Introducing Our Rugby Club
Our Rugby Club is giving rugby fans the chance to help a small or medium-sized rugby club climb through the leagues by offering collective financial assistance.
By bringing together a community of like-minded rugby supporters and by pooling our financial resources, Our Rugby Club will make a significant investment to a club which can then purchase state of the art training equipment, attract new players and coaches and provide everything required to transform the club and move up through the leagues.
Our Rugby Club members will pay an annual subscription of £30, every penny of which will be invested in the partner club. With a target number of 10,000 members, Our Rugby Club will be able to offer £300,000 per year.
The venture will not only bring this direct investment, but significant media coverage will result in increased match attendance and opportunities to increase ticket revenue, sponsorship and merchandising.
In return, members will be offered a number of benefits which will be agreed with the partner club. These could include discounted match tickets, opportunities to meet players and coaches, competitions to win International tickets and maybe even the opportunity to participate in a trial match for the club. These will be supplemented by online forums where club members can share views on performance, selection, tactics and other club matters.
The exact nature of our potential relationship will need to be fully discussed and agreed in consultation with the chosen club. The aim is to invest in a club and make it successful both on and off the pitch. Our Rugby Club is run by genuine rugby fans and will not be buying a stake in the partner club - the aim is to make a real success out of an existing club by investing our members’ money and generating additional opportunities for the club to develop.
A number of clubs have already expressed interested in developing a relationship, and members are starting to register their interest in becoming a member. Please visit www.ourrugbyclub.com for more information.
Have your say on the ELVs
There have been several threads about the ELVs on here recently, with some strong feelings among rugby supporters.
The RFU have obviously been reading the comments from Spike, Rob Watson et al and are inviting the rugby public to share their opinions on the proposed law changes.
The web address is below, and without wanting to sway you in your opinion, make sure you follow the link and tell the powers that be not to meddle with our brilliant game!
Feel free to post your arguments here as well, so that people can make an informed decision.
Munster and Toulouse book their place in Heineken Cup final
Munster edged past Saracens to join Toulouse in the Heineken Cup final, who had beaten London Irish on Saturday.
Both games were gripping to watch, and could have gone either way, but the prospect of Munster against Toulouse is what all the neutrals were hoping for.
We’ll have full reaction later in the week, but for now, let us know where you think the games were won and lost? Did the English sides deserve to go out?
Heineken Cup Semi-final preview
It’s one of the biggest weekends in domestic rugby with just four teams remaining in the Heineken Cup, battling it out for a coveted place in the final.
Few would have bet against Munster and Toulouse being there or thereabouts at this stage, but very few would have backed Saracens and London Irish to be making up the quartet.
These two teams have been the ’story’ of the competition, with consistent but fairly indifferent form in the Guinness Premiership, yet stepping up their performance on Cup weekends. Saracens’ win over the Ospreys was the highlight of the competition for me, and seeing Richard Hill at the top of his game was priceless.
Hill will need another heroic performance to overcome Munster on Sunday. The Irish side come into their own in the European competition, and although the national team has been misfiring of late, Munster’s victory over Leicester was anything but unconvincing.
Munster are experts at controlling a game from start to finish, imposing their style of play on the match and not letting the other side get a sniff of dominance. It should be a fine fixture, and although Sarries can’t be written off, I’m backing Munster to reach the final.
London Irish also face a fearsome task as they entertain Toulouse at Twickenham. The French will play at a lightning fast pace, looking to set free their exciting back line. The Exiles will want to exert their control on the game, and are likely to opt for a tighter game.
The set-piece should be crucial, and if Paice and Kennedy are on song in the lineout, Geraghty and Hewat can look to play a territorial game, picking up points when they can. Unfortunately for them, Ellisalde’s side have the ability to strike from wherever they are on the pitch, and I expect them to be too much for London Irish.
How do you see the games unfolding this weekend? Will there be an English side in the final?
