The openining matches in November’s Internationals see heartbreak for Wales and England while Irish and Scottish eyes are smiling!

November Internationals – Europe

It’s another exciting weekend ahead for Test Rugby as the November Internationals continue and we look at four upcoming fixtures:

Italy vs Argentina – Genoa

England vs South Africa – Twickenham

Scotland vs New Zealand – Edinburgh

France vs Australia – Paris

First up we’ll review the previous weekend’s action by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Wales vs Australia
Final Score – Aus 33/Wales 28
Cardiff

As predicted a tight physical battle was the order of the day with some spectacular line breaks from both sides, but a contest that once again ultimately ended in heartbreak for the Welsh.  Make no mistake Wales brought their A game but in the end it was all about finishing and in this department Australia provided their Welsh hosts with a classy demonstration of this fundamental principle of Test Rugby.

Wales fought valiantly for the full eighty minutes but it was clearly obvious that for the last ten minutes the majority of Welsh players were starting to look exhausted despite fresh legs off the bench.  Australia also looked as though they had been put through the ringer, but still nevertheless managed to hold their composure better and ultimately hold up in defence and attack.  The Welsh cause wasn’t helped by some critical injuries and the loss of Leigh Halfpenny before half time with his replacement Dan Biggar soon to follow.

Australia can take great heart from their first performance under new coach Michael Cheika, with Bernard Foley at fly half doing a superb job of marshalling his troops for the full 80 minutes, leaving us all wondering why there was ever any debate about making him Australia’s first choice number 10.  Israel Folau was immense in this match and showed off his full range of running and attacking skills, while at the same time showing some big improvements in his defensive skills.  Tevita Kuridrani continued to impress and is a serious threat to any defence in world rugby and one France will need to work hard to contain this weekend.  Michael Hooper, although his usual argumentative self, was outstanding and continued to put in a 110 percent effort for the full 80 minutes.

Welsh scrum half Rhys Webb opened the Welsh account with a superb try that had the Millennium crowd feeling that this could finally be Wales’ day against the Wallabies.  Sam Warburton was inspirational and deserves being singled out as Planet Rugby’s best number six of the weekend.  George North provided the crowd with ample demonstrations of his potential and skill set lining Alex Cuthbert up for another superb Welsh crossing of the Wallaby white line in answer to a superb Folau try set up by Michael Hooper.  As predicted last week the first half of this match provided us with some magic moment tries from both sides.

The second half however was much more a war of attrition for both teams.  Although both sides made some exciting line breaks, it was a much tighter and defensive game as Wales and Australia sought to wear each other down and force mistakes.  In this regard Wales seemed to have the edge over Australia as after multiple resets, ill-discipline by Australia resulted in Wales being awarded a penalty try.  However, the moment Wales has been waiting for so long against Australia was not to be, as Australia’s Bernard Foley calmly took control of Australia’s tactical game and nudged Wales aside as they left him uncovered in front of the Welsh goal allowing him to take a drop goal.  Ill-discipline from a Welsh side looking dead on their feet at the end cost them the penalty efficiently taken by Foley who was flawless with the boot all match, and Wales had too much to do with too little time to deny Australia the win.

It was close, it was exciting but sadly just not enough once more for Wales against their World Cup Pool opponents next year.  Wales played well but Australia ultimately were better at going the distance.  If Wales can take this performance and build on it going up against the All Blacks then expect next year’s repeat of this fixture at the World Cup to be close – very close.  Australia under new management will be confident going up against a French team this weekend that has talent but lacks structure, and relish some excellent preparation for two tough challenges from Ireland and England.

England vs New Zealand
Final Score – NZ 24/Eng 21
Twickenham

The big fixture of the weekend provided much of the spectacle predicted, although the second half of the match was sadly marred by atrocious weather which New Zealand were more effective at mastering.

England started the match with flying colors with a spectacular individual try from Johnny May which showed that England has plenty of attacking power and line speed in the backline.  May kept this level of performance up throughout the match and was constantly looking for gaps and opportunities in New Zealand’s defense.  In the battle of the fullbacks, Mike Brown seemed slightly off form and was not as impressive as his All Black counterpart Israel Dagg.  However, New Zealand showed that they were more than capable of soaking up England’s continuous pressure despite a rapturous  and deafening Twickenham crowd.  On that note I must say that the English crowd did not do themselves any favours throughout this match, and we were forced to bear witness to one of the most loutish spectacles of crowd behaviour I have seen in a long time in International Rugby.  It was unsportsmanlike and showed the English public as being arrogant and very poor losers.   The deafening booing of New Zealand Captain Richie McCaw at his post-match interview was shameful.  England need to actually become the team their misguided fans so obviously believe they already are first, and such fan behaviour will not help England’s cause and it was clear that it was an embarrassment to the English players at times.

In the first half, England could feel proud of their performance they matched up to New Zealand in every facet of the game and at half time England were deservedly in front against a slightly off color All Black side.  However, the second half was a completely different game in which New Zealand showed how they are masters at adapting their game plan to changing conditions, whereas England essentially lost the plot.  There is no doubt that the second half was marred by appalling weather conditions and some bizarre referring by Nigel Owens, who once was one of the best referees in the game in my opinion but in recent times I feel   has become a law unto himself, which had an effect on both teams’ performance.  However, Nigel Owens did give England the upper hand by sin binning Dan Coles for a nasty kick which had been triggered by the equally temperamental Dylan Hartley.  It was here where the difference between the two sides came to the fore.  New Zealand even with a man down completely outplayed England and had them on the back foot for the entire 10 minutes.  At this level of rugby if you cannot capitalise on the other team being a man down, and actually get outplayed by them then the end result is going to be inevitable which England found to their cost.  New Zealand got ahead on the score line and kept England pinned in their own half.  Instead of looking like a fifteen man team, England looked nervous and disorganised against a relentless and clinical New Zealand.

A game that should have been England’s ultimately slipped away, and that has been the standard headline for all of England’s meetings with New Zealand in the last year.  There was much to take heart from in England’s performance but as I said last week,  New Zealand are very much the finished product while England still looks far too experimental.  With a huge game ahead of them against a wounded Springbok side with everything to prove, it is not going to get any easier for England.   As next year’s World Cup looms on the horizon, if England want to lift the Webb Ellis trophy in their own backyard, the time is running out to find solutions.  If they don’t put in a convincing performance against South Africa this weekend, then I question how much home advantage next year’s World Cup really will be for England.  We continue to wait and see!

Ireland vs South Africa
Final Score – Ire 29/SA 15
Dublin

This ultimately was THE fixture of the weekend, particularly in terms of us understanding where the Northern Hemisphere is in relation the Southern Hemisphere.  As the second best team in the South took on the second best team in the North, rankings were at stake and the world pecking order looked set to be determined.

South Africa came into this game full of promise, fresh off two spectacular wins against Australia and New Zealand.  Ireland as Six Nations champions looked good but riddled with injuries were lacking several key players.  Add to this the fact that this was Ireland’s first outing without the ‘Great One’, Brian O’Driscoll and the bookies were all favouring a comprehensive win by South Africa.  How wrong they were and how delighted Irish fans were to be.

Of all the performances we saw this weekend, there is no question that from a Northern Hemisphere perspective Ireland played the most clinical game and were the team of the weekend.  They outplayed South Africa and played a brilliant tactical game ably marshalled by Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray who is playing out of his skin at the moment.  Ireland did make some mistakes, I thought their lineout was weak at times and their scrum could have been better, but overall this was a huge Irish performance that provided us with a thrilling spectacle and a well-deserved win for the Men in Green.  In short, a great start to Ireland’s season which also showed that despite their injuries Ireland is blessed with some serious depth and has enormous potential.

South Africa on the other hand it must be said played poorly.  In particular, Handre Pollard, Francois Hougaard and Willie le Roux around whom South Africa build much of their game did not play well.  Le Roux’s passing and handling skills were well below form, Pollard was effectively kicked into corners by Sexton and had a woeful kicking game while Hougaard had a shocker of a game.  I have always said that Hougaard is a very poor choice as South Africa’s first line scrum half and this was borne out in his performance in this match.  Admittedly he was put under enormous pressure from Ireland at the breakdown who were all over their South African counterparts in ferocious numbers.  You could see that such intense pressure from Ireland knocked the confidence out of both Pollard and Hougaard causing them to make far too many errors reminiscent of a school playing field than an International Test Match.

Ireland effectively silenced Habana and Hendricks on the wing, providing them none of the room and space they are accustomed to working with.  South Africa’s bizarre decision making to not take points on offer and instead to kick for touch, smacked almost of arrogance but more of foolishness when looking at how rock solid and well organized Ireland’s defence was proving to be.

Every single Irish player stood up and was counted, and what was encouraging was Rhys Ruddock in his first cap for Ireland crossing the Springbok white line in a brilliantly executed try.  For any rugby fan watching Conor Murray surgically kick to the touch line to find a waiting Tommy Bowe to then race over for Ireland’s second try was pure magic.  Ireland were brilliant and South Africa simply did not match up to them where it mattered.  If this was Ireland’s second string team, we have much to look forward to once a more full strength side matches up against Australia in a fortnight.

