From the moment we arrived in Entebbe, it was clear that nothing was going to be as easy as it is at home. As well as the 12 or so volunteers that had arrived on the same flight, there were also 30-odd heavy Gilbert bags stuffed with rugby kit that we had to load onto the roof of the bus that picked us up – a bus that we then had to push to get us going on our 3-hour journey to Jinja.

Arriving at Nile Rugby Club in Jinja, the first task was to set up camp in the blazing heat, introduce ourselves to the facilities – ‘long-drop’ toilets, cold water that needed iodine treatment before drinking, erratic electricity and so on.

But, there was a rugby pitch, and that’s why we were there. What more does anyone need?

After a day of white water rafting on the Saturday, it was down to work on the Sunday, taking a tour of Jinja and some of the schools we’d be coaching in, then sorting out kit bags, learning some basic Luganda (Ugandan language), dividing into coaching teams and planning for day one. We split into 6 groups, each with a local Ugandan volunteer, and were assigned two schools each – one to coach in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

The first day was certainly the most daunting as we headed off to our respective schools on Monday morning not quite knowing what to expect. There was no way of knowing how many kids would turn up – in some schools there were around 30, whilst in others there were well over 100.

The coaching strategy for the Tag Rugby programme is based on ‘game-sense’, avoiding most drill-based exercises that English kids tend to grow up with, opting for various game situations that teach the basic skills of rugby and make sure everyone is involved as much as possible.

The rules of the game are gradually introduced and despite the communication issues, by the end of the first session, there was a game being played that bore some resemblance to tag rugby.

Passing backwards took some time to catch on (forgive the pun), and the offside rule wasn’t introduced until the Wednesday, but gradually as the children learnt the rules, they shouted at anyone that got it wrong until they all knew what was going on.

“Now, spread out in a bunch”

Seeing the enjoyment on the children’s faces was superb. On one of the days, we witnessed a more normal ‘sports’ lesson taking place – it consisted of a teacher standing in the middle of a circle of what must have been over 60 kids throwing a beach ball to them in turn. Organised sport like tag rugby just wasn’t on offer, and it was clear what sort of impact the Tag programme makes each year.

The more the children played the game throughout the week, the faster they improved – their passing and catching, running at space and defensive alignment was all pretty impressive by midweek. Needless to say there was some serious pace on display, and I soon learnt not to join in too much – when they are so fast and 3 feet tall, they are exceptionally difficult to tag!

The week of coaching culminates in Tournament Day on the Friday where the 12 schools compete against each other, so as the week continues, the coaching team has to keep an eye out for the talent.

Selecting a squad of ten from all the children you’ve worked with is not an easy task, with a minimum of 5 girls and 5 boys. There were one or two that stood out from the rest, but the standard was relatively even amongst the others, so there was inevitably ‘character-building’ disappointment for those that narrowly missed the cut.

Tournament Day itself gets pretty competitive, not least between the coaches that are desperate to see their side do well. Having written off their chances early on without a victory in the group stage, my Naranbhai Primary School team pulled off a shock victory in the semis and final of the ‘Small Cup’ (the Bowl equivalent).

The last team talk before Extra Time in the final

I don’t think they understood the concept of the three-tiered tournament even when they picked up the smallest trophy, but they were certainly delighted and I was proud as we lifted the silverware.

After an exhausting week and a celebration in a Ugandan nightclub, the tour moved on to Mbale where it all happened again with another set of schools and yet more wide-eyed eager-to-learn children being introduced to rugby.

The legacy left behind by each Tag tour to Uganda is clear – last year’s tournament participants managed to duck out of school to cheer on their teams, and as we were packing up camp on the Saturday morning in Jinja, a few of the children were spotted arriving at the rugby club wearing their team T-shirts and looking for a game.

Here’s a brief video featuring some of Mrs Hutch’s photography, and there are plenty more on the Tag Rugby Trust website.

I would strongly recommend volunteering for a tour – it’s an incredible experience and something you and the children you coach will never forget. Take your pick between Uganda, Zambia, India or Mexico and get yourself signed up. All being well, we’ll be returning to Uganda in 2011, so come along for the ride if you can.

For more information and to register your interest, please visit www.tagrugbytrust.co.uk. If you’d like to donate to my own fundraising, feel free to do so at www.justgiving.com/hutchuganda2010.

Irish rugby was at it’s zenith in 2009. A grand slam finally delivered following years of being on the wrong side of the bounce, with the rub of the green going against them consistently. Then came 2009, and the ‘Golden Generation’ finally got their time in the limelight – and made up the bulk of a competitive Lions squad in South Africa. However, since these halcyon days, the Irish have taken a step back, and as we analyse a winless tour Down Under, The Rugby Blog looks into some of the reasons for this fall from grace.