Super 14 Round 11
There were a couple of unexpected results last week, with the Crusaders and the Sharks both losing their first games of the season, and the race for the semi-final places is definitely on.
There are still eight teams in with a chance of reaching the knockout stages, and the Stormers and the Chiefs seem to be the fastest movers up the ‘log’. The Waratahs are still in the top four thanks to consistently strong performances, whilst the Hurricanes have slipped after their defeat to the Stormers last week.
The match of the round looks to be the Waratahs v the Sharks, with the South Africans hoping to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later.
Here are my predictions for this week’s matches:
Crusaders v Blues: Crusaders by 14
Brumbies v Lions: Brumbies by 24
Chiefs v Reds: Chiefs by 15
Waratahs v Sharks: Waratahs by 7
Cheetahs v Hurricanes: Hurricanes by 14
Stormers v Highlanders: Stormers by 12
Who do you think will make the semis? And while we’re on the subject of S14 rugby, what do people think of the ELVs now?
Premiership playoff race hots up - Guinness Premiership report
After a jam-packed fixture schedule last week, the top 6 clubs are still all in contention for the precious four play-off places with (in most cases) two matches to go. The relegation of Leeds, which has seemed inevitable for a while, was also confirmed.
Last Tuesday, four of the “big six” were in action with Bath and Wasps stealing a march on Leicester and Sale respectively. Leicester did however take a depleted team to The Rec to lose 26 – 12 whereas Sale gave it all they had against Wasps at Adams Park and were better value than the 29 – 19 score line suggested.
On Saturday, Harlequins lost ground on the other contenders by going down 13 – 6 away to London Irish. Irish dominated possession and territory and thoroughly deserved their win but Harlequins defended heroically for large periods of the game and were great value for their losing bonus point. Ugo Monye, fulfilling a role at outside centre was particularly forceful with his tackling.
Comfortable wins for Leicester and Gloucester, against Bristol and Leeds respectively helped their playoff aspirations whilst Bath sneaked through against Worcester to remain in with a chance of a home semi final.
On Sunday Wasps and Sale kept up their charge with victories over Saracens and Newcastle. Sale racked up 53 points against a woeful Newcastle side who managed just one try and 10 points in total. Wasps managed a first half bonus point and resisted a late Sarries fight back to take that match 40 – 29, away from home.
All eyes are on European competition this weekend but now there is a clear path to glory at the end of the domestic season, which team is your money on?
The remaining fixtures for the top six are as follows:
Gloucester: Wasps (a); Bath (h)
Bath: Saracens (h); Gloucester (a)
Wasps: Gloucester (h); Newcastle (a); Leeds (h)
Harlequins: Sale (h); Leicester (a)
Sale: Harlequins (a); London Irish (h)
Leicester: Newcastle (a); Harlequins (h)
From Zero to Hero - Mrs Jonny’s Diary
A couple of weeks after my slightly overwhelming, and let’s face it, pretty ineffective debut, I moved onto match number two - another friendly against a ‘beatable’ team. Whereas I spent my previous match like a rabbit in headlights, I had a lot more fun at this one and spent the whole time charging up and down the pitch and shouting at anyone who would listen. And as I found out afterwards, this is apparently what’s required of a back…
I was feeling pretty psyched up on arrival, and felt a pang of disappointment when I was told I would be on the bench - I’ve been training every week, learning the rules (as many of them that are fathomable, anyway) and know I’m fitter and faster than some of the other backs who were in the starting line-up. It was my first lesson, I guess, in having to prove myself, however small the stakes, against girls who have been members for longer and feel they deserve a place on the team. Infuriating, but such are the foibles of amateur sport, I suppose.
