England in disarray…still
The so-called new era under Martin Johnson cannot come quickly enough. For 5 years, England has been rubbish and the latest episode in New Zealand has plumbed new depths of embarrassment.
On the pitch, there never seemed to be that collective desire that’s required to take on and beat the great teams - there were a few bright sparks of passion and commitment in the shape of James Haskell and Luke Narraway (among one or two others), but it’s not enough.
Off the pitch, it seems that their unaffected attitude has landed them in trouble. Rather than reflecting on another defeat, there were cheers and beers in a nightclub followed by that alleged debauchery that is simply unacceptable by anyone, let alone professional international sportsmen.
Last week I wrote a fairly optimistic summary of what we could take from the first test, but this week it is all a bit bleak.
Johnson needs to start from scratch.
Johnno has a word in Borthwick’s ear
Just in case he needed reminding of the huge challenge ahead, Martin Johnson has apparently been in touch with his captain to tell him what he needs to do.
Hopefully he mentioned that he needs to work on his presence, and it’s not good enough to just push in the scrums and jump in the lineouts. Everyone needs to see Borthwick carrying the ball in the loose and leading the charge in a Johnno sort of way.
Perhaps he also discussed the hotel room shenanigans that apparently took place last week, and for Borthwick’s sake I hope that if something untoward did take place, he wasn’t involved - I wouldn’t want a dressing down from the great man, even if he is 3,000 miles away.
I wonder also if Johnson discussed match strategy for Saturday’s game. Presumably he’d be reiterating the importance of defence, particularly in the 10 channel, and probably suggesting that the forwards batten down the hatches and hope that Flood can kick them into a position to score with a driving maul or slot the odd penalty.
Do you think he also had some advice on how to ignite the creative spark that must be lurking somewhere in that centre partnership of Jamie Noon and Mike Tindall?
England v New Zealand team news
England will field a very different side for the second Test against New Zealand, with six changes in total - five of which are in the back line.
As predicted by The Rugby Blog readership, Charlie Hodgson drops out of the match squad altogether with Toby Flood filling his fly-half boots. He will be partnered by Danny Care, who makes his first start in an England shirt after looking sharp from the bench last week.
Mathew Tait is selected at full-back over Mike Brown, Tom Vandell replaces David Strettle and Jamie Noon starts at 12 alongside Mike Tindall.
In the forwards, Tim Payne comes in for Andrew Sheridan who was ruled out through injury - but otherwise the pack is unchanged.
Is this a back line to trouble the mighty All Blacks?
England: Mathew Tait (Newcastle); Topsy Ojo (London Irish), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Tom Varndell (Leicester); Toby Flood (Newcastle), Danny Care (Harlequins); Tim Payne (Wasps), Lee Mears (Bath), Matt Stevens (Bath), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Steve Borthwick (Bath, captain), James Haskell (Wasps), Tom Rees (Wasps), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).
Replacements: Jason Hobson (Bristol), David Paice (London Irish), Ben Kay (Leicester), Joe Worsley (Wasps), Peter Richards (London Irish), Olly Barkley (Bath), David Strettle (Harlequins).
New Zealand: Leon MacDonald (Crusaders); Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs), Richard Kahui (Chiefs), Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes), Rudi Wulf (Blues); Daniel Carter (Crusaders), Andy Ellis (Crusaders); Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes), Andrew Hore (Hurricanes), Greg Somerville (Crusaders), Brad Thorn (Crusaders), Ali Williams (Crusaders), Adam Thomson (Highlanders), Richie McCaw (Crusaders), Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes).
Replacements: Keven Mealamu (Blues), Tony Woodcock (Blues), Anthony Boric (Blues), Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders), Stephen Donald (Chiefs), Mils Muliaina (Chiefs).
England look for positives in defeat
New Zealand were simply too good for England’s new-look side, and it was a similar story to several other encounters between the two sides. We started strongly, but a few errors led to an abysmal fifteen-minute spell and the match was effectively over. We couldn’t seem to create much out wide, whereas the All Blacks looked dangerous just by running at pace.
However, always optimistic, there do seem to be a number of lessons to learn from the game that can be taken forward into the Martin Johnson era.
The first aspect of note was the quality of England’s rucking, particularly in the first half. It has been a while since our players have hit the breakdown with such conviction, and it was most enjoyable to see Richie McCaw regularly going backwards and generally kept quiet by James Haskell and Tom Rees.
It wasn’t just in defence that England looked sharp up front - the forwards carried well in attack, with Andrew Sheridan standing out in particular. Luke Narraway was slightly unconvincing in this area, and Joe Worsley carried well when he came on so perhaps this is a change to consider for next week?