South Africa I am sure will pick themselves up from this and dust themselves off in readiness for their encounter with England this weekend.  There is no question that this was a bad day at the office for one of the world’s top sides.  There was no hesitation from South Africa’s players and management admitting in defeat that they were outplayed by a tactically superior Ireland.  This does not mean that they are down and out though.  This is a good Springbok side which has a strong blend of exciting young talent and experienced old hands.  If they can fix the problems at scrum half which I see as their biggest Achilles heel, then expect them to be a completely different team a week later against England.  They have merely suffered a setback and a prudent England will hopefully realise this in their planning.

Scotland vs Argentina
Final Score – Sco 41/Arg 31
Edinburgh

It would seem that Scottish rugby is finally out of the doldrums – spearheaded by the exceptional Gray brothers and Greg Laidlaw.  Throw in a dash of Vern Cotter Top 14 experience at the coaching level and it would seem that watching rugby north of Hadrian’s Wall may once more be an enjoyable experience.

Many predicted that with Argentina’s consistently improved performances in the recent Rugby Championship the result of this game was a foregone conclusion, particularly given the woes of Scottish rugby in recent years.  However, there were many, myself included, who felt that Glasgow Warriors’ outstanding efforts in European competition so far this year would form the base of a solid Scottish effort that could certainly put the Pumas to the Test.  We were not proved wrong.

Scotland came charging out of the blocks in this match and showed serious intent.  A new coach, some serious new talent and a will to win have finally taken Scotland out of the depths of their recent miseries.  Argentina on the other hand, looked half asleep for much of the match and when they really did start taking the game to Scotland it was too little too late.  They will have to shape up dramatically if they expect to come away with a positive result in Paris.  Argentina seemed to lack confidence and their discipline which had been so impressive in the Rugby Championship was often seriously lacking particularly at scrum time and the breakdowns.  The legendary Pumas scrum was often pushed around by Scotland which was not helped by the departure of Captain Agustin Creevy early on.

Scotland on the other hand were clearly enjoying themselves and played an expansive and exciting brand of rugby which left the Murrayfield faithful dancing in the stands.  While their new found adventurism may need to be tempered when they come up against New Zealand this weekend it was heartening to see this once proud rugby nation seizing every opportunity that came their way.  What particularly impressed me was Scotland’s speed at the breakdown and corresponding quick ball and line speed.  Coach Vern Cotter has obviously studied the Pumas who have been particularly effective at this this year as well as taking notes from Ireland’s skill set in this area.  However, all credit must go to a Scottish team that was well prepared and took their chances well.

The Gray brothers were truly immense in this game and will strike fear into any opposition that has to deal with them.  Richie Gray brings a well-known pedigree to the Scottish forward pack but his younger brother amply showed that he is not just in his brother’s shadow by being first to crash across the white line for Scotland.  Both brothers were tireless and were the backbone of Scotland’s defence and attack, effectively closing out opportunities for Argentina to get good quick front foot ball and helping Scotland push the fabled Argentine scrum around the park.  The halfback pairing of the experienced and exceptionally talented Greg Laidlaw playing as Captain at scrum half, and newcomer Finn Russell at fly half was exceptionally effective in picking open space for Scotland to use and get behind Argentina’s defences, while Scotland’s backline were no slackers either.

Argentina had moments of brilliance and in the last ten minutes of the game seemed to dig deeper and find some of the recent Pumas magic.  Their opening try in the match was also worth noting as they counter-attacked from deep within their own territory.  However, there was no real spark or apparent game plan in Argentina’s performance and they often seemed disorganised and confused in defence.  Perhaps this is a result of not having played together for a few weeks since the intensive time together during the Rugby Championship, and for many of Argentina’s key players having to quickly readjust from hectic club schedules in Europe since the Rugby Championship.  Who knows?  However, by the time they face France I am fairly certain that what we saw against Scotland will be a distant memory.  This is a quality Pumas side that simply needs to find the glue that bonded them all so effectively into a complete team during the Rugby Championship.  I still hold that Argentina will be one of the dark horses of next year’s Rugby World Cup.

Fixtures this weekend

Italy vs Argentina – Genoa

 This fixture has been wisely moved from Saturday to Friday to prevent injury to players as a result of the torrential rains predicted to hit the area on the weekend.

As Italy’s first big match up of the month after an impressive performance against a demoralized Samoa, many people will be interested to see how this season’s version of Italy shapes up against a Puma side still reeling from their defeat to Scotland.

With Italian stalwarts like Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni in the line-up there will be some experienced and stable heads in a team with lots of promising new talent.  However, Italy has had a lacklustre run of it so far this year, with poor performances for the most part, especially in the Six Nations.  Argentina meanwhile will be without Augustin Creevy and instead Tomas Cubelli at scrum half steps into the Captain’s shoes.  Despite the loss to Scotland, Daniel Hourcade has chosen to give some of his less experienced players a chance to shine, which surely must be some indication of the Pumas expectations and confidence going into this match.  Nevertheless there are still enough names in the squad that impressed all and sundry during the recent Rugby Championship to provide Italy with a significant challenge.

Italy has strengths in the scrum and should be able to stand up to the Pumas in the forward battles as long as they can match Argentina’s pace at the breakdown, which with Sergio Parisse in the line there is certainly the potential to do.  The question marks for Italy remain in the mid and back field areas.  Although not playing in the starting fifteen Argentina’s Nicolas Sanchez is on the bench and you can be sure he will be called in as soon as it is felt Italy is winning the midfield battle.  Argentina has more proven class in their centres and backline than Italy and it is here combined with solid forward pressure that Argentina should progressively start to pull away from Italy as the match wears on.  Expect Italy to start fast and full of intent, but ultimately the solid foundation Argentina has built over the last few months, despite the hiccough at Murrayfield should see them come out on top.

South Africa vs England – Twickenham 

This is THE fixture of the weekend.  The stakes here for both sides are huge as they both seek to turn failure into success.  There is no question that England took their narrow loss to the All Blacks hard, while South Africa were left without answers as Ireland left them in the dust in Dublin.  A loss for either of these two teams on Saturday will have catastrophic consequences on morale and confidence.  Therefore we can expect an epic battle as these two teams seek to get their November campaigns back on track.

England have made few changes to a side that narrowly lost to the All Blacks and for the most part the side that stepped up last weekend is the same this weekend.  The major difference being Owen Farrell starting at number ten instead of on the bench and Semesa Rokoduguni starting this match on the bench after his quiet but impressive start against New Zealand last week.

South Africa meanwhile have made some significant changes, mainly to their midfield pairing.  The young but experienced Patrick Lambie replaces Handre Pollard at fly half, although Pollard will be keeping the bench warm.  As impressive as Pollard was in South Africa’s last two games of the Rugby Championship, he lacks the presence of mind and experience under pressure that Lambie is capable of showing.  Lambie’s nerves in South Africa’s final game of the Championship against New Zealand as he slotted a penalty from almost halfway were the stuff of legends, and I think Meyer is making the right call for such a critical game.  Much debate has been rightly centred around South Africa’s key weakness at scrum half.  Hougaard had a woeful game in Dublin, and even though he is more experienced than Cobus Reinaach I still think it is worth the risk of putting Reinach in at number nine.  I have consistently in the last few months voiced my reservations about Hougaard and he has done little on the field to change that opinion.  Reinaach on the other hand has shown some serious speed and solid handling of the ball under pressure as well as having a respectable kicking game that can complement Lambie’s skills in this area.  If given the right opportunity to develop his skill set in big games like this I certainly think he is more than capable of delivering when it matters in a year’s time at the World Cup.

I have reservations about Meyer selecting JP Pietersen over Cornal Hendricks at 14, despite the value added of Pietersen’s physicality in the match against Ireland and his resulting try when he came off the bench.  It was not that Hendricks played badly last weekend, it was just that Ireland were devastatingly effective in shutting him down.  Hendricks will start this game on the bench and it will be interesting to see when and under what circumstances Meyer will choose to use him.  Also of note Mohoje will start the match on the bench while Schalk Burger gets the start at flanker.  Although Mohoje is an impressive stock for the future, Burger is playing some of the best rugby of his life at the moment after a few cold years and his experience will help add some stability to the Springbok pack as they face a solid English challenge.

Discipline for both sides will be key as well as hanging on to good possession and resisting the temptation to kick needlessly.  If frustration sets in expect to see plenty of yellow cards with the likes of Dylan Hartley leading the charge.  If this does happen then expect to see both sides trading penalty kicks to determine the winner of the match. Should this be the case my money is on Patrick Lambie rather than Owen Farrell to carry the day and the Springboks walk away the winners.  Either way we are in for a really close and fascinating encounter. 

Scotland vs New Zealand – Edinburgh

Let’s be honest, as heartening as it was to see Scotland raise their game against Argentina after so long in the wilderness, this is a tall ask.  Expect a solid and spirited challenge from Scotland which will make the All Blacks work hard.  However despite all Scotland’s considerable talent, it is unlikely they will be able to contend with the powerhouse of the All Blacks.  I hope to be able to eat my hat, and we see an upset of the year take place but I somehow doubt it.

Although New Zealand have chosen to rest some of their big guns for this match and preserve them for the match against Wales, there is so much depth in New Zealand that even their C team could be any other country’s A team.