Anyway, as it turns out, I was on the pitch from the start after all, after one of our team (a nurse!) pulled a calf-muscle two minutes before kick-off from not warming up properly. Our coach was furious, stomping around telling us all off for chatting and gossiping (well, duh - we are girls) when we should be concentrating on stretching, but I was too delighted to take much notice.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the 80. I was playing at No. 11 and reckon it could really suit me - sprinting up and down the wing, creating space and only having to mark one tiny girl opposite me. Easy! I’m still really bad at tackling - too much of a scaredy-cat - but I reckon I can now handle being tackled. You just have to remember to let go of the ball when you hit the ground so that a beefcake doesn’t stamp on your face. And as I shimmied past one defender and dashed for the try line with a person hanging off each leg, I felt I’d really made some progress.
I didn’t actually score a try, of course - serendipity may have prevented me, thus far, from injury, but there’s only so much luck a girl can expect - but I did get stuck in at various critical moments and didn’t wuss out when it started raining (really heavily, dammit) at the start of the second half.
We ploughed on through the mud, like the gallant little soldiers that we are, but sadly a win proved elusive and a couple of late tries from the opposition sealed our sorry fate. The most frustrating thing about this was that it dawned on me what was going wrong but I didn’t feel I could do or say anything about it. Basically, for whatever reason, and despite a blinding first half for the forwards, we lost every single line out in the second half. Honestly, it was a total mess. And as our kicker kept booting it into touch, because neither she nor our No. 9 had cottoned onto this fatal error, we edged ever closer to defeat. So there I was, poised, ready to run and full of beans with nothing to do but stand there like a drowned rat and watch the opposition take possession over and over again.
With hindsight, of course - and this is where my inexperience betrays me - I should have spoken up. So perhaps, wise sage that I am, I shouldn’t get too big for my boots and expect too much too soon. Some of the backs may be slackers at training, but they would have had the guts to step in!
Still, it was a good team effort overall and for a novice like me, there were some rather splendid moments. And despite their inability to throw in a straight line when tired, our forwards are a pretty impressive bunch. Frankly, I’m glad I’m on the same team as them!
We retired to the clubhouse for food and drink - I can’t believe how tiring this match malarky is - and prizes were awarded to back- and forward-of-the-match on each team. And you’re not going to believe this, but I won back-of-the-match! No sh*t! Mrs Jonny won a prize for rugby! Being a total cynic, I reckon it says more about the standard of my team than my prowess on the pitch, but still… I was very chuffed.
My pride at this accolade turned to horror, however, as I was instructed to down yet another hideous pint of snakebite & black. Whilst standing on a chair. In front of both teams. I’m not a complete wall-flower or anything, but this was pretty scary stuff for me and not really the kind of thing one does anymore, being a respectable grown up and all. I managed about a third of it by the time the other winners had drunk theirs, before one of my team-mates, a flanker, stepped in to rescue me and quickly saw it away. As I was saying, you’ve gotta love those forwards!
So there we go… I am a fully fledged, decorated rugby gal. One more match of the season to go and I can’t wait…
A Tale of 2 coaches – England should learn lessons from the Irish example
What a contrast in the manner in which the Irish and English Rugby Unions have dispensed with their respective coaches in the past month.
The Irish looked their man squarely in the eye and said ‘Eddie, it’s just not working anymore, you and us. It’s over. But we don’t want to just throw you on the street, we will let you depart with dignity, with our praise and thanks ringing in the shell-likes into which we once whispered sweet nothings’.
The English adopted a different approach. They ignored Ashton’s phone calls, told him they were busy and couldn’t meet up. He found out that they were seeing other people through hearsay and was left to feel used, maltreated as the RFU prepared themselves to commit to a new man without even phone call. In the end the RFU told him that they still wanted to be friends but Brian could be forgiven for telling them he never wants to see them again (or words to that effect) and erasing them from his phonebook.
So how did England manage to get themselves into such a mess? Well they are reaping what they sewed the minute they put their head coach in a strait jacket by not letting him pick his own coaches and by bringing in an ‘Elite Performance Director’ to breath down his neck but not take any of the flak. The Irish conversation must have been simple:
‘Things are going badly and need to change. Who’s in charge?’