Before we dive into the analysis, let’s look at the facts:

-  Ireland have lost their last 5 tests (including vs. NZ Maori)

-  Donnacha O’Callaghan was the most capped player in the Irish scrum at the weekend against Australia, with more caps than the rest of the Irish pack put together

-  Ireland have not won in Australia since 1978, and have never beaten New Zealand in their long distinguished history

The above makes grim reading for Ireland fans who were surfing the wave of their Grand Slam success. The men in green have struggled against top tier nations during the very period when they should be building up for the next world cup and have struggled to push on from their success. So where does the issue stem from?

1. Player burn out – The IRFU are one of the best unions in world rugby at protecting their players and ensuring that they are as fresh as possible for International rugby. However, due to the nature of the national side of late being dominated by a core set of players there is an argument that this has contributed to the run of poor results recently. Although Declan Kidney was lauded for opening up the gates to the shirt for a younger generation, the likes of Rob Kearney, Jamie Heaslip and Luke Fitzgerald have had very little rest over the past 2 seasons and looked jaded towards the end of the summer – Kearney looked. And when you add to that the established players like BOD, Paul O’Connell, John Hayes and David Wallace, the Irish team starts to look like butter spread over too much bread. The Irish have essentially been victims of their own success of the Irish in 2009 both in the Six Nations and on the High Veldt.

2. Strength in depth – The success of the Irish team recently has it’s roots in the continuity of their team selection. The low frequency of top level player injuries contrasted markedly with other home nations as Ireland went from strength to strength. This continuity enabled players like Heaslip, Ferris and O’Leary to establish themselves as world class players, and, ultimately, gave Ireland a platform to push forward. However, as with any upside, there usually is a downside. The monopoly held by each player in their position did not promote a squad. For each Six Nations game it was relatively easy to pick the Ireland 22 man squad – each player was playing well, so why wouldn’t you play them? It’s only now that we’ve come across a stumbling block. With the decimation of the back row (Heaslip saw red, Wallace had to leave the tour for family reasons, and Ferris and Leamy didn’t tour due to injury) came opportunities for a younger generation, but is this younger generation ready, or even good enough? John Muldoon was exposed as a second tier international player; Chris Henry showed vigour and gusto but was shown how lonely an international test pitch can be when he gifted Luke Burgess a try last weekend; Kevin McLaughlin was the heir apparent to the 6 shirt but didn’t even step onto the plane, which gave players like Niall Ronan and U20 player Rhys Ruddock (with only 230 minutes of top flight club rugby under his belt) a chance in the shirt. Good experience for all involved, but can they all push towards the RWC 2011? I’ve used the example of the back-row, but the above issue extends across the park – is Mick O’Driscoll really worth a place in the squad? Can we compete in the front row? What happens if BOD and D’Arcy get injured? You see my point…

3. The top two inches – Despite Ireland’s recent success, it was dangerously apparent during their Southern Hemisphere tour that the squad were thinking like winners. When the likes of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia get a sniff of a chance, they take them, however, Ireland (like other Northern Hemisphere teams) don’t seem to have that x-factor in the top two inches. Ireland have one of the best back lines in world rugby, and, when given stable ball from set piece situations, the back line cuts other teams to ribbons – and did so on their tour. However, what’s their plan B? When this tactic doesn’t work, where do they go to? Have they got a pack of forwards with enough grit, determination and skill to grind out a win? During the Australia game, Ireland often descended into a Barbarian style of rugby, desperately flinging the ball to their talismans of BOD and Bowe to create something out of nowhere. True international champions need to have a level of confidence in their ability that almost borders on arrogance, but, at the same time, the Ireland management need to have a game plan up their sleeve that the players can execute when they aren’t making inroads via plan A.

So, in one sentence, what is the reason for Ireland’s regression? Where do we begin…

Mike Phillips was certainly not wrong in declaring, that despite not finding a way of beating New Zealand since 1953, ‘these teams, they’re there for the taking’.   Indeed they are, and had it not been for poor discipline, Wales could have attacked with a greater sense of belief that they might produce a winning score.   The penalty count was far too high for a side capable of the result they crave.  What’s more, I’m beginning to worry how much like my Dad I sound when I am shouting at the screen, ‘Around the legs!’