Scotland will take the game to New Zealand and expect the dynamic Gray brothers to be at the forefront of a stiff Scottish challenge.  However, this new and exciting looking Scottish side has yet to face the kind of pressure that the All Blacks can put on teams.  Expect a tight and gritty first half, but I am fairly sure we will see New Zealand pull effortlessly away in the second half.  It won’t be a whitewash or a thrashing but anything less than a comfortable win for New Zealand is unlikely. 

France vs Australia – Paris

The question on everyone’s lips for this game is which French team will turn up?  We have a pretty good idea by now of what we can expect from Australia, but what does France have to match it?  France’s outing last weekend against Fiji showed some promise, but at the same time against a weak opposition France still looked shaky and at times did not control the game as one would expect them to do.  Against Australia this will be a concern.  Australia were challenged by Wales last weekend, make no mistake but they ultimately were able to do what was necessary to win against a strong Welsh team.

France has definite potential in key areas.  Scott Spedding was impressive at fullback especially when teamed up with rising star Teddy Thomas on the wing.  Camille Lopez as he has so far this season in Europe was consistent at fly half and played well with the boot.  However, their forward pack for me has too many questions around it.  With Toulon’s Maxime Mermoz and Mathieu Bastareaud on the bench further devastating firepower is available in midfield should Coach Saint-Andre choose to use it.  This match sees the return of the always impressive Thierry Dusatoir who although slightly off form always has the ability to raise his game when big occasions demand it.

Australia meanwhile have a solid side that is essentially unchanged from that which ultimately put Wales to the sword last weekend.  While it is unlikely they will underestimate the difficulty of playing France at home, it has to be said their track record against Les Bleus this year after a convincing 3 match series win in Australia in June will surely leave them feeling anxious but confident about what they will be up against in Paris on Saturday.  Barring a French Renaissance, I think it is safe to expect to see Australia get past a still experimental French side and use this to prepare for the serious challenges that lie in store for them with Ireland and England.

The Northern Hemisphere prepares for their annual wake up call from the Southern Hemisphere!

November Internationals – Europe

It’s an exciting weekend ahead for Test Rugby as the November Internationals get into full swing with four great encounters to get us started this Saturday:

Wales vs Australia – Cardiff
England vs New Zealand – Twickenham
Ireland vs South Africa – Dublin
Scotland vs Argentina – Edinburgh

Expect full throttle contests in all four matches as with a year to go before the World Cup, the next month will provide a fascinating insight into what to watch for in next year’s global showdown.

Wales vs Australia
Saturday, November 8th
Cardiff

As Australia start with their third coach, Michael Cheika in the space of a year, all eyes are on the Wallabies to see if the change in coaching management will finally bring a sense of stability to an Australian side bursting at the seams with potential and thus allow them to really shine. There have been numerous articles written about the “problem attitude” in the Wallaby camp and a clash between players’ egos and management and so it will be interesting to see if Cheika’s tenure will be able to gel a talented Wallaby side and allow them to play as the world class fifteen we all know they are capable of being.

Wales on the other hand, are desperate for a win against Australia and a vocal Millennium stadium crowd will expect nothing less. Wales have walked away winless from their last ten encounters with the Wallabies.  Coach Warren Gatland will be keen to show that much like Australia, the off-field dramas surrounding Welsh rugby in the past year have not compromised Wales’ ability to field a world class side capable of lifting the trophy at next year’s World Cup.  The roller coaster fortunes of Wales in the last few years have been frustrating for Welsh supporters – Grand Slam winners in the Six Nations one year only to battle it out for the wooden spoon the following year.  When Wales dig deep and play well they are exceptional, the problem is they have become like the French – you never know which Welsh team you are going to get on any given day.

Wales should be able to match Australia up front; the question marks will arise around the battles in the midfield and backline. Although Wales has some world class players in these areas, with the exceptional Leigh Halfpenny set to match up against the danger man of Israel Folau from Australia, I can’t help feeling that Australia has the edge here.  As mentioned above, one of the key battles here will be Halfpenny versus Folau, and I personally feel that the Welsh fullback has a better tactical game than his Australian counterpart.  However, although Wales have quality players from 9 to 14, I ultimately think Australia’s powerhouse in this area will ultimately win them the game.  The phenomenal Tevita Kuridrani alone should cause Wales all kinds of problems in defence and Australia have serious quality at centre and on the wings that I feel will ultimately outclass Wales as the game progresses.

Both teams will go into this with everything to prove and expect no quarters to be given, especially as this will be a dress rehearsal for their pool game in next year’s World Cup. Despite Wales having plenty of quality, I can’t help feeling that Australia ultimately has greater depth and will start to pull away from Wales in the last quarter.  The Millennium Stadium crowd will definitely be a strong 16th man but it remains to be seen whether this will provide Wales with sufficient momentum and motivation to see them squeak past Australia for the full 80 minutes.  Therefore, I predict a tight, physical defensive game with Australia eventually figuring out the key strike areas to break through and ultimately walk away with the win.  Despite the physical and defensive nature of the game expect to see one or two magic moment tries from both sides.  Either way I think we are in for a thrilling opener to the November Internationals.

England vs New Zealand
Saturday, November 8th
Twickenham

No question that this is the most eagerly anticipated game of the weekend. The Northern Hemisphere’s heavyweight meets the best team in World Rugby.  Despite many thinking that England have the potential to knock the All Blacks off their pedestal especially after New Zealand’s loss in the final game of the Rugby Championship to South Africa, I for one don’t see it happening.  Having watched English teams’ opening salvoes in the European Championship I didn’t see anything that could match up to the depth and quality the All Blacks have on their books at the moment.  England will have everything to play for especially as many feel this could be a dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup final at Twickenham and a good showing with a year to go will give them enormous confidence.  However, the All Blacks have been playing together as a unit now for the last six months and this time together and consistent track record will simply be too much for a still slightly experimental England.

New Zealand are unquestionably the finished product while England are still putting the last touches on the squad they will take to next year’s World Cup. Furthermore New Zealand have tried and tested depth of at least two players in every position on the field whereas the same cannot be said of England injuries withstanding.

Nevertheless, this match will offer plenty of excitement and there is no question that England will throw everything they have in their playbook against the All Blacks for the full 80 minutes. It is going to be close but I can’t help feeling that New Zealand will eventually pull away the winners especially in the last quarter.  One thing we have seen this year is New Zealand’s remarkable ability to learn from their mistakes while playing a match and quickly adapt and rectify the situation before the final whistle.  No other team in world rugby has the ability to do this consistently week in and week out.  England may during the course of the half time beak be able to adjust their playing style to address any weakness or errors they may have encountered in the first half, but watch New Zealand then get the measure of this with 20 minutes to go and pull away leaving England once more scratching their heads.  England is a good team, but New Zealand have shown us at the moment they are in a league of their own.  With a year to go before the World Cup, England will relish the opportunity of taking on the world’s best and use the next 12 months to figure out what they have to do to win the most important match of their careers against the All Blacks just once in 2015, but it won’t happen this year.  Either way, this Saturday’s contest at Twickenham will provide plenty of spectacle and showpiece the best our glorious game has to offer to the world.  Enjoy!

Ireland vs South Africa
Saturday, November 8th
Dublin

This is unquestionably the other big fixture of the weekend. Ireland as reigning Six Nations champions up against the second best team in the world.  This is a Springbok side that is growing in confidence after their last two games of this year’s Rugby Championship which saw them demolish Australia and finally break the All Blacks’ winning streak.

For Ireland there are simply too many question marks around their squad to be able to predict anything other than a win for the Springboks. There is no doubt that Ireland boast a strong side that like the Springboks has an exciting mix of youth and experience.  However this is not the Irish team that almost took down the All Blacks last November and went on to lift the Six Nations trophy.  The biggest question on everyone’s lips is how will Ireland play without the legendary figure of Brian O’Driscoll?  Furthermore add to this an injury list from hell that sees Ireland without the wrecking ball form of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Sean O’Brien. I don’t think anyone expects a miracle against a Springbok side that is finally starting to look like a complete outfit and one that can take the All Blacks on at their own game.

Joe Schmidt has proven himself to be a superb coach and is doing excellent work in preparing the Men in Green for next year’s World Cup, but Ireland’s first game of the season against the current powerhouse form of the Springboks is a tall ask. The untried centre pairing of Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw, while boasting plenty of promise for the future is unlikely to click as smoothly as the tried and trusted combination of youth and experience in South Africa’s Jean de Villiers and Jan Serfontein.   While impressive,  I can’t see Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo outclassing the legendary Bryan Habana and as far as I am concerned the winger of the year Cornal Hendricks.  The battle between Rob Kearney and Willie le Roux at fullback will be a fascinating contrast of styles as two of the world’s best number 15s go head to head.  Johnny Sexton’s experience at number ten will be something that Ireland will be banking on provided he can keep his head in such a high pressure game and he may just have the edge over the extremely impressive Handre Pollard who really came into his own in the Springboks last two games against Australia and New Zealand.  Pollard is better with ball in hand but Sexton has a better tactical vision of the game, though Pollard is catching up fast.

The one area where Ireland will definitely have the edge over South Africa is at scrum half. There is no question that Conor Murray is a contender for the world’s best number nine along with New Zealand’s Aaron Smith.  His physicality and eye for how play is unfolding is on a par with his New Zealand counterpart and in my opinion far superior to that of South Africa’s Francois Hougaard.  Hougaard is no slacker but not the finished product that his Irish counterpart has proven himself to be.

