The Top14 who cares who wins?

The Top 14 – ‘Who cares who wins?’

 

The Top14’s gilded juggernaut finally reaches its terminus in the palatial Stade de France on Saturday. The season that began in the heat of August comes to a halt in mid-June, ten months later. For the players it has been nearly a year of battles of attrition, survival and no doubt big paydays. The final will be played in a febrile partisan atmosphere generated by two sets of the most passionate fans in French rugby. Yet their pleasure must be tempered by the fare that they have had to watch through this interminable season. The semi-finals that were played last weekend in a wonderful stadium in Bordeaux were often turgid, unimaginative and dominated by forwards trying to physically overpower each other before the game would burst into life. The élan of French rugby is not dead but much of the play in the Top14 is inhibited by the absolute need to avoid losing, avoid relegation and losing the vital transfusion of money that comes from the enormous TV deal the Top14 enjoys.

The first semi-final between Toulouse and La Rochelle at least had the likes of Dupont and Koble on the field. Both of these are players that can bring spectators to their feet in an instant, a constant threat to the opposition, for that ability they are destined to be marked closely. At times Toulouse were able to play with shackles off; there were some sublime offloads, thoughtful lines of support and when required the backs passed the ball superbly. But, sadly at times the game slowed down, as both packs appeared happy to knock each other senseless. Here though La Rochelle got little change out of a determined and motivated Toulouse pack of forwards. Toulouse fronted up and when La Rochelle did move the ball wide they found the Toulouse scramble defence committed and clever. The score of 20-6 to Toulouse was a fair reflection of Toulouse’s dominance but it was a game for the connoisseurs, there was not much to set the heart racing and Toulouse won comfortably.

Clermont played Lyon the next day at the same venue on a sunny afternoon. The atmosphere was superb with both sets of fans doing their best to make it a thunderous and passionate occasion and the players did their best to live up to the fans’ expectations. There was as to be expected a great deal of endeavour, bravery but there were only a few moments that brought the crowd to its feet. Kiwis George Moala and Isaia Toeava along with the accurate kicking of Greg Laidlaw saw Clermont over the line.

This was after a period of strength sapping as the packs faced up to each other and attempted to bulldoze their way through this was to  last for twenty minutes, before a game of rugby was allowed to break out and Clermont showed that if they got the ball and a bit of space they had the pace to score tries.  Lyon responded by trying to tighten the game up even further but this led to penalties and a yellow card. This indiscipline was to let them down badly as Clermont took full advantage of their extra man. Clermont have enjoyed a good season, with an European trophy already in the cabinet and if they get space to play they can be deadly and Fofana is beginning to look like he is finding some form.

It will be a heavyweight clash on Saturday both these sides deserve to be there and have shown they are the best two sides in the competition. But, the players are tired, smashed about by the limitations of the game teams are required to play. Where avoiding defeat inhibits players and owners respond by spending money not on local talent but by looking to the South Seas or Southern Hemisphere.

The players will not know what to look forward to more, the final or the final whistle!

 

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Lesons so far from the RWC u20's Argentina

Early lessons from the RWC u20’s in Argentina

 

As the RWC u20’s tournament thunders on producing its usual menu of exciting and fast matches, international coaches across the game will be watching the matches closely. In the midst of preparations for the World Cup in Japan this gives them a chance to not only scout for potential talent, but more significantly will be scrutinising how the games are being refereed. Here World Rugby will be trying out, under match conditions, the protocols and approaches they will be asking the referees to follow in Japan. It will be absolutely imperative in Japan that referees, assistants and TMO’s go about their jobs consistently and as much as possible avoiding controversy.

So far the referees in Argentina have been fulfilling their briefs meticulously, displaying much appreciated consistency and maintaining on-field discipline in an empathetic way without harming the spectacle of the game.

What has been obvious, so far, has been the referees’ high level of fitness and communication skills both with the players and their fellow officials. This can only have been achieved through diligent preparation. But, for the teams playing in Japan it means they will have little room to manoeuvre, to bend the rules or play consistently beyond the remit of the laws.