Watching the highlights again, it’s criminal how many standing challenges are made in midfield as the All Blacks powered forward.  Combine this with the fact that they are a side whose upper body strength could arguably be the most powerful in world rugby and you have a recipe for defensive suicide and consistent line-breaks.  Some mini-rugby ‘basic tackling’ worksheets could be worth handing out at the Millennium Stadium come November.

Ireland’s narrow 22-15 defeat in Brisbane left Declan Kidney ruing the penalty count aswell.  Stopping the casual penalties could have brought a different result.  Bearing this in mind, does this mean the gap between northern and southern hemispheres is tighter?  Does it still exist?

Meanwhile in South Africa, while the vuvuzelas were being blown towards the round ball, East London played hosts to Italy who were soundly beaten by the Springboks 55-11.   With their football side’s exit from the World Cup, you could be forgiven for having a light chuckle to yourself about the horrific week in sport that they and their European cousins France also suffered.  Felipe Contepomi contributed 31 of Argentina’s 41 points as they hammered France in Buenos Aires.  After their South African embarrassment, Mark Lievremont’s summary of what he saw?  “I expected tough matches, but these defeats are ridiculous. It was a nightmare.”

The summer tours have been ever-present in the annual rugby calendar and criticism has often been levelled at our home nations for travelling with light teams.  It has felt different this time around.  Whether the likes of Johnson, Gatland & Kidney took it more seriously as it’s pre-World Cup year or if it’s simply time to give respect to those opponents who are taking us on, I’d say every game has been hugely beneficial to each side as a result.  For England it has given some much needed confidence to a wider group of players who consistently look to two or three men to make it happen.  For Wales and Ireland, the opportunities to identify their strength in depth must have been satisfying and will give both coaches plenty to think about ahead of selection in the autumn.

Who impressed you?  Who’s out of their depth?  Who do you think still needs to prove their worth on the international scene?

After losing to England last weekend, the Australian team will be looking for revenge to reestablish the pecking order between Northern and Southern Hemisphere teams.

Robbie Deans will have been livid at their one-point defeat at the hands of Martin Johnson’s inconsistent side, and with the Tri-Nations only a couple of weeks away, he will have been beasting them in training and determined to send out a signal to New Zealand and South Africa.

You could see the pain on the players’ faces last week, and there was a sense that they could not wait to get out and play again, so you wonder if there will be an emphatic response this weekend.

They have lost Digby Ioane, Will Genia and Nathan Sharpe to injury, which won’t help their cause, but they have able replacements in Adam Ashley-Cooper, Luke Burgess and Mark Chisholm, and I suspect that they’ll be so fired up that it will seem like they have 20 men on the park.

This is clearly the last thing Ireland need. After a thrashing at the hands of the All Blacks and a narrow defeat to the New Zealand Maori, their tour has been fairly unpleasant already. They are without several key players, such as Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip, and you’d forgive them for having given some thought to the flight home after a long season.

It’s difficult to imagine the Irish mindset going into this game, but you suspect that they’ll go out and play, throw the ball about and see what happens. I can’t see them getting that long-awaited away win over Australia, so perhaps they’ll play with freedom and ambition.

Nevertheless, against a ruthless, determined Australia, there is a good chance that it won’t be pretty.

England stormed to a 13-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, with two penalties from Charlie Hodgson and a try from Steffon Armitage. The ambition they showed in keeping the ball alive was admirable, and it looked as though it could have been another impressive victory.

But the response by the Maori was mightily impressive. Hodgson had another penalty attempt which rebounded off the upright, and the home side ran it back through several phases and completed one of the tries of the season when Hosea Gear went over in the corner.

Liam Messam scored their second try shortly afterwards when Phil Dowson made a mistake at number 8, but England regained the lead through tries from Danny Care and Chris Ashton, the latter after an interception from Charlie Hodgson.

The Maori then scored two tries of their own in the second half, and Luke McAlister closed the game out with two penalties at the end.

There were several mistakes and missed tackles from both sides, but the way England looked to play with width early on was encouraging and proved that a strong performance in defeat can be a good thing! They needed a Jonny Wilkinson to close the game out at the end, but the experience will surely have done some good for players like Dowson and Chris Robshaw.

Some may even have done enough to earn a place in England’s Elite Player Squad due to be named next month, but we won’t get started on the pointlessness of that announcement!

After the victory over Australia on Saturday, it must feel as though the season is over, but this squad will face an almighty challenge when they face the Maori.

Chris Ashton is the only player that featured in Saturday’s game, and I can’t quite figure out the logic in playing him in this one unless there are injuries to worry about.