Up front, Ireland has some definite strengths and the lineout battles between the talismanic figures of Paul O’Connell and Victor Matfield will be the stuff of legends while Devin Toner versus Eben Etzebeth will provide another thrilling contest. Meanwhile the spectacular Duane Vermuelen will battle it out at number eight with the always reliable form of Ireland’s workhorse captain Jamie Heaslip.  Add  Peter O’Mahony and Jack McGrath to Ireland’s forward mix and despite the absence of Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien and Rory Best, this Irish forward pack is not to be taken lightly.

So the question remains can a new look Irish team go the distance against a proven Springbok side bursting at the seams with confidence and talent? Even though I will wear my heart on my sleeve and admit that I am a hard core Irish supporter, I can’t see the Men in Green getting past the Springboks on their first outing of a new season.  The only thing that could sway things in Ireland’s favour is that South Africa have yet to prove that they can be a world class side away from home this year.  Add to this the fact that wet and windy conditions caused the Springboks to come rather unstuck tactically on several occasions this year and there is a very remote outside chance that Ireland could end up putting in a performance on par with that against the All Blacks last November.  However, I can’t help feeling that Heineke Meyer and the Springboks have learnt too many painful lessons this year to fall into such traps again, therefore a thrilling contest awaits us but ultimately one that will benefit South Africa on the day.  What Irish fans can hope for is that their team goes the distance with the Springboks for the full 80 minutes and can take this into a winning performance against Australia in a fortnight’s time.

Scotland vs Argentina
Saturday, November 8th
Edinburgh

If you are a Pumas or Scottish supporter there is much too look forward to in this fixture. Scotland have shown enormous promise at a European level so far this season as Glasgow Warriors have produced some spectacular performances in the Pro 12 and European Champions Cup tournaments.  Scotland has talent and with a new coach who can hopefully get the most out of his players, Scotland’s time at the bottom of the European rugby tank is rapidly coming to an end.  Meanwhile Argentina arrive at Murrayfield having shown the world during the recent Rugby Championship that they are one of the world’s most improved sides and are on the verge of great things to come – in short the perfect place to be in your preparation for a World Cup with a year to go.

There is no question that Argentina at the moment have a world class side capable of upsetting anyone, and as a result Scotland will need to dig deep to get past this South American powerhouse. Argentina really have no weaknesses at the moment.  Their forward pack is the stuff of legends, their halfback pairing is solid and Nicolas Sanchez was one of the most outstanding fly halves of the Rugby Championship this year.  Add to this an electric backline boasting the talents of Juan Hernandez, Marcelo Bosch,  Joaquin Tuculet and Juan Imhoff and you realize that Argentina has a complete team with a solid bench to back them up.  Even without the inspirational figure of Juan Martin Hernandez Lobbe barking at the back of the scrum, Augustin Creevy’s solid leadership and quiet confidence will provide strength and composure to Argentina’s efforts.  Argentina have at last proved that they can play for the full eighty minutes as well as showing they are masters of all types of weather conditions, and thus the omens look good for them at Murrayfield this weekend.

Scotland however can go into this game with confidence, despite some gaps in experience when matched up against their South American counterparts. New Scottish coach Vern Cotter brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at Clermont and understands how to develop winning ways in a team.  The Scottish line up for Saturday boasts a healthy presence of Glasgow Warriors players especially in the backline.  In the forwards, one of the world’s best when he is in form is represented by the towering form of Richie Gray.  If Scotland rise to the support of a vocal home crowd and weather the onslaught of relentless Argentine pressure at the breakdown they could pull off an upset.  However, as much as I think we all want to see Scotland lift themselves out of the drudgery of their last few years, I can’t help feeling that up against an extremely impressive and highly motivated Pumas squad it may be too much to ask.  Daniel Hourcade has done a fantastic job with the Pumas in the last six months and they are definitely showing signs of being the giant slayers they were at the 2007 World Cup.  As a result in a potentially thrilling match with lots to look forward to for both sides, I predict Argentina ultimately will edge out Scotland in a gritty and hard fought contest.

Plenty of French Flair but how much of it is homebrew?

European Champions Cup

As mentioned last week, this week we will be looking at the top three French sides performances in the second round of the European Champions Cup and see how this might have a bearing on the French squad selection for the forthcoming November series of Tests against the Southern Hemisphere nations. Looking at French performances in this tournament is always problematic as although French teams often do well, there is the question of how much actual homegrown talent is responsible for this success as opposed to the star studded international composition of their teams.  The French club teams have seemingly limitless budgets which accounts for many of their top teams having in some cases as much as 60% of their squads being made up of non-French based players.

Ulster vs Toulon
Final Score – Toulon 23 – Ulster 13

Of the three fixtures we are looking at, this by far was the most entertaining. Ulster at home came out guns blazing but the international star studded Toulon were simply too good in the end despite a highly spirited comeback from Ulster in the second half that almost could have seen them pull off a draw.

As an outside observer, I almost felt that Ulster were the better side, and for much of the game thought they played a much more entertaining game. Toulon however when they played well were outstanding and did enough ultimately to get past a highly motivated Ulster.  The two key French performances by Toulon for me were the remarkable figure of Mathieu Bastareaud and Maxime Mermoz teaming up in centre field.  If French coach Philippe Saint-Andre is looking for a stellar centre pairing then this could be something to work with especially as these two play together week in week out.

Although an entertaining game and definitely the best of the three fixtures we looked at this weekend, as the French coaching staff pore over the stats of who to pick for November, other than an obvious centre pairing there is very little to work with from this match.

Clermont Auvergne vs Sale Sharks
Final Score – Clermont Auvergne 35 – Sale Sharks 3

 Some great enterprising rugby from Clermont which totally eclipsed that offered by Sale characterised this match, and if I was Philippe Saint-Andre I would feel secure in the knowledge that France has a first class fly half in the form of Camille Lopez. Furthermore, Clermont’s forward pack boasts plenty of homegrown talent and these gentlemen will certainly be up for consideration after they made short work of Sale Sharks.  Lastly, the always reliable Aurelien Rougerie added plenty of firepower to an already formidable backline once he came off the bench.

Clermont boasts some impressive international talent, but there is no doubt that much of the groundwork for this victory was founded on genuine French flair and old fashioned grit. Sale seemed to flounder for much of the second half of the match and once again this surely gives cause for concern for Stuart Lancaster as English teams struggle to face up to international opposition.

Montpellier vs Glasgow
Final Score – Glasgow 15 – Montpellier 13

This game was all about the continuing stellar rise of Glasgow through the European ranks, and how much good news this has for Scotland’s chances this November. Meanwhile another French team comprised largely of foreign based players, leaves French coaching staff with limited options of who to pick for November.

Apart from some questionable refereeing decisions which some may rightly argue could have denied Glasgow the penalty that ultimately won them the match, Glasgow did match Montpellier, particularly up front for the full 80 minutes. Montpellier were the only side to cross the white line and score a try, but Glasgow played a gritty and determined game which ultimately saw them emerge the victors, refereeing decisions aside.  Montpellier’s forward pack had to work hard in trying to crack open Glasgow’s outstanding defence, and from a French perspective, Kelian Galletier at lock was particularly impressive and no doubt will be considered for selection in November by Saint-Andre and company.

So in short, from three matches I came away having few French names stand out as possible selections for Les Bleus in November, from France’s three best sides. There is still the powerhouse of Toulouse who have struggled for the first few months of France’s domestic season but are now starting to fire.  However, with the animosity felt by many French players towards Saint-Andre’s coaching style and team management, selection for France this November will be a challenging endeavour.

England where art thou?

European Champions Cup

 As mentioned last week, this week we will be looking at the top three English sides performances in the opening round of the European Champions Cup and see how this might have a bearing on the England squad selection for the forthcoming November series of Tests against the Southern Hemisphere nations. Based on the performances of these three teams, with the exception of Saracens, if I was Stuart Lancaster I would be scratching my head at selection time, especially as for the most part English teams did not do particularly well in this opening round.

Saracens vs Clermont Auvergne
Final Score – Saracens 30 – Clermont Auvergne 23

Of the three fixtures we are looking at, this by far was the most entertaining as an evenly matched contest. The second best team in England versus the best team in France.  No prisoners taken and a contest from start to finish which showed some real pedigree in European rugby.

Both sides played well and provided us with plenty of attacking rugby, with tries aplenty but of the two sides Saracens played the more tactically astute game coupled with a rock solid defence. Chris Ashton and particularly David Strettle, who I was very surprised to see not get called for the England training squad for the November internationals, both had terrific games and were superb at finding gaps in Clermont’s defence.

Clermont had arguably more of the possession and at times were certainly the more adventurous of the two sides, but Saracens were particularly effective at closing them out wide on defence where French teams are always so dangerous. Charlie Hodgson matched his French counterpart in the kicking game at number ten, but both sides made good use of the boot and refrained from aerial ping pong matches.

It was fast flowing, exciting rugby and a good showpiece for the European game as well as showing that England has quality players capable of standing up to the Southern Hemisphere challenges heading their way next month.

