An off day for fifteen March 10, 2008

The rugby on Saturday was sooooo rubbish! 

Usually it’s just Balshaw having a mare but on Saturday he was actually one of the more reliable players – the usual playmakers were no-where to be seen.  Jonny was just firing up kicks aimlessly with no tactical intention behind them, Vickery was a shadow of his usual imposing self, Volcano was knocking on balls like he was playing basketball and one of my faves, Andrew Sheridan, notched up penalties as his frustration levels rose.

The team just didn’t look up for it; you got the sense they were mentally elsewhere – as opposed to Scotland who were completely fired up.

I don’t think the Cipriani affair had any impact on the game either – he got his deserved punishment for being a stupid arse – but I do think some changes are needed:

 - Josh Lewsey at full back

 - Volcano to be replaced by James Simpson Daniel

 - Cipriani at 10

I’m not so sure about the forwards as I’m a prettiful back so find it easier to relate to their problems.  Flipping something needs to change otherwise we’ll be looking at the Wooden Spoon next week!

And, much as it galls me to say it, I hope Wales get the Grand Slam – they have looked like the most exciting team in the whole competition.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory February 4, 2008

What happened to England in the second half of Saturday’s game?  Managing to go from a 13 point lead to losing the entire game, and their composure along the way, left us supporters believing that something had seriously gone wrong.

With even Gomarsall and Wilkinson losing their cool, the game took on ridiculous headless chicken moments that you see in junior rugby more than in Twickers.  Balshaw veered between greatness (some excellent high takes) and hand-wringing, forehead-slapping moments of idiocy (the chased down kick, some idiotic kicks that went nowhere) and Phil Vickery didn’t look like he was the one to pull the team together on the pitch.

The next game against Italy, should be an easier ride but England need to have a serious look at how they are playing and come up with something resembling a game plan – fast.  Something’s missing – trouble is, I’m not sure what.  Apart from James Simpson-Daniel, that is.

Is there such a thing as glorious failure? October 22, 2007

Well, poor England couldn’t quite do it Saturday night and complete their fairytale rise from rugby sinners to winners.  It just would have been too perfect if they had won the RWC second time running, wouldn’t it?

But reading this BBC article today, on ‘the art’ of coming second, I could seriously relate to some of the comments by John Regis about the pain of losing.

First loser really isn’t that good. I know myself after losing a rugby game the torment that follows – you over analyse what you did, think about what you should have done, imagine new scenarios.  And I’m just a social player, so I’d imagine for the pros it’s 100 times worse!  Even now I can recall seriously tight games that we’ve gone on to lose – one cup final three years ago ended in the best of 5 goal-kicks, after 20mins of extra time with tied scores.  We lost by one – gutted.

That failure certainly didn’t feel heroic or glorious, and no-one ever remembers who came second at the end of the day.  Sport, and many other things in life, are brutal like that.

I guess the important thing is what you do next.  Do you let it drag you down or buoy you on to try and achieve again – and more?  Well, I’m still playing rugby three years on from that fateful loss, and if anything I’m more competitive than ever.  

In the context of what’s to come then, perhaps we can call the England loss a glorious one. They proved they can come back from a shambolic shadow of a side to an aggressive cohesive team with a bulldog spirit, just within 4 weeks, and challenge for the title of best in the world.  Just for that, they deserve to hold their heads high and I predict glory ahead at the 2008 Six Nations….they are the team to beat.