‘Eddie O’Sullivan’
‘Right, get rid of him’
‘Righto, consider it done’
In England I imagine it went along the lines of:
‘Things are going badly and need to change. Who’s in charge?’
‘Well Brian’s head coach but John Wells has a say in things. And there’s Rob of course’
‘Well what does he do?’
‘Not entirely sure. You’ll find him behind the sofa. He’s sort of in overall charge but doesn’t involve himself in team affairs. Unless the team’s winning of course. But they’re not so it’s probably not his fault’
‘Well who put this stupid structure in place?’
‘We did sir’
‘Ah, well let’s have an interminable series of meetings to talk it over then’.
I’m paraphrasing obviously, but I don’t think I’m too far from being on the money. As soon as a man not involved in team affairs, and therefore removed from accountability when it comes to the team’s performance, was allowed to pick the coaches, a situation like this was the potential outcome. In Ireland, Eddie O’Sullivan reigned supreme, as did Gareth Jenkins in Wales, Bernhard Laporte in France and just about any head coach of a leading rugby team, international or otherwise. It is only England where it seems to have been messed up.
So if Ireland had the right structure, what went wrong? Well the whole thing had gone stale. The long-serving coach needs to constantly keep moving and strive for improvement to avoid stagnation, complacency and too cosy an environment. In private, constantly questioning what you are doing and working for improvement is not a sign of weakness but is an absolutely essential part of the job.
O’Sullivan had become so utterly convinced that every decision he had ever made was correct that he failed to act when circumstances around him changed. He was so set in what he was doing that he failed to see the wood for the trees, failing to realise that some of his leading players were stagnating and that to achieve renewal and progress, an injection of dynamic young blood was necessary.
In the 6 Nations a strange role reversal had taken place in the Ireland team. Usually when you introduce new players, the coach and the established players have to drag them up to the requisite level. But O’Sullivan and his experienced lieutenants were being hauled along by the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Eoin Reddan, Andrew Trimble and Rob Kearney. It was this sight which must have made the Irish powers-that-be realise that O’Sullivan was being left behind in the slipstream. It was time to move on.
Sir Alex Ferguson has always been the master at the art of reinvention. Any time a player, no matter how senior, began to slip below the required standards or was no longer a productive force in the team, he was out. Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistelrooy all suffered the same fate. Everyone thought Ferguson was mad when he got rid of these guys but on every occasion he was proved right. He understands probably more clearly than anyone else that no matter how long you have been in a job, in order to stay at number one you have to keep moving, and keep asking ‘What next?’.
This is the challenge which will face Martin Johnson but not for some years. For now he has to put his own procedures in place, bring in the right people and stamp his authority. Everything to do with the England team must be ratified by him first – the kit, the training facilities, the layout of the changing room, everything The groundsman at Twickenham should be consulting him to make sure the pH of the soil meets with his approval. He will obviously surround himself with experts but his is the final word in all matters.
He must keep everything moving. Clive Woodward has admitted that probably 9 out of 10 of his ideas were crackpot and were abandoned but the ones that stuck were the critical non-essentials which created that extra 1% which made his team stand apart. Hopefully Johnson will be allowed leeway to put his plans in place. He is being compared to Woodward but they are very different. Woodward thought so far out of the box he was often in a different post code but Johnson is a basics man and will act in his own distinct way.
The bottom line is that he must be allowed to do things his way. And if it all goes wrong (God forbid) then he’s out, cleanly and quickly. The RFU may have made a mess of the whole process, and Ashton wouldn’t agree but all in all, while the end doesn’t justify the means, we may just have got there in the end.
By Stuart Peel
Johnno’s dilemma: IRB rankings point the way
As England fans welcome another new dawn, the turning of another leaf, and yet another England management structure, thoughts inevitably turn to the future.