Glasgow vs Bath
Final Score – Glasgow 37 – Bath 10

This fixture was entertaining especially if you were a Glasgow supporter. However England’s third best team quite frankly looked shambolic as a rampant Glasgow tore them to pieces.  If Bath represents some of England’s best attacking rugby going into November, then surely the Southern Hemisphere sides must be feeling pretty relaxed.  Glasgow were good, but not amazing and there was plenty of loose and unsupported ball there for the taking by Bath, but which they seemed unable to capitalise on.  Add to that a series of schoolboy handling errors on a glorious sunny afternoon in Glasgow, and English supporters must surely have been left scratching their heads.

Bath had flashes of brilliance particularly in the towering form of Semesa Rokoduguni, but to be honest that was about it. Glasgow had all the flair and panache and shored it all up with solid defence.  Glasgow obviously studied Bath’s strengths and recognised that denying the likes of Rokoduguni and company possession would effectively leave Bath bereft of ideas.  Glasgow then proved to be the more adventurous of the two sides and despite some highly risky passes that against a more coherent opposition would have led to several interceptions and possible tries, they used their momentum to comfortably wear down Bath and walk away the convincing winners.

In short any players Stuart Lancaster takes from Bath, will need to figure out how to play in a very different team setup and do it quickly, and also learn some important defensive skills, which from what was on display on Saturday, were essentially nonexistent.

Racing Metro 92 vs Northampton
Final Score – Racing Metro 92 20 – Northampton 11

It is always hard to judge French club teams as such a high percentage of their squads are made up of foreign players. Nevertheless, there is a strong underlying French presence and famous French flair in all their teams and this was certainly the case in this contest.  Northampton on the other hand, supposedly the best club side in English rugby had absolutely no flair whatsoever and epitomised the rather drudge like defensive game that English rugby is so often criticised for.  Stuart Lancaster has drawn a large part of his training squad from Northampton and from what I saw, I think it is a decision he may live to regret.

To say that Northampton were unimaginative when compared to their French opponents last Saturday would be being polite. In short there was no attacking game, a fairly woeful kicking game and a defence that although effective at times relied more on Racing Metro making mistakes and resulting penalties than actually getting good go forward ball.  In short, not much to get excited about from an England perspective.  If this is top class English rugby at its best then the tourists from the Southern Hemisphere in November will be licking their lips.

The only thing that could be said about this match that may have prevented both teams from playing to their full potential could have been the officiating which was again a problem in the form of Ireland’s George Clancy. Once again Clancy was highly inconsistent in his calls particularly at scrum time.  One could sense the player’s frustration and there is no doubt that this would have affected both teams.  Still despite there being no excuse for it and hopefully something which will be addressed by the IRB soon, Northampton still could have played far better and with more skill than they did.  Let’s hope for England’s sake next month that George Clancy is not officiating any of their games and that the players selected for England from Northampton spend the next two weeks watching all of this year’s Rugby Championship matches to figure out how the game should be played.

Fixtures this weekend

This weekend we will be looking at the top three French teams performances in the second round of the European Champions Cup; Clermont-Auvergne, Toulon and Montpelier. As result the games we’ll look at are:

Ulster vs Toulon

Clermont Auvergne vs Sale Sharks

Montpelier vs Glasgow

Wallabies have another hard lesson at the All Blacks Finishing School

Bledisloe Cup 3

Australia vs New Zealand
Final Score – NZ 29/Aus 28
Brisbane

One thing this match was not was a dead rubber match. Despite the media circus surrounding the Wallaby camp, Australia came into this game guns blazing.  For three quarters of the game they outplayed a competitive but slightly under par All Black side.  Nevertheless as I have stressed in this blog for the last two months, modern day International Test Rugby is actually a game of 81 minutes.  The team that can play to the hooter and then still have something in the tank for the last dying seconds of injury time will win matches at this level.  As we have seen since last year, whatever their critics may say about their performance on any given day, the All Blacks have consistently proved that they are the master of this.  If they are within a converted try of winning a match with 90 seconds to go before full time, then if you are putting money on it, you could confidently wager they’ll win the match.

Australia failed to recognise this and New Zealand reaped the rewards. At one point, with minutes left on the clock the ball went to ground in All Black possession and there was little support for the men in black.  I was amazed to see Australia almost standing back and not contest a ball there for the taking.  Their attitude seemed to say “the job’s done lads”.  How wrong they were!  New Zealand managed to hang on to the ball, Malakai Fekitoa graced us with another Jonah Lomu impression and the rest was history.  The Wallabies learnt another painful lesson at the All Blacks finishing school.

Despite Australia for all intents and purposes throwing a game they should have won, Wallaby fans can take heart in a greatly improved Australian performance. Granted the All Blacks did not play with the intensity in this match that we have seen them capable of –  but they provided that intensity when it was most needed.  Nevertheless, for much of the game Australia were the dominant side.  Their forward pack were impressive and the backs were allowed to shine.  As argumentative and often disrespectful of the referee as he is at times, Michael Hooper’s work rate was once again phenomenal giving Richie McCaw more than a run for his money.  On the wing, it was obvious to see why Adam Ashley-Cooper has played a 100 tests for his country and it was good to see his efforts rewarded with an impressive try.  Israel Folau played a mostly solid defensive game and was fantastic to watch in full flight with ball in hand.  Tevita Kuridrani was once again superlative on attack and proved to be a constant dilemma for New Zealand’s defences.  I was also impressed with the foraging skills of Scott Fardy who I personally think is one of Australia’s most underrated players and I hope to see him getting consistent game time in November in preparation for next year’s World Cup.

In short we saw an Australia team chock full of talent but just lacking that final killer blow to finish off the big international teams. However, the overall level of skill displayed by Australia was heartening to watch.  If they can find those finishing skills then this is a team more than capable of lifting the Webb Ellis trophy next year.  So as the All Black juggernaut arrives in Europe next month, the Northern Hemisphere is painfully aware it will be a long month as Australia, South Africa and the dramatically improved Argentina also all come knocking on their doors determined to take no prisoners and answer the question of which Hemisphere has the most dominant brand of rugby.

European Champions Cup – The Old Heineken Cup gets a new lease of life!

European Champions Cup

Although the purpose of The Lineout is to focus on International Test Rugby, there are two annual competitions that set the tone for the composition and selection of national squads for International Test Rugby. In the Southern Hemisphere it is Super Rugby, comprising 15 of the best club sides from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  In the Northern Hemisphere it is the European Champions Cup, which used to be called the Heineken Cup, and comprises the best club teams from England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.

The European Champions Cup gets underway this weekend and will run over six weekends of pool games and then a series of knockout stages from now until May. As much as I would like to, as I am a one man band at the moment, I cannot watch ten games of rugby each weekend the Champions Cup is being played.   Instead, each weekend I will focus on the matches played by the top three clubs in a particular country.  So this weekend we will focus on three English Clubs – Northampton, Saracens and Bath to try and get an idea of how these teams performance will reflect England`s selection for the Autumn Internationals in November as well as the Six Nations in February/March.  Next weekend we will look at the three top French clubs and ultimately work our way through to Italy by the end of the Championship.  Obviously as Wales only has two teams in the Champions Cup and Scotland and Italy one each, then coverage of those weekends will not be as comprehensive as when we cover England, France and Ireland who all have at least three teams competing.  Once the tournament gets to the knockout stages in April and May I will cover all these games leading up to the final in May.

So this weekend, the fixtures I will be covering in this tournament are:

Saracens vs Clermont Auvergne

Glasgow vs Bath

Racing Metro 92 vs Northampton

Obviously as these English clubs are playing French and Scottish teams these fixtures will also provide us with an initial insight into how preparations for France and Scotland`s Autumn International Tests are shaping up and players we can watch for. In addition, for our Canadian audience many of these teams have a smattering of Canadian players who are gaining valuable big match experience at the top tier of European rugby and it will be interesting to see how they perform and what such experience may ultimately lend to Canada`s preparations for next year`s World Cup.

Australia and New Zealand – unfinished business!

Bledisloe Cup 3
Australia vs New Zealand – Brisbane
Saturday, October 18

You could be forgiven for thinking that this is potentially a dead rubber match. The Rugby Championship is well and truly dusted with New Zealand deserved champions.  Australia has emerged from the whole process in tatters surrounded by various off field media circuses.

Any match at this level between two top class international sides with a year to go before the World Cup is still a bonus for the teams involved, and ahead of a tough month in Europe for both New Zealand and Australia, this match will be useful preparation. The All Blacks will endeavour to get the second win over the Wallabies that they were unable to do in the opening match of the Rugby Championship in Sydney in August and thus erase the temporary blip of that match’s draw which denied them the Bledisloe Cup.  The Wallabies on the other hand have everything to prove and everything to lose at the same time.  The Australian public is seriously disenchanted with the team and its management and see the inevitable downward slide of the Wallabies first seen under Robbie Deans’ tenure and which Ewen McKenzie was supposed to fix.  The off field media shenanigans are more reality TV than rugby and are seriously detracting from the business at hand – being one of the best international teams in world rugby.

Therefore one of two things will happen in Brisbane. The game will be poorly attended and a discordant and fractious Wallaby side will be made whipping boys by the All Blacks who no doubt are licking their lips at the potential score line.  The second scenario is that a wounded Wallaby is a dangerous animal and the Australian public will rally to their team’s defence in these dark times, and as a result caution will be thrown to the wind as a team with everything to prove throws themselves into this fixture with an almost religious fanaticism that will not tolerate or concede defeat.