The offside line at the set piece has been refereed well, resulting in room for moves to work, allowing quick ball to be utilised creating both width and chances. The opposition realising they could be giving away cheap points if they stray offside has led to a more fluent game, and cutting off at source the euphemistic pundits’ favourite of ‘fantastic line speed’. At the breakdown the referees are all facing the defence, clearly showing the offside line and talking to the players, and if an offence is committed the referee is quick to signal and to communicate his decision. Perhaps, the next stage would be for the assistant referees to pay more attention to the actions of the wider defence but with the expeditious use of the kick ahead/pass defences are becoming more circumspect about committing themselves to early.

By consciously creating the space, curtailing deliberate offside play the players are revelling in the chance to offload, clever support lines and to try their luck by running from deep. High tackles, dangerous play and cynical play now carry a much higher risk and all offences are being summarily and correctly punished. As both England and Ireland have painfully discovered. Any player in Japan that tackles above the shoulder will know that they will be in trouble and the defence coaches will be working overtime on developing new techniques in the tackle. Additionally referees and their assistants are watching for the hits off the ball at rucks and mauls, the reckless use of shoulders rather than arms and avoiding players targeting vulnerable areas, such as the head and neck when players are competing for the ball.

All in all so far the U20’s have produced some superb running rugby, revelling in the chance to display their skills and talents. Much of this is down to the quality of the refereeing giving the players rooms and security to play. Clearly the players and coaches in Argentina have bought into this approach and have reacted positively to it. If the teams who play in Japan will do the same then there is every chance it could become one of the great World Cups.

 

Gallagher Premiership final....thoughts?

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs - ‘Great game for England?’

 

As the dust settles on the English rugby season and the players embark on a well-earned rest the epic encounter that these two sides provided as the climax to the Gallagher Premiership highlighted that these two sides were by far and away the two best in the competition, and they fully deserved the plaudits that came their way at the end of the match. It was a contest where both teams showed that they could play ‘optimistic rugby’, prepared to go for a ‘high risk high reward’ approach. But, was this game a good one for English rugby, or a great advert for the Gallagher Premiership?

There were many English internationals on view who played to an extremely high standard; Kruis, Itoje, Nowell and Armand for example. Critically though the game changers for both sides were not English. International rugby and particularly World Cups are won by small margins and it’s the players who can play on the ‘Edge of the Edge’ that make the difference. For Exeter the pulse of their superb effort came from the sharp prompting and decision making of their Australian scrum –half Nick White. It was his sniping and distribution that rattled the much vaunted Saracens’ defence leading them to having to make nearly 100 strength sapping tackles in the first half alone. Sarries made more mistakes in the first sixty minutes than they had made nearly all season, much of this could be directly attributed to the astute play of White. Scrum- half is a position that England are struggling with, and the roster of quality English scrum halves across the Premiership is very shallow. Perhaps, this is best illustrated by the notable contribution of Richard Wrigglesworth, 36, who is still in the England squad, when he came off the bench and through his thoughtful play facilitated the Saracens come back from a 27-16 deficit. He cannot realistically be called the future?

It could be argued that the player who made the critical difference to Saracens whose season long efforts for them have made the difference in winning the double is not English either. Namely, the Welsh talisman, Liam Williams who has enjoyed a stellar season and Warren Gatland must be hoping that Williams takes his form into the World Cup in Japan. It was his startling leap to seize Farrell’s thoughtful kick to the corner to score a wonderful try that turned the game. Perhaps equally impressive was Williams’ low key celebration. He was well aware of the significance of his try but that it could only be the catalyst to the necessary effort needed to win the game and overcome the Chiefs.

There can be no argument that the match had been a superb advert for the club game but as a barometer for England’s chances in Japan that is more doubtful. The pundit Matt Dawson’s assertion that it has markedly helped England’s confidence is at best hopeful, rather than definite. Indeed the match highlighted England’s lack of depth in crucial positions; Loose Head and Tight Head prop, Blind side flanker, Number 8, Scrum Half, Inside Centre and Full Back.

Surely the game did give Eddie Jones much to mull over; Goode at 15 for one or Armand as back row cover as another. At least worried England supporters can hope that he will be more flexible but, don’t hold your breath.