1-121 in England’s defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton. But the 6ft 4in quick bowler has since impressed for his county, approaching something like his 2004 venomous best. With 41 wickets in nine first-class games at an average of 22.82, he is the leading wicket-taker in the domestic game, and proved too hard for Miller to overlook again.

“Steve has been bowling well for Durham this season,” Miller said. “He is now doing what he wasn’t doing in New Zealand. But he has come back, really worked hard and started performing like we know he can perform.

“His inclusion in the Test squad gives us another option in terms of our bowling attack. I hope it’s a rebirth of his England career. If he bowls well and does the job we ask him to do then it could well be.”

Ryan Sidebottom and Paul Collingwood are also recalled at the expense of Chris Tremlett and Darren Pattinson, a surprise late replacement for the injured Sidebottom at Headingley.

England’s selectors had been criticised for picking the Nottinghamshire seam bowler for the second Test, which was lost by 10 wickets. Captain Michael Vaughan conceded that the selection of Pattinson, who earned figures of 2-96, was “confused”. But Miller was quick to defend his selection, though admitting it was “a bit left field“.

“I can see why there might have been confusion,” he said, “because it went away from our normal procedure and consistency. But we had watched Darren over the season and he had out-bowled everybody else. He merited his place in that squad and then we needed him because of the injury to Ryan. It was a bit left field, yes, but we still think it was the right decision.”

Sidebottom, an international revelation since his comeback last season, looks likely to start if he regains full fitness. Miller continued: “Ryan has been progressing well with his back injury over the past week and we're confident he'll be fit for selection but obviously he'll be monitored closely in the lead up to next Wednesday. “

For 32-year-old all-rounder Collingwood, dropped for the last Test, the recall provides him with a chance to bolter England’s scoring, after they managed only 203 compared to South Africa’s 522 in the first innings at Headingley.

Miller added: “Paul was unlucky to miss out on a place in the team for the second Test match but this decision was based on a number of factors. He has shown what a true professional he is by returning to Durham over the past week and playing well for his county.”

England squad: Michael Vaughan (capt), Tim Ambrose (wk), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss.

Labels: cricket, Edgbaston, England, South Africa, Steve Harmison

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:07 pm | Permalink | Comments

How can England retain the World Cup on the back of such a poor tour?

As England prepare to defend their World Cup trophy, once again domestic and commercial commitments look to compromise international success.

A sub-standard and lethargic England team had the stuffing knocked out of them at altitude in the heartland of South African rugby - Bloemfontein - on Saturday. By half-time the score was 30-3 in the Springboks’ favour, and the game was effectively over; the final score - 58-10 - was a record win for the Boks against England. At the beginning of their international season, the win will be a fillip to South African confidence. The battered, weary England squad will trudge on to Pretoria this weekend for another mauling.

What is most worrying for Brian Ashton is that his team will play Jake White’s team in Pool A in the World Cup on 14th September - only three and a half months away. Ashton’s squad, robbed of many stars thanks to club commitments, a long winter programme, and weakened further by a 72-hour lurgy, had their preparations for this first Test seriously disrupted, and started - quite rightly - as underdogs.

In truth they were never expecting to win with such a rag-tag touring squad, coined “plumbers and decorators and part-time rugby players” by the South African press and “Dad’s army” by the English papers. That England can only field a second string team, which comprises largely of older (some uncapped) Premiership veterans and young, unblooded talent, brings into question the decision of the timing of the tour: why would England want to hand South Africa such a huge psychological advantage ahead of their showdown in St Denis? What can they possibly hope to learn?

Already this tour is looking every bit as woeful as the 1998 “Tour of Hell” to Australia. The 76-0 defeat in Brisbane is a record defeat for the Red rose; second on the list is this latest result. That the Aussies went on the win the World Cup in 1999 and the South Africans have been going through a sticky patch themselves suggests that Saturday’s score line even flattered England; especially when one considers that the Boks - normally relentless punishers - came out from the interval laughing and joshing and did not manage to score in the first 30 minutes of the second half.

The previous weekend, while Wasps edged out Leicester in a bruising all-English European Cup final, the Northern Bulls beat the Coastal Sharks in an all-South African affair in the Super 14 final, thanks to a Bryan Habana injury-time try. Habana touched down twice against England. Whereas Wasps and Leicester’s Englishmen didn’t board the plane to Johannesburg, the South Africans were able to field their strongest team; 10 men who played in the Super 14 final started for the Boks.

Before kick-off Ashton told reporters he was looking for physicality and intelligence from his team: “We’re not looking for excuses. We have to match them upfront.” Up front 34-year-old Kevin Yates (last capped 10 years ago), 35-year-olds Mark Regan and Stephen Turner (who made his first start and was replaced by 34-year old debutant Darren Crompton after 53 minutes) did as well as could be expected, but it was only a matter of time before the Boks turned the screw.

Basic errors allowed the Boks in, but far from the intelligence that Ashton had hoped for, some of the England players showed a lack of basic competence, and in many ways looked like they didn‘t want to be there; who would blame them? Yes, they were playing together for the first time as a team, and yes, there is a mixture of talent throughout the squad, but there was a risible paucity of cohesion. Ian Balshaw’s speculative drop-goal attempt after only 12 minutes - which, from 40 metres out, sliced embarrassingly into South Africa’s 22 - hinted not only at a lack of English invention but also a desperation.

Against such strong opposition, blooding young players and handing caps to veterans in the dusk of their careers is not conducive to giving anyone but the South Africans a confidence boost. As the Boks prepare with purpose for the World Cup in France, England will be left decimated, needing a from-the-roots-up rebuilding job. Compared to Clive Woodward’s meticulous ripening of the last World Cup squad, where England entered the tournament as favourites after a Six Nations Grand Slam, and June international wins against New Zealand and Australia, Brian Ashton’s team look years away from the finished product.

The ludicrous schedule of tours to the southern hemisphere has been questioned by many, and the International Rugby Board has now admitted that the timing of these tours is far from ideal. Too late this time round - the IRB have decreed a repeat would not happen in future - but that is scant consolation for English rugby.

In the bigger picture this age of sporting professionalism, where the lines between sport and business are blurring further every day, there is pressure to commit to more games - both internationally and domestically - to sate the unquenchable thirst of sport’s audience; and it is harming many countries, not least England. And it’s not just in rugby union.

It is no consequence that in the last year England’s most popular three sports - football, rugby and cricket - there have been personnel changes at the very top. With such crammed domestic season, salt-and-peppered with ill-timed international commitments, how can English teams be expected to win? Sven-Goran Eriksson resigned as England’s football coach after the World Cup in Germany, complaining that his squad were over-tired after a gruelling domestic season - the same excuse used by Chelsea and Manchester United after their pitiful FA Cup final showing this term; a game which should have been a special occasion enhanced by sparkling football, but New Wembley’s first final was clamorous.

Similarly Duncan Fletcher stepped down at the conclusion of April’s long and tragic cricket World Cup, and again the excuse for failure was that his players had not been afforded enough of a break.

Though the doughty Brian Ashton will never look for excuses, he can be pardoned in part for England’s ill-preparation ahead of September’s World Cup. Just don’t be surprised when England stumble and fall, and Ashton resigns citing that his players were tired and the schedule of England’s international season has been woefully flawed.

Labels: Brian Ashton, England, media, rugby, Rugby World Cup, South Africa, sports media

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:21 am | Permalink | Comments