In my humble opinion, I can’t help feeling the former scenario may take precedence unless for some bizarre reason the All Blacks decide to take their foot off the gas for this match and try and avoid unnecessary injury ahead of their European safari in November. However under Steve Hansen’s tenure I very much doubt that New Zealand will treat this as a soft game.  While not having the same stature of rivalry as Springbok/All Black clashes, there is still an important part of All Black psychology that dictates every contest with the Wallabies should emerge in a win for New Zealand.  The All Blacks regard themselves as THE Representative of South Pacific Rugby and will brook no contenders.  Furthermore the sight of the All Blacks lifting yet another piece of silverware is something their fans will demand.

Therefore expect a game which will be played at full intensity by both sides irrespective of the implications of the game in world standings. A win for Australia will boost their confidence as they board the plane to Europe and silence their critics and tone down the media circus surrounding the side. This will allow them to once more focus on the job at hand – preparation for next year’s World Cup and a punishing tour of Europe next month.  For New Zealand anything less than an outright and convincing win is unacceptable and this game will be seen as a further example of the All Blacks’ world dominance.  Of the two sides, I fully expect New Zealand to walk away comfortably with the spoils as much as I would like to see Australia regain the potential we know they are capable of.  Either way this won’t be a dead rubber match and will definitely be worth watching.

Rugby Championship 2014 – Round 6 – Give the people what they want – at last!

Rugby Championship 2014

South Africa vs New Zealand
Final Score – SA 27/NZ 25
Johannesburg

As expected this match proved to be the classic end of tournament showdown between the two best sides in the world that everyone predicted.  No quarter given and none taken as this game went down to the wire for the full 80 minutes and gave the public a breathtaking spectacle of rugby at the highest level.

South Africa came into this game knowing that they had to build on the momentum they achieved last weekend in Cape Town against the Wallabies.  However, the all-conquering All Blacks would be a much harder nut to crack.  South Africa played well last weekend, but they now had to dig deep and find another level if they were to stand any chance.  Clearly the planning in the week leading up to the match seemed to be that unlike against Australia, South Africa would have to establish an early dominant lead forcing the All Blacks to play catch up rugby and hope that if the All Blacks would have to claw a victory at the last minute doing so in the high altitude conditions of Johannesburg would be a bridge too far.  I doubt at sea level the Springboks would have taken this gamble.  Look at Ireland’s dominance by three tries in their match last year in Dublin against New Zealand, only to have New Zealand snatch victory at the last minute.  Nevertheless the altitude in Johannesburg is always going to be a factor.  The Springboks took a calculated risk, and despite a 15 minute lapse of concentration in the second half that almost cost them the game, managed to just hang on and courtesy of Pat Lambie’s remarkable boot snatch the victory that was theirs for the taking.

Firstly I think that I owe two gentlemen in the Springbok camp an apology.  Francois Hougaard and Handre Pollard, especially Handre Pollard – Sir you were utterly outstanding!  Even Heineke Meyer could be in for an apology as he seems well on the way to coming up with the complete Springbok squad and dare I say it – a game plan that works.  Sort out some of those lapses in concentration, physical endurance and conditioning, keep hanging on to the ball and it is all starting to look really good for Mr. Meyer and his charges.  The lesson for South Africa from this narrow but courageous win is here is something to build a base from that works but we are still a ways from the finished product and the full equal of the world’s best team – New Zealand.  Prepare for November’s Tests with that frame of mind and a European autumn could be a very encouraging period for the Springboks as they ready themselves for the global showdown in England next year at the World Cup.

South Africa came storming out of the blocks from the first minute in this match, and showed clearly their intent.  A few initial errors in handling were quickly ironed out and Francois Hougaard went on to score a try that started deep in South Africa’s 22 that showed the world that South Africa know how to run the ball and keep possession and have a backline that deserves respect.  Once again it was that man Cornal Hendricks who showed us some blistering pace and dazzling footwork before making a brilliant offload to the equally impressive Jan Serfontein who in turn found Hougaard exactly where he needed him to be to power past a flat footed All Black defense.  As I say Hendricks for me has been one of the revelations of the tournament and I am really looking forward to watching him in Europe in November – definitely one of the Autumn’s danger men from the Southern Hemisphere.

The next to show off his armory of exceptional skills was Handre Pollard as he effortlessly appeared at Byran Habana’s side as the winger made a superb break.  Pollard then demonstrated that slalom skiing skills now have a place in international rugby as he magically weaved his way around three All Black defenders to cross the white line.  By now the sound at Ellis Park could probably be heard on the moon as the Springbok faithful were having the party they had been promised for so long.

However, New Zealand are never left speechless for too long and soon pounced back with Savea and Fekitoa showing a terrific interlinking of the two wings as the latter stormed his way across the Springbok line after a superb chip and gather and resulting offload from Savea.  Fekitoa is rapidly proving to be a pocket Jonah Lomu as once off and running he is almost impossible to bring down leaving scores of flailing defenders on the touchlines clutching at thin air.

South Africa were to comprehensively seal the first half in their favor as Handre Pollard continued to play the game of his life so early in his young career as the fly half evaded the clutches of the legendary Richie McCaw after seeing a glimmer of space and securing South Africa’s third try.

The facial expressions on players at half time said it all, the Boks looked as though they were on the verge of something big but Meyer managed to maintain a remarkable sense of composure in the dressing room and as mentioned above for once almost looked calm.  I am sure that this had a beneficial effect on his charges as for the next 40 minutes they maintained their composure for the most part and continued to deny New Zealand possession while at the same time being careful not to make careless and reckless decisions.  The goal here was to win and not attempt to make history and thrash the All Blacks.

South Africa started the second half with a flourish and quick thinking by Conrad Smith denied Jean de Villiers an almost certain try by mere fingertips.  This piece of brinkmanship heroics seemed to galvanize the All Blacks into action and for the next fifteen minutes they sought to expose every weakness in an increasingly tired looking Springbok side.  The results then came quickly as Ben Smith split the Springbok defense and the score line gap started to rapidly shrink as Beauden Barrett made sure the GPS in his kicking boot was operating correctly.  With less than ten minutes to go, Dan Coles crashed over the Springbok white line and it was 25-24 for the All Blacks.  The ground became eerily quiet as Springbok supporters had visions of Ireland’s similar loss to the All Blacks last year flashing before their eyes.  Pat Lambie tried an ambitious drop goal but was just wide of the posts.

An exhausting, intense physical encounter finally took its toll on New Zealand in the dying minutes of the game.  Liam Messam, whether willfully or accidentally, made a dubious tackle on Schalk Burger that on the video screen appeared to show Messam clearly in the wrong.  The crowd went quiet as the young Pat Lambie with the weight of the nation on his shoulders stepped up to take an almost impossible kick from 55 metres to seal the game for the Springboks.  The expression on Lambie’s face summed up the Nation’s feeling – JOB DONE!  There is no doubt that Lambie will regard that kick as one of the highlights of his career, and that he could perform as well as he did under that kind of almost superhuman pressure is a true testimony to this young player’s talent.

In short an inspirational performance from a highly charged Springbok side, but one that must serve as the motivation to improve.  As mentioned above, South Africa looked exhausted at times in the second half, in many ways much more so than the All Blacks who should have suffered more at high altitude.  If South Africa want to continuously beat New Zealand then they need to sort out their match fitness especially away from home as they set out on an intensive travel schedule in November.  However, what we witnessed this weekend should give Springbok fans around the world great heart with a year to go before the World Cup.

Argentina vs Australia
Final Score – Arg 21/Aus 17
Mendoza

The result we have all been predicting for the Pumas for so long finally materialised in Mendoza this Saturday.  Yes there was controversy as a result of the shameful laser incident during Bernard Foley’s kick which would have given Australia a temporary lead in the dying minutes of the game, but Argentina nevertheless were ultimately the better side, incidents aside and can feel enormously proud of this victory so long in the making.  As for the laser incident itself, I have two hopes that the Argentinian players and management will release a concerted condemnation of this incident and make clear that such behaviour only tarnishes the reputation of the national side.  Secondly the IRB can easily put a stop to such behaviour by automatically awarding three points to any team whose kicker is the victim of a laser incident.  In so many games which hinge on the outcome of a last minute penalty kick, I would argue that throwing your team’s chances of victory away by boorish spectator behaviour will come to an end quickly if such fans know that it was their actions which lost the game for their team – on emerging from the stadium such fans would need to make sure they had a fast getaway car waiting with engine running in the parking lot in order to avoid being publicly lynched!

Nevertheless this unfortunate incident aside, it doesn’t detract from the fact that Argentina played a tight and well-disciplined game that saw them completely dominate Australia especially at scrum time.  The absence of team talisman Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe seemed to have little effect on the team and if anything they played with a fervour that looked intent on honoring Lobbe’s decision to forego the match to return to France to be reunited with his family for the birth of his son.  Argentina were immense across the park and had done their homework well.  Every player in the squad,bench included,stepped up and played to their full potential and the reward was a well-earned win.  The roar from the crowd each time the mighty Argentinian scrum won the ball off Australia was infectious and was obviously adding that extra bit of impetus to an already fired up Pumas squad.