The lineout was also functioning well against some fairly formidable opposition, with a number of stolen throws throughout the game.
In the backs, Mike Tindall had a reasonable game, but neither he nor Olly Barkley ever appear to be much of a threat. David Strettle and Mike Brown looked fairly lightweight and got thrown around by the bigger, stronger men in black. Topsy Ojo took his two tries brilliantly, but didn’t get much quality ball to attack with (how many times have we said that about England’s backs recently?).
As for Charlie Hodgson, he’s the sort of player that I’d really like to see perform well. He seems like a decent sort of chap, but he didn’t seem to bring much control to the game and that shambles of a tackle on Ma’a Nonu isn’t acceptable at this level. He wasn’t even kicking, so it’s difficult to see what he brings to the side - it’s sad to say that that could (and perhaps should?) be his last England cap.
Next week, I’d like to see Haskell at Number 8 with Worsley restored at 6; Ben Kay should partner Steve Borthwick, who offers more impact than Tom Palmer; Barkley should step into Number 10 with Jamie Noon taking the centre berth.
When Andy Robinson was finally sacked, I never thought I’d ever be advocating a Noon / Tindall partnership, but for some reason it seems appropriate in these circumstances - perhaps that’s how Andy felt for so long!
What else can England take from the game?
There’s a feast of rugby lined up for Saturday
Put the Guinness in the fridge, wheel in your favourite armchair and close the blinds - there’s an incredible amount of international rugby on offer this weekend.
It’s New Zealand v England first up at 8.35 and an opportunity to see two sides in transition. Both teams look very different from those that competed in the Rugby World Cup, and the performances of each will be scrutinised closely by fans and media alike.
Australia host Ireland straight afterwards at 11.05. The Irish were competitive last week against the All Blacks and they stand a chance of turning the Wallabies over on their soil.
After an hour’s break, South Africa and Wales reconvene for the second test at 2pm. The Six Nations Grand Slam winners will need to be put in a much more convincing performance to avoid another thumping from the World Champions.
Finally, in the evening, there are three to choose from - England Saxons v Ireland A in the Churchill Cup at 7pm, Argentina v Scotland at 8.10 and then Canada v Argentina (another XV) at 9pm.
I’m excited.
Listen to England players’ post-match reaction
O2 are sponsoring an interesting new service, whereby people can register on their site to receive a phone call from one of the England players straight after the match.
It’s a free service, so I’ve signed up just to see what they say. Here’s the link - http://www.o2blueroom.co.uk/Rugby/SummerTour/Default.aspx.
I think it will be a voicemail, as opposed to an opportunity to quiz the players on their performance live from the changing room, but I’ve been wondering what they might say…
Andrew Sheridan: “We dominated in the scrum, they had some big lads but none as big as me. I pushed them back and gave them a hard time all day, but their backs were pretty good and that was the difference.”
Topsy Ojo: “It was a tough game, but I’m pleased to have made my debut. I would have liked to get more ball, but the forwards did a great job with their driving at the fringes of rucks. It’s just a shame there were too many turnovers, otherwise it could have been our day. Also, it turns out that that Suivatu chap (or whatever his name is) is quite quick…he skinned me a couple of times.”
Rob Andrew: “We learned a lot tonight. We learned about the All Blacks, we learned about our defence, we learned a lot about our set piece and about ourselves. We will be conducting a review of the game over the next six months to see what else we can learn from it, and really take that forward into our next game.”
Any suggestions?!
England team to face New Zealand
The headline news is that Topsy Ojo will make his well-earned debut this weekend against the All Blacks in Auckland - what a way to start your international career.
Olly Barkley and Mike Tindall form an interesting centre partnership that should be able to live with the sheer enormity of Ma’a Nonu and provide Charlie Hodgson with another kicking option.
Tom Palmer gets the nod at second row, which is a slight area of concern for me, and James Haskell, Tom Rees and Luke Narraway form a pacy back row.
What are your thoughts on the selection?
M Brown (Harlequins); T Ojo (London Irish), M Tindall (Gloucester), O Barkley (Bath), D Strettle (Harlequins); C Hodgson (Sale), R Wigglesworth (Sale); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), T Palmer (Wasps), S Borthwick (Bath, captain), J Haskell (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), L Narraway (Gloucester).
Replacements: D Paice (London Irish), T Payne (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tait (Newcastle).
Southern Hemisphere still on top
Ireland and Wales squandered an opportunity to claim victories over New Zealand and South Africa respectively, proving that the Southern Hemisphere teams are still leading the way in world rugby.
Munster’s forwards seemed to have there eye off the ball as they lined up in their national colours opposite a team determined to banish the demons of France 2007. Their supposedly strong lineout was erratic at best, and without secure ball, they couldn’t sustain any pressure on the All Blacks.
