Ok so the ritual annual humiliation of the Northern Hemispheres best rugby teams started with the poor Irish trying to beat the All Blacks. The Irish decided it was unfair on the All Blacks to play with 15 men so Jamie Heaslip did the honourable thing and tried to knee the head off of Richie McCaw. Now before I add to his humiliation let’s just say anyone who has played the game knows the frustration of try scoring opportunities being squashed by a cynical hand or body. When that same cynical hand belongs to a cynical body and is attached to the cynical head of the most effective cheat in world rugby. The temptation to knee the aforementioned head off of its shoulders is very hard to reign in. However when your actions, could potentially, cost your team an international victory over the one team you have never beaten in you history best to keep your knees to yourself. Now the reality is the All Blacks looked like a team that was never going to be beaten even if Ireland had 17 players on the field. Their pace and power across the park is scary and the list of talent that arrives from nowhere and reduces experienced opposition to shadow chasers is on-going. Graham Henry was bemoaning the disappearance of Kiwi talent abroad for the big buck this week. All I can ask is if this crop of All Blacks is what they are left with then I don’t think they can claim to be scrapping the barrel in fact I am not sure the lid of the barrel has even been removed yet.
We move to the red rose of England, as always the main focus was what happened in Australia in November the 22nd 2003 when Martin Johnson led the most talented group of England players for a decade to a world cup victory. Martin is back but this team is woefully lacking in talent and most importantly direction. Lack of talent might be a strong description, there is talent in England. I am just not sure it is in Australia. So dire was the attacking options of this team they were reduced to keeping the ball in the scrum and waiting for penalties in a way I have never seen before. We are talking about a team being totally in fear of passing the ball out of the scrum because no one knew what to do with it. Well other than kick it away. The England team treated the ball like a dirty bomb and were so desperate to get rid of it at any opportunity I doubt it went through 3 sets of hands twice in the 80 mins. I can’t recall a team looking so uncomfortable in possession in any time in the past. England were devoid of any attacking initiative and more to the point attacking players. Matthew Tait the only England player with an eye for a break and the pace to make it happen continues his benchwarming role. Replaced by the monoliths of Tindall and Hape..........we all know defending is more important than attacking............well there is an argument that defence is vital, but when it doesn’t work which is clearly the case for England then you have to find a way of scoring tries. Compare England’s attitude to turnover ball with that of the Kiwis and you will see where our problems lie. New Zealand turnover ball came from a mistake by the Ireland hooker their instinct and attitude is to move the ball through the hands quickly away from the point of the turnover. They know the defence will not be in place and this will give them an attacking, if not, try scoring opportunity. England turnover ball is passed back to a terrified number 10 who quickly kicks it back to the opposition as if it is unfair to try something so audacious! It is this simple attitude to the ball that suggests something is deeply flawed in the England set up. So afraid of making mistakes the English seem intent on never being in a position to do so. What is most disappointing is that when you have a scrum that is in such a dominant position, which is unusual at international level. What danger is there in putting the ball through the hands and trying to stretch the opposition? If you knock on, you then have the potential for a turnover or a penalty. Too much talking is done by England and not enough seems to actually be happening. It has to change or people have to be made accountable.
Finally I want to talk about France. This was the great blue hope of the northern hemisphere. This was a team with all the potential to take South Africa apart and show the world the New France disciplined, direct and smart. A 42-17 loss at the end suggested maybe it was just the rest of Europe being so bad that was the reason this French team had looked so good in the last year. On the back of a long Lions tour were France in possession of the emperor’s new clothes? To suggest it was all Frances poor play does not give enough credit to the Boks. Every game I am convinced this time someone will tame the green machine. That their try’s are more bad defence than good attack and I am finally forced to admit this Springbok team is everything its results have suggested and more. Filled with physicality and pace once they start to go forward a line of Sherman tanks would struggle to hold them back. Their back row options are phenomenal, if the exceptionally quick Spies is not there they can replace him with the exceptionally quick Konkowski failing in the absence of the sublime John smith they have the power house of François Louw. Then the ongoing Brussow and Burger admittedly the former is currently out with a long term injury but I am sure there are at least 6 capable replacements currently the incredible talent of Dewald Potgieter is filling in. Even Bakkies Botha is no longer missed in this team; then again there are no shortages of 6ft 6”+ aggressive South Africans to fill that role. Whether they can find a replacement for his long term partner in crime Victor Mayfield is another question. On the weekend form the Boks seem to be the only team with the ability to withstand the All Blacks all court game. Australia as good as they are in attack are fundamentally flawed in the forwards. Against the powerhouses of Black and Green I can’t see them being able to contain these two who certainly won’t be as paralysed by the sight of the ball as England were.
I should mention Scotland’s commendable win against Argentina however I was unable to see this game but any victory against Argentina on their home soil should not be underestimated.
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