There is no denying that the first fifteen minutes of the first half did not go well for the Pumas.  As we watched them give away two relatively soft tries, I am sure that most people saw a repeat of Australia’s thrashing of the Pumas in Roasario last year looming once again.  However, the Pumas had a quick team huddle under the goal posts, a quick chat and from there for the rest of the match simply did not look back.

The next hour saw Argentina dominate possession and shut down the impressive Tevita Kuridrani as he made valiant efforts at probing a solid Argentine defence.  Furthermore, the Pumas deftly recognised that as brilliant as he is with ball in hand, Israel Folau is weak in defence and effectively pressured him into making consistently poor decisions, which ensured that Australia were denied any counterattack ability especially in the latter half of the game.  As Argentina gained in confidence Australia looked increasingly bereft of ideas and as result more desperate.  This desperation translated itself into a complete breakdown of Australian discipline, which Argentina took full advantage of through the scrum and the boot of Nicolas Sanchez.  Referee Nigel Owens is for the most part one of the best referees on the International circuit and excels at explaining to players the nature of their offences.  Australia started to wear increasingly on his patience and you could see that towards the end of the game even skipper Michael Hooper gave up on arguing with Owens over the constant blowing of the whistle against Australia as he realized Australia were throwing this game through careless mistakes and lack of focus.

Australia tried to spark on a few occasions and as he did in Cape Town, the impressive Tevita Kuridrani looked dangerous throughout the match, but as the game wore on Argentina became increasingly effective at dealing with this Wallaby threat.  Australia were wrongfully denied three points through the laser incident during Bernard Foley’s penalty kick towards the end of the game.  The debate around this will rage long after this game’s final whistle.  If Foley had successfully got the penalty would the resulting lead have galvanized a weary and ill-disciplined Australian side to up their game and keep the ferocious Pumas final onslaught at bay?  More importantly would the Wallabies then have got that vital third try which is the only way they realistically could have won the game? To be honest I doubt it.  Nevertheless, whatever the result of that kick, Argentina turned up the heat for the last ten minutes to the point that Australia had no answers.  In the end the Pumas emerged victorious through heroic hard work whatever the result of the laser incident.  However you want to interpret it, Argentina won by either one point or four – but the fact of the matter is that they won and won deservedly.

The world now awaits a fired up and hugely improved Pumas side as they travel to Europe in November.  With many of their key players now earning their stripes on a weekly basis on the ferocious playing fields of France and England, Argentina’s opponents in November must surely be feeling nervous especially as the most powerful and effective scrum in world rugby comes knocking at their doors this autumn.  Prediction – we can’t wait!!!!

Rugby Championship 2014 – Round 5 – The Mighty Springbok returns!

South Africa vs Australia
Final Score – SA 28/Aus 10
Cape Town

For me this game was definitely one of the highlights of the Championship this year.  The last ten minutes of the game and the Springboks breathtaking performance will go down as a vintage rugby classic.  The whole game was good and kept everyone on the edge of their seats but the Springboks in the last ten minutes showed us what can be done once you get the planning and the chemistry right.  As a result we witnessed a breathtaking spectacle which surely must have gladdened the hearts of Springbok fans who have, for much of this tournament so far, been left feeling frustrated and confused.  If South Africa can build on this effort next weekend against New Zealand and learn how to do it away from home then South Africa’s chances at next year’s World Cup look good – correction VERY good.

However, before we get too carried away let’s also temper our enthusiasm with some hard facts.  The Springboks were trailing the visitors at half time and for much of the first half did not look the dominant side.  Something happened in the changing room at half time.  South Africa came back onto the pitch full of serious intent.  With twenty minutes to go, Meyer elected to bring on some old soldiers of the Springbok pack and this seemed to breathe a new sense of life and urgency into their efforts.  South Africa played with a great deal of intent in the first half but once again lacked composure and were deficient in execution.  Far too many handling errors were made despite an obvious willingness to run the ball and take Australia on up front.  However that man Cornal Hendricks who has continued to impress throughout the entire Championship on the wing, linked up brilliantly with Willie le Roux who then was stopped by a brilliant Wallaby tackle.  Nevertheless Hendricks speed and sidestepping ability plus his skill in a perfect offload to le Roux were spectacular to watch and South Africa were unlucky not to get the try.  Fortune favoured the Springboks though as continued forward pressure eventually saw Marcel Coetzee crash over for the try in a well worked forward effort through the maul.  South Africa looked like they were starting to click.

Australia rose to the challenge as the game swung back into their ascendancy and they led going into the second half.  There was obviously much talk in the Springbok dressing room at half time about cleaning up the schoolboy errors, holding on to the ball much more and generally shoring up their game plan.  I would go so far as to say that Heineke Meyer looked almost calm – a rare sight and he has obviously been studying videos of poker face All Black coach Steve Hansen.

Halfway through the second half, Schalk Burger came on to replace Teboho Mohoje who received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked off the field after his debut as a Springbok, and which hopefully silenced the offensive press speculation of the week before as to whether he had been selected on the basis of the color of his skin or merit.  Mohoje was impressive in his debut and is one to watch for the future.  Schalk Burger, who has never been one of my favourite players due to his reckless style of play at times which leads to too many breakdowns in discipline, effectively silenced me as a critic in this game.  The man was simply immense and performed a one man demolition of Australia’s defences.  Bakkies Botha, another old soldier, seemed to thrive on his old teammate’s enthusiasm and the old guard of Botha, Burger, du Plessis and Matfield left Australia’s defences in tatters.  Watching these old warriors’ enjoyment of the task at hand was infectious for players and spectators alike.  Some of the younger new blood was thrown into the mix with the young but experienced Pat Lambie coming in at fly half for Handre Pollard who finally showed in this match that Meyer’s faith in him was justified.  Cobus Reinach the new scrum half came in for Francois Hougaard who also had a stellar game.  The rest was history as we watched entranced as the Springboks scored three unanswered tries and a drop goal all in the last ten minutes of the game.  In short – incredible!  I cannot remember the last time I have enjoyed ten minutes of rugby so much.  If this is the new look Springboks, then the world need take notice for 2015.  The final showpiece of the tournament at Ellis Park next weekend in Johannesburg against the old enemy, the All Blacks is shaping up to be a cracker at this rate!

As for Australia, there are some positives to take away from this game heading into next weekend’s decisive encounter with the Pumas in Argentina.  Tevita Kuridrani was electric and linked up with Matt Toomua at the centre was devastatingly effective in punching huge holes in the South African defence.  Had it not been for some brilliant last ditch South African defence then Kuridrani would have been over the white chalk for Australia at least twice in the first half.  However, apart from that Australian management has some serious soul searching to do on the plane to Argentina.  In the second half Australia’s forward pack was torn apart by South Africa and as they go up against the best scrum in world rugby right now next weekend, that surely is a concern.  Furthermore in the last fifteen minutes of the game, Australia looked exhausted and increasingly bereft of any answers to the relentless South African pressure.  In short, they were run ragged and seemed unable to play together effectively as a team.  Emergency surgery is needed quickly and of Australia and South Africa I think the Springboks will be more effective in preparing for the two very difficult final tests both sides face next week against the Pumas and All Blacks.

Argentina vs New Zealand
Final Score – NZ 34/Arg 13
La Plata

Probably the weakest game of the tournament so far for the Pumas and as I said last week, hopefully not a repetition of their fortunes at this stage of the competition last year.  That is not to say that they played badly, it was just that the All Blacks were just too good.

If you had read the form books and predictions leading up to this match, then to be honest there is not much else to report.  The All Blacks looked to clinch the Championship in this game and thus the silverware, and as a result put up a class performance that got the job done with no margin of error.  The Pumas were left having to play a valiant game of catch up rugby as they sought to salvage some pride from the whole affair.

New Zealand were clinical and ruthless and produced a blistering display of rugby that showed just how well they were prepared for this game.  They expertly played to the Pumas’ strengths, especially up front and as a result their devastating backline were free to cast their magic, which they did in four skillfully worked tries.  High school coaches around the world should tape this game and show it to their charges as an example of how to master every aspect of the modern game.  Beauden Barrett at fly half was once again superb and despite the drama in the New Zealand press at Aaron Cruden missing the flight to Argentina due to an excess of drinking the night before, showed the world that a lack of depth at number 10 is simply something New Zealand does not suffer from

The All Black backline of Conrad Smith, Israel Dagg, Julian Savea, Ben Smith and newcomer Malakai Fekitoa were all outstanding on attack and defence and given superb quick ball by the impressive Aaron Smith at scrum half.  For me there is no question that Aaron Smith has without doubt been the scrum half of the tournament.  Smith’s work rate has been impressive and his coverage of all areas of the park is outstanding coupled with an ability to effectively tackle players more than twice his size.  If you look at this New Zealand performance you realize you are watching a team that has welded all the necessary composite skills of the game into one unit – in short the world’s only true complete team at the moment

Argentina,meanwhile, fought valiantly and took some consolation in a brilliantly worked try at the end of the game that had been looming throughout the match.  They had threatened throughout the game but as usual just lacked that vital finishing touch.   Nevertheless their defence was strong and they certainly looked threatening with ball in hand – at no point in the match did they look like a pushover.  They were able to compete against New Zealand for 80 minutes, it’s just they couldn’t ultimately take apart a team that was clinically focused on putting the finishing touches on their claim for this year’s Rugby Championship.  If Argentina can build on the positives from this match then I would give them the edge against Australia next weekend in Mendoza.