The New Zealanders looked rusty, with Dan Carter appearing out of form, but they controlled the forward battle and drove much more dynamically up front than Paul O’Connell’s pack. It was Marcus Horan’s needless penalty that sealed their own coffin as it forced them to concede the lead, and that from that point, New Zealand closed out the game.
Later on Saturday, the Six Nations Grand Slam champions took on the holders of the Web Ellis Cup but appeared to be no match for the Springboks. Wales made a number of errors, and John Smit’s new look side were relentless in punishing them, opening up a lead through Butch James’ boot and then opening up hole after hole to move out of sight.
The All Blacks game will give England some hope for next week, but they shouldn’t expect the home side to display that sort of disarray for two weeks in a row. Their dynamism up front will worry England’s pack, and their broken-field abilities were certainly still evident. If Dan Carter retrieves his game-face, it could be a long night for Rob Andrew’s squad.
Ireland’s best chance for that first All Black scalp?
Who says the rugby season is over? A month of summer tour matches kicks off this weekend, to be swiftly followed by the Tri-Nations which will keep us going for weeks and then we’ll be straight back into Premiership, Top 14 and Magners League action come September.
Ireland takes on the All Blacks on Saturday and the game offers a chance for them to exorcise the demons that seem to have haunted them this season. An encouraging win over the Barbarians with a depleted team should set them up nicely to face a new-look New Zealand side that will have to adjust quickly back to the old (proper) laws.
Only six players are retained in Graham Henry’s squad from the team that lost to France in the World Cup - a number of new faces will feature and they might take a while to get going. Anthony Tuitavake is one to watch out for - he plays for the Blues and will start on the right wing with pace to burn and impressive strength in the tackle.
Jerome Kaino steps into the Number 8 berth after Jerry Collins’ retirement from international rugby with Rodney So’oialo shifting to the blindside. It’s still a fearsome back row completed, of course, by Richie McCaw and Ireland will have to be at their best to compete up front.
It’s probably no coincidence then that the Irish are fielding seven Munster forwards, the side that won the Heineken Cup with a dominant forward display. Paul O’Connell looked to be back at the top of his game in that match, and will need to be to challenge Ali Williams and Brad Thorn at the set-piece.
Eoin Reddan has been looking sharp behind the Wasps pack and Ronan O’Gara knows all about facing New Zealand. They won’t have an easy task against Crusaders cohorts Andy Ellis and Dan Carter, but if they can release the new centre partnership of Luke Fitzgerald and Brian O’Driscoll they may cause the Home side some problems.
Ireland’s best bet has to be to keep it tight and keep their score slowly ticking over. As much as I’d like to see a Northern Hemisphere team go to New Zealand and throw caution to the wind, by utilising the familiar forward unit and playing at a completely different pace to that dictated in Super 14 by the ELVs, they should confuse a relatively junior team enough to keep in touch on the scoreboard.
If Ronan O’Gara can steal a few penalties, kick for the corners and keep New Zealand on the back foot they may just stand a chance. Unfortunately, everything is telling me they won’t do it - they never have before, home or away, and have been very disappointing all season. Catching the All Blacks cold is a good opportunity for them, but I fear they’ll just warm them up nicely, ready to demolish England in a week’s time.
New Zealand:
15-Mils Muliaina, 14-Anthony Tuitavake, 13-Conrad Smith, 12-Ma’a Nonu, 11-Sitiveni Sivivatu; 10-Dan Carter, 9-Andy Ellis; 8-Jerome Kaino, 7-Richie McCaw (captain), 6-Rodney So’oialo, 5-Ali Willliams, 4-Brad Thorn, 3-John Afoa, 2-Andrew Hore, 1-Neemia Tialata.
Replacements: 16-Keven Mealamu, 17-John Schwalger, 18-Anthony Boric, 19-Adam Thomson, 20-Jimmy Cowan, 21-Stephen Donald, 22-Leon MacDonald.
Ireland:
15-Robert Kearney, 14-Shane Horgan, 13-Brian O’Driscoll (captain), 12-Luke Fitzgerald, 11-Tommy Bowe, 10-Ronan O’Gara, 9-Eoin Reddan, 8-Jamie Heaslip, 7-David Wallace, 6-Denis Leamy, 5-Donncha O’Callaghan, 4-Paul O’Connell, 3-John Hayes, 2-Jerry Flannery, 1-Marcus Horan.
Replacements: 16-Rory Best, 17-Tony Buckley, 18-Mick O’Driscoll, 19-Shane Jennings, 20-Peter Stringer, 21-Paddy Wallace, 22-Girvan Dempsey.
Recent Comments