Dave Attwood and Geoff Parling get another run out in the second row, whilst captain Chris Robshaw and Phil Dowson will be worth watching in the back row – and this game is live on Sky Sports at 08.35 UK time tomorrow morning.

ENGLAND
15 Delon Armitage (London Irish)
14 David Strettle (Harlequins)
13 Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks)
12 Brad Barritt (Saracens)
11 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
10 Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins)

1 David Flatman (Bath Rugby)
2 George Chuter (Leicester Tigers)
3 Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester Rugby)
4 David Attwood (Gloucester Rugby)
5 Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
6 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, Capt)
7 Steffon Armitage (London Irish)
8 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)

REPLACEMENTS
16 Rob Webber (London Wasps) 17 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) 18 Dan Ward-Smith (London Wasps) 19 James Haskell (Stade Francais) 20 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers) 21 Shane Geragthy (Northampton Saints) 22 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)

For so long, we have harped on about the importance of quick ball, and how obvious it is that attacking at pace is much harder to defend against – and finally England have cottoned on.

There was a time when we questioned ourselves – surely Martin Johnson and his coaching cohorts could spot the fact that other teams were recycling more quickly before defences could realign? We thought momentarily that the teams they were playing were slowing the ball down, or that there was some other trick that we hadn’t spotted.

But then New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Wales and France played the same teams, prioritised quick ball and demonstrated how it was done. So we came back to the sad conclusion that actually the England gameplan was to keep it tight, make no mistakes, creep forward yard after yard and then maybe the defence will get bored and concede a penalty.

The First Test against Australia plumbed new depths of attacking ineptitude, with unfeasibly slow ball whenever England approached the opposition tryline, and we were getting nowhere, literally and metaphorically.

Thankfully, the Second Test was a completely different story altogether, but things don’t change that drastically in a week – focusing on quick ball could be a relatively minor shift of strategy, but look at the effect it has on the whole game.

Tom Croft, Lewis Moody and Courtney Lawes carried the ball with determination, running at a gap and pumping the legs for as long as possible, rather than falling over at the feet of the tackler.

The supporting forwards would be there, clearing out defenders as soon as the ball hit the deck, and Ben Youngs could whip it away from the ruck keeping the Aussie line retreating quickly.

Even when the option was to kick, ensuring that the likes of James O’Connor and Digby Ioane are on the back foot is clearly preferable, and offers a greater likelihood of landing it in space and finding touch – if the ball is slow, they can get into position to field the kick so much more easily.

Indeed, the whole performance stemmed from the speed of possession, in the same way that the dire efforts of the last few years have stemmed from the lack of it.

Johnno and his coaching team must learn from this game, taking the positives out of the victory and building on them, which ought to be a refreshing change from looking for positives in defeat when there aren’t any.

There really has been very little to build on until now, and nearly every game has been a case of starting again, but back this up with strong performances in the Autumn and we might just see some progress.

There have been a few false dawns for England, but continue to cherish quick ball and try to make sure this isn’t one of them.

Ben Foden – 7
Played with his usual freedom and ran with the ball more, although was well-handled by the Australians and didn’t really get a chance to break free. Reassuringly comfortable under the high ball and a successful breakthrough into the side this season.

Chris Ashton – 8
Took his try brilliantly to remind us what deadly finishing we’ve been seeing from him in a Saints shirt. Also defended very well, ushering his opposite man into touch on several occasions.

Mike Tindall – 7
Led the defensive line effectively and was a lot better than last week. Silly reverse pass to lose the ball when England were going forward, but you can forgive that because seeing some invention and ambition to keep the ball alive is refreshing – if it had gone to hand and they’d scored, he’d be getting a 9!

Shontayne Hape – 7
A much more effective game, regularly drawing two defenders in attack and offloading nicely. When England play with pace, his handling skills can be an asset and with time he might grow into the side, but I’m still not convinced he is what we need at 12. Olly Barkley would get the nod for the next Test.

Mark Cueto – 7
Didn’t light up the game with searing breaks as he has done recently, but still very effective. His kicking game was markedly improved and found touch when clearing, rather than James O’Connor.

Toby Flood – 6
Not a bad game from Flood but it didn’t look particularly special, although he should take some credit for the pace with which England played. It’s difficult to know how much to attribute to the 10, but perhaps if Jonny had been standing deep, the backs wouldn’t have looked so good.

Ben Youngs – 9
What a game. Looked remarkably confident in his first full start, and not afraid to tell the forwards what to do, and that the static pop move is rubbish. Showed great pace to score the first try, his passing was a joy to watch, and his box kicks were significantly better than Care’s last week. This should be a lesson to Johnno to pick on form and potential.