The country is once again tingling with excitement about the opportunity to finally see our young guns develop and flourish in the right environment. There is a wealth of talent in England, and with the right man in charge, England’s fortunes may just be on the up at last.
“Select Haskell as captain” they cry, “Pick Care and Cipriani”. It’s all with the future in mind, ideally to foster a team to peak in New Zealand and steal the Web Ellis Cup from under the All Blacks’ noses.
However, this grand plan could fall flat on its face if there aren’t any immediate improvements in England’s performances. Seedings for the World Cup draw will now be based on IRB rankings, rather than the performance of teams at the last World Cup, and the cut off point is at the end of this year.
The top four seeds used to be determined by the four semi-finalists at the previous World Cup and the position in which they finished - hence England, France, Australia and New Zealand were all the number one seeds in their groups in 2007.
Under the old system, South Africa, England, Argentina and France would have made up the top seeds in New Zealand, and with the All Blacks, Australia and Wales to throw into the mix, there would have been some interesting groupings and possibly more than one ‘Group of Death’. However, brown envelopes must have been exchanged somewhere along the way and the system is changing just in time to spare the All Blacks’ blushes.
Seedings will now be based on the official IRB rankings as of December 1st 2008, a system whereby New Zealand has not been out of the top four since it was devised by our sport’s governing body in 2003.
England is currently in fifth place behind Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa, with Wales hot on their heels in sixth. To give themselves the best opportunity in 2011, they must break into the top four this year, which means they simply have to win matches.
Unfortunately, their 2008 fixture list makes worrying reading in this context. Ignoring the Barbarians game, first up is the two Test tour of New Zealand, a country in which England have won once - back in 2003 when Johnno’s men were at the peak of their powers. In the autumn, Twickenham will be opening its doors to the Pacific Islanders (a game which will not affect the rankings), followed by Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
The rankings work on an exchange system, in which teams take points from each other depending on the match result (click here for a full explanation). Australia looks like a vital game to win, since they are closest to England in the rankings, but by then New Zealand may have stolen so many of our points that we are out of contention.
So Johnson’s primary objective is to get through to Christmas with at least three wins out of five, which should guarantee a place in the top four. With that in mind, what approach should he take?
Is it a long term plan, blooding youngsters in difficult fixtures this year, perhaps taking the view that to win the World Cup, you must be good enough to beat every team, so the seedings are in fact a moot point?
Or is it a focus on the short term, with a must-win approach, even if that means playing it safe with a 10-man game? The winning margin affects the ranking points, so should it be a damage limitation exercise, rather than throwing caution to the wind and accepting a 70-point drubbing because the experience will do the players some good?
It’s a difficult dilemma. England fans may need a little patience before we see the team fulfill its potential - consider the next few performances in this context before making judgements about Johnson’s ability. If people start losing faith without an understanding of this predicament, we may end up taking another step backwards.
The last thing we need is another review by Rob Andrew, which ultimately bows to the influence of the baying media and takes an almighty, albeit popular, gamble - but don’t get me started on that one.
By James Hutchison
Six Nations 2009 to feature Friday night match
The 2009 Six Nations will herald a new era, with the Wales v France match scheduled for a Friday night.
This decision will no doubt have some rugby traditionalists shaking in their blazers, bemoaning the end of the 3pm Saturday kick off. Well, not me - I like it. I’m quite a fan of evening rugby, and if Saturday night is suitable, why not Friday night?
What do you think? Does it matter?!
2009 Six Nations fixtures
February 7, England v Italy (1500), Ireland v France (1700); February 8, Scotland v Wales (1500).
February 14, France v Scotland (1500), Wales v England (1730); February 15, Italy v Ireland (1430).
February 27, France v Wales (2000); February 28, Scotland v Italy (1500), Ireland v England (1730).
March 14, Italy v Wales (1500), Scotland v Ireland (1700); March 15, England v France (1500).
March 21, Italy v France (1315), England v Scotland (1530), Wales v Ireland (1730).
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