Fixtures this weekend

South Africa vs New Zealand – Johannesburg

It’s going to be a clash of the titans next Saturday at Ellis Park, as although the Championship is now well and truly decided, a Springbok/All Black encounter in South Africa always has an epic aura around it.  Last year’s fixture was one of THE games of the year and next weekend’s meeting looks set to be much of the same.  A fast, furious and intensely physical contest is what we can expect to see at Ellis Park as the two best sides in the world re-enact one of international rugby’s greatest rivalries.  Both the Springboks and All Blacks hold each other in great esteem and thus a victory is a true vindication of skill on the day – expect no quarters to be given

At this stage it is impossible to predict who will emerge the victor.  Technically New Zealand clearly has the edge, but after the Springboks spectacular end of match annihilation of the Wallabies last weekend in Cape Town, the South Africans are catching up fast to their Kiwi counterparts.  Throw into the mix a fervent and passionate home crowd in one of international test rugby’s great cathedral grounds and the Springboks will be very hard to beat if they keep up the standard they showed the world in Cape Town.  Heineke Meyer finally seems to be consolidating a strong team with a clear sense of what they have to do and how they have to play in order to beat the best in the world.  The new talent that South Africa has chosen to invest in is starting to show clear promise and overall the Springboks are hopefully finally starting to move in the right direction.

New Zealand on the other hand will recognize this and will no doubt somehow notch their game up yet another level if that is even possible, considering they are consistently setting the benchmark on how to play the game.  They regard any win against the Springboks as critical to maintaining the All Black legend and hold the Springboks in greater regard despite past performances than probably any other team in world rugby.  South Africa will bring their A game but expect New Zealand to bring their A+ game.  With two such evenly matched and powerful teams, anyone with a heart condition or frail nerves should probably look away next Saturday – it’s going to be a roller coaster ride!

Argentina vs Australia – Mendoza

For those of us who have Argentina as their favourite underdog team, Saturday’s fixture in the heartland of Argentine rugby will be a nerve wracking affair.  I would not use Argentina’s performance against the All Blacks as the basis of predicting the result.  The Pumas will be up for this and sensing blood after seeing Australia implode against the Springboks in South Africa.  Add to that various elements of discord in the Wallaby camp and Australia could be ripe for the taking.  The question is at the end of the Championship can Argentina take all the lessons they have learnt this past six weeks and put them all together to produce the curtain call performance of their Championship?  Of concern to them will be the absence of Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe who although not Captain, this duty having been passed to the inspirational Augustin Creevy, is still nevertheless a spiritual talisman for the rest of the team.  However, if they can go into this match feeling proud of their consistent improvement over the last six weeks and determined to get that first win, then I think it is there for the taking with the home crowd making more than enough noise to provide that additional motivation.  Patience, composure and sticking to the skills and core strengths of the Pumas should see them through against a Wallaby side brimming with talent but lacking cohesion.

That being said, Australia will not come to Mendoza with their tails between their legs.  They have everything to prove and furthermore know the grilling they will get on their return home if it is their scalp which is to be the Pumas first in the Rugby Championship.  Australia have the talent but as mentioned above lack the cohesion.  Furthermore, I cannot see a weary and at times weak Australian forward pack being able to stand up to the Pumas phenomenal scrum and set of forwards.  Australia have shown consistent weaknesses in the scrum and Argentina probably have the best scrum in world rugby right now.  If Australia cannot match the challenge the Pumas will give them in this area, then I foresee increasing fatigue starting to set in on the side of the Wallabies.  This in turn seems to lead to frustration for Australia and a corresponding lack of discipline at the breakdown.  If Argentina consistently gain the upper hand in the scrum, then I think the last twenty minutes of the game will see Australia start to fall apart and a certain sense of desperation set in.  Nevertheless many pundits predicted a strong Argentinian win for this fixture in last year’s Championship and it ended up being a comprehensive thrashing of the Pumas by the Wallabies.  If Australia come prepared and with a healthy dose of respect for their opponents and dismiss last year’s result as a completely different scenario than the one they will face this weekend, their chances to  come away with a win are good.  On the other hand a misplaced sense of confidence and lack of discipline by Australia will see the Pumas get the result that everyone has been predicting for so long.  We wait and see who has done their homework for what looks set to be a fascinating encounter.

Rugby Championship – Round 5 Preview

Fixtures this weekend

South Africa vs Australia – Cape Town

Undoubtedly the fixture of the weekend, as these two sides slug it out to see who really is the second best team in the world after the All Blacks. With the All Blacks most likely clinching the Championship this weekend in Argentina, this match is about standings and developing both national teams for next year’s World Cup.  In this regard I commend Heineke Meyer’s selection.  He has boldly chosen to  blood younger players for whom this kind of big game experience will be invaluable in preparing them for the Rugby World Cup next year.  Furthermore in two standout selections he has chosen to continue to favour Jan Serfontein over Damien de Allende at centre and made the bold move of selecting the uncapped Teboho Mohoje at flanker over Schalk Burger.

In the latter selection there has been much talk in the press, mainly outside of South Africa, as to whether this has been based on colour or ability. As far as I am concerned this is insulting to both South African rugby and Teboho himself.  While I can understand some in the media jumping to the conclusion that Mohoje has been selected on the basis of color as he is an uncapped Springbok for such an important game, it is nevertheless irrelevant.  Were the media asking the same question of white uncapped players at the start of the Championship?  For all intents and purposes South Africa has lost the Rugby Championship and as a result the priority is now to use such big games to develop the talent for next year’s World Cup.  On the basis of this and Mohoje’s form with the Cheetahs then his selection is more than justified.  Let us ignore this pointless debate about the status of the colour bar in South African rugby and instead focus on where the Springboks need to look for a side capable of bringing home the Webb Ellis trophy next year and how to develop the players to do this.

Australia come to Cape Town with a new found sense of confidence that mirrors their initial strong showing against the All Blacks in the first round of the Championship. Despite the schooling they received from the All Blacks in Auckland in the second round of the Championship they have shown that they have a talented side capable of producing results when it matters, as shown by the at home wins against Argentina and South Africa.  However if we look closely at those wins, it is evident that this side although talented can be beaten.  Let’s face it Australia were lucky to win in Perth against the Springboks, and had South Africa hung on to the ball more, played a smarter tactical game and not been victims of a questionable refereeing decision the score line would not have been in Australia’s favor.  In the match against the Pumas, another 5 minutes and the score would have been at least a try if not an outright win for the Pumas as they stormed back against Australia in the second half.  Therefore we are looking at a side that JUST wins matches and this in the long term against quality opposition will not be good enough if Australia want to live up to their claim that they are the second best team in the world.

South Africa on the other hand I think will begin to gel and start to get consistently better provided players and management can come to agreement on an effective game plan. If Meyer can stick with a consistent selection in the next few matches that blends new talent and experience, there is no question in my mind that South Africa will be the team to challenge in next year’s World Cup after the All Blacks.

So in short, my prediction is a gruelling encounter that runs close for the first 60 minutes, but with a passionate crowd in Cape Town, I see the Boks pulling comfortably ahead in the last quarter leaving Australia with too many question marks. The weather is expected to be good and with two teams having the ability to play great running rugby, it should be a fast paced game.  Either way an exciting contest looms!

Argentina vs New Zealand – La Plata 

For everyone who is a Pumas supporter, this match is regarded with some degree of trepidation. In last year’s Championship, after an impressive opening four games the Pumas looked set to continue this form at home in their final two games.  Although no one expected them to seriously challenge the All Blacks, everyone was convinced that their last game against Australia would be the definitive match for them where they would take their first win in the tournament.  Sadly their last two games at home last year were a total anticlimax and the Pumas exited the Championship with a whimper, with many arguing that their last game against Australia was their weakest performance of the whole Championship.

So this year we watch with bated breath. The Pumas although having no wins so far to show for their efforts this year in the Championship, have played some superb rugby.  These last two fixtures at home should be the catalyst to allow them to show the world that they mean business next year at the World Cup.  The game against New Zealand will be challenging and given the All Blacks superlative form, no one expects them to win but if they can run the All Blacks close and take this momentum into the game against Australia the following weekend a victory is surely there for the taking.

As for New Zealand, for them the rest of the Championship is merely a formality in terms of silverware on offer as they have for all intents wrapped up the tournament. They have unquestionably been the form team and deserve the title of Champions.  However, they will still want to put in a good performance in Argentina as the two teams will be opponents in the pool stages of next year’s World Cup, and the All Blacks are very aware that Argentina will be an even better team by that stage.  Furthermore a good effort in Argentina will help New Zealand face South Africa in Johannesburg next week, which is already being billed as one of the games to watch this year.  Therefore New Zealand will seek to show that the loss of Aaron Cruden this weekend and his replacement by the exceptionally capable Beauden Barrett means that the All Black machine can easily weather the odd PR mess up and lack of team discipline as they simply have so much depth to call on.

So on the table at the end of the day for both teams is the need to put in a good showing regardless of positions in the Championship. For Argentina it will be to prove to their adoring fans that the hard work of August and September has developed a Pumas side for the rest of the rugby world to reckon with, while for New Zealand it will be consolidation of the world’s best side and to maintain their unstoppable momentum for the curtain call clash with South Africa next week.  Let’s hope both sides can deliver!