Nick Easter – 5
Played better than last week, but still not great. Had a 20-yard run up to gather pace for one of his carries, but still couldn’t find any gas and was tackled easily and turned over. He still hasn’t had a chance to show off his hands, but if England continue to play a fast game, a faster No. 8 might be in order.

Lewis Moody – 9
The captain had a phenomenal game, and set the tone early on with a great hit on Quade Cooper. Tackled demonically throughout the game, and characterised the fighting spirit of the side, whilst dominating the breakdown and keeping David Pocock quiet.

Tom Croft – 9
At last, we saw Croft play like we know he can. Invaluable asset in the lineout, and got stuck in in the loose with some important, yard-gaining carries. I didn’t catch him out on the wing at all, and his dynamism in England’s pack is essential.

Tom Palmer – 8
I’m beginning to change my mind about Palmer, which is no mean feat because I’m stubborn. Showed again that he can pass and catch pretty well, which can’t be said for all front five players used this season, and his lineout presence was better than usual.

Courtney Lawes – 8
Lived up to the billing we’ve given him on The Rugby Blog, thankfully. Like Croft, his pace and dynamism when carrying the ball seems to make vital hard yards, and he made one or two big tackles as well.

Dan Cole – 7
Couldn’t decide between 7 or 8, because Cole has been the foundation on which England’s scrum has been built, and when it is so dominant, he deserves a lot of credit. He could be England’s player of 2010 so far, and with Sheridan back at 1, England has a massive front row again.

Steve Thompson – 7
A solid game, particularly with his lineout throwing, and was obviously getting under the skin of the Aussie front row. I prefer the manner in which Cole dominates his opposite man, without the childish grinning that could get him sin-binned, but Thommo has been looking pretty handy again.

Tim Payne – 6
Hard to criticise in a dominant pack, but he really is just keeping the jersey warm. Anonymous in the loose even when England were on the front foot and was actually penalised a couple of times in the scrum.

Replacements
Why did Danny Care come on? And why did Delon Armitage come on? Both were more of a liability than an asset. Jonny was a solid replacement, despite his missed kick, and Shawsy might have found his position as impact sub.

New Features

The new design is generally a lot tidier, so it should be easier to navigate. It’s also more image-dependent which makes it look a little better, so we’ll have a picture with every article – there are still a few to add retrospectively, so bear with us whilst we sort it out. We are on the hunt for any amateur photographers who don’t mind sharing their images with us – drop us a line if you can help.

It’s a bit of a ‘magazine’ layout, which should make it easier to find what you are interested in, each tournament has it’s own section, and we’ll be adding sections for each country that we cover as well.

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Coming up on The Rugby Blog

The site will be a little quieter for a few weeks whilst Hutch is in Uganda with the Tag Rugby Trust, but there will be a few articles as we keep things ticking over.

Then we’ll be starting the build up to the new season in earnest – it’s a long year ahead culminating in the Rugby World Cup, so stay with us for the duration as we cover the Guinness Premiership, Magners League, Heineken Cup, all the internationals, going off on the odd rant, sharing our opinions and keeping an eye on those players that could feature for the home countries in New Zealand.

I’m pleased to say that the Podcast will return for the new season – it was something of an experiment last year, but all the feedback we’ve had has been very positive and so Nick Heath will be back with your usual weekly helping of rugby interviews and insight. There’s a new iTunes icon on the right, so click on that and you’ll find every episode in iTunes where you can subscribe.

We are also looking to expand our coverage. We realise that we are fairly England-centric, but we’d like to have more articles about the other home nations to start with, and then take on the rest of the world when we have more capacity. Contributions are always welcomed, and we are looking to expand our writing team, so send us an email if you’d like to be involved.

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England’s performance was at least a million times better than last week’s dirge – they played at pace, with conviction and with belief. They led 15-13 at halftime, and held on for a 21-20 victory in Sydney.

Ben Youngs was the star of the show in his first ever start for England, whipping the ball away from the breakdown, orchestrating runners around the fringes and sending it wide when appropriate.

There were significantly improved contributions from Tom Croft, Nick Easter, Lewis Moody, Shontayne Hape, but everyone was noticeably better than they have been for some time.

Quick ball was at the heart of everything good from England, and they showed that they can play on the front foot with a bit of pace and dynamism. England will celebrate now, but let’s hope they don’t forget how they won when they return in the Autumn.

Finally, it’s great to hear Swing Low being sung in the Sydney stadium again. We haven’t heard that for nearly 7 years.

We’ll have player ratings and some more analysis during the week, but let us know your thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the game.