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Autumn Rugby Delivers A Green And Gold Licence To Thrill

There seems to have been a sudden burst of rugby journalism which needs to be fed incessantly. I count up to five articles daily in some of the broadsheets – online of course. This can overdramatise topics which may not seem too important at the time.

One fact which is not media speculation is the recovery of Australian rugby. Joe Schmidt was receiving growing pressure from the media with little appreciation of the mess that he had inherited but there were already promising signs in the Rugby Championship. They featured strongly at times in their all court approach to the game. Interesting that they have publicly adopted a no holds barred, freedom of expression, give it a go mentality. That causes errors in vulnerable positions on the field, but you grow from that. Then you achieve results, and the destruction of Wales in the last 20 minutes (yes!) was a lesson for some. Suddenly, they are creating the next line of Wallaby heroes. Top of that list is Tom Wright, the best fullback in the world based on form. I would have loved to play inside that kind of running ability allied to creative skill and always looking to offload. This has benefited their dangerous wings who had never been heard of until now, let alone the likes of Suaalii.

Remember, the media had shoehorned Schmidt into the ‘uninspired, process orientated’ bracket. Well he has shaken off that mantle and let off the handbrake for this latest talent in the fourth most popular sport in Australia when we had all thought that the upcoming B&I Lions tour would be a drinkathon and a predetermined outcome. No more.

Perhaps riding the Wallaby wave, the narrowly appointed new Chair of World Rugby Brett Robinson from Australia (and Oxford!) will bring together our fractured game. There is a reason why 25 votes went against him. The swing vote from Africa was the difference and recalled the behaviour at the last election when last minute vote switching saw Laporte into a Vice Chairman position (temporarily) not to mention unusual behaviour to determine the venue for the last World Cup. The first thing I would do is to bring Abdelatif Benazzi into the core of the Council. That would say something for leadership skill and some contemporary understanding of our game from World Rugby which has been in short supply. France is the powerhouse of global club rugby and the last time I looked there is no club presence in World Rugby at all – need I say more.

Adding to the excitement of this exceptional Autumn series, France squeezed past the All Blacks, who probably weren’t good enough for a clean sweep. The love affair between the French crowd and its team is alive and well, and says so much for the vibrancy of the game in that country, hence the need for them to be at the top table of our game (see above). France will be hard to beat this Six Nations, but do not bet too hard against Argentina doing a number on them this weekend, they are due a performance and have all the quality and self-confidence.

Talking of, England seem to have some of the former and very little of the latter. We come back to Schmidt and how he has empowered his players and transmitted a real sense of energy, Borthwick can learn from this.T his is just not happening to England and reflects currently on the off-field inexperience and leadership advice which leaves this group of players well short of guidance. It does not exonerate them from taking hold of their destiny but the chaos elsewhere makes it difficult.

In their attack, I genuinely enjoyed some of the interplay between forwards and backs against the subconsciously complacent Boks (excluding the genius Kolbe). But the backline, Smith’s brilliance apart, has underperformed individually and collectively in perfect playing conditions and with licence to play (?) against battle hardened opposition yes, but also with the beach fast approaching. Slade lacked evident match fitness and Lawrence is being misused, Furbank similarly and now marginalised due to a World Rugby ruling, with Freeman reduced to ball chasing and verbalising when we all want to see him with the ball.

We are bored of criticising England’s last 20 minutes impotency, and the Australians stand testament as to how to do it. Wales are not as bad as all that by the way, but the demolition job on them has fast forwarded the slowest of trains coming down the line into the sidings as their legion of grandslammers edged into retirement and what is left behind is young and talented, but let down by previous off field incompetence and lack of planning at the heart of Welsh rugby. Scarlets are showing the way ahead with emerging talent and some landmark results already in URC but it will take time.

The Springboks showed again that this last period of the game is the only one that matters and they are dimensionally ahead of the rest in all aspects currently, at least on the field. We will not know until the Six Nations whether England is really on the edge of something special as they claim, or a bit like their Captain, only good for 60 minutes in the eyes of the coaches.

The humdinger this weekend is up at Murrayfield because the Scots have a team of which to be proud. This could be a classic of skill and hard running should the Scottish weather relent. The Aussies are one wonderful wallaby win away from an unlikely Grand Slam decider in the rugby citadel of Dublin and against the squad that Schmidt himself crafted. Isn’t sport special like that??!

Hallers

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