Jamie Noon: the Baxter of the Backs
Columnist
By Garth Hamilton, 23 Jun 2008 Garth Hamilton is a Roar Expert
Jamie Noon’s attempts at attacking rugby should be remembered in the same disparaging and dismissive manner as Al Baxter’s troubled career as an international prop has been.
As shown, or perhaps it would be better put, not shown, in England’s limp defeat to New Zealand in the second test at Christchurch, Noon is incapable of performing his job on the rugby field. Defensive competency simply does not outweigh his non-existence as an attacking entity.
England went into the game focussed on defence and it would be very hard to accuse them of contributing much more than that. Matthew Tait tried hard but Noon was nowhere.
His repeated selection for England is more a reflection of English rugby’s mindset that ‘forwards are forwards and backs are something similar’ than it is an endorsement of his abilities as a rugby player.
Big and stocky, Noon looks every bit a champion rugby player off the field. Unfortunately it is a bit hard to describe his attacking play on the field as he is so rarely spotted doing anything with the ball.
While Baxter has suffered the repeated indignity of both deserved and occasionally undeserved ridicule, Noon has coasted through his career without his glaring and quite frankly embarrassing inadequacies being so mercilessly mocked.
Al Baxter is far from the world’s best prop however I have not seen many sportsmen continue to keep on keeping on against such a force of derision as Baxter has encountered. A healthy ARU salary no doubt provides some motivation but surely not enough to explain his resilience to the continued barbs of writers like Stephen Jones and some closer to home, this writer included.
The image of Paul Newman’s defiant Cool Hand Luke continuing to fight when he was well past beaten comes to mind with Baxter’s career.
You must wonder why the northern hemisphere scribes feel so keen to personally humiliate an Australian who struggles at sport yet their southern counterparts feel compelled to politely adore the limited performance of English superstars like Jonny Wilkinson. I guess it is all to do with how each part of the world sees the other.
Certainly Noon is as poor a centre as Baxter is a prop but to date the English centre has yet to carry the cross for his personal shortcomings. Can these inadequacies continue to be hidden behind the occasional bluff and bluster of England’s forward pack?
That’s a question for Martin Johnson.
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sheek said | June 23rd 2008 @ 8:28am | Report comment
But Garth,
Maybe Jamie Noon went to the ‘right’ school, & has all the ‘right’ social connections. After all, old boy, being well connected socially is what it’s all about.
If you’re English, that is.
matta said | June 23rd 2008 @ 8:31am | Report comment
yep he’s pretty bad – mind you 10,12 and 13 have looked poor for all the Northern teams so far.
PommyAussie said | June 23rd 2008 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
Clam down Sheek, i’ve watched rugby in Australia and it’s just as snobby there as it is here. Rather a stupid comment all up.
sheek said | June 23rd 2008 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
PommyAussie,
No need to be so sensitive. Here in Australia, if you want to climb the ladder, just crawl to the boss &/or give your workmates up. Well, plenty do.
That’s how it happened in the convict days, some things don’t change, in Australia or England! You see PommyAussie, I’m fair to everybody – we all have relatives who are skeletons in our closet!!!
Homer said | June 23rd 2008 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
Stephen Jones would talk up Saddam Hussein’s good points if he was Welsh or English, and shoot down Jesus if he came from the southern hemisphere. He is the worlds most one-eyed hypocritical sports journalist. It is writers such as he and Ackford who continue to sing the praises of wingers who can’t tackle and do not look for work but act as prancing former sprinters on the wing, waiting until there are no defenders in front. Topsy Ojo has fantastic pace but you could count the number of rucks and mauls he was involved in on one finger.
Varndell should be sacked for not scroing his try in the corner. In the first test Sivivatu was in a similar position and dived well before the line, making sure the defenders could not take him out, Vardell’s body height was wrong and he allowed the defense to take the space away from him. Ordinary stuff.
On the up-side the English No.8 was fantastic. For a solid guy he was everywhere and almost always broke the first tackle.
On the aussie front rowfront, Baxter will be lucky to make the becnh for the waratahs if Sekope Kepu keeps playing like he did yesterday.
Bob McGregor said | June 24th 2008 @ 3:27am | Report comment
Having watched Rugby Tests in OZ for way over 50 years I cannot recall an Australian player that was not initially picked on form and talent. Some obviously came from what some perceive as “elite” Rugby nurseries but a majority came from other fields of endeavour. That’s not to say I can defend a number of players from the recent era who continued to be selected way past their use by date. But they had diverse backgrounds and “old school tie” played no part in their continued selection.
I doubt such selections will occur under Robbie Deans.
Ian Noble said | June 24th 2008 @ 3:36am | Report comment
Garth
Noon has always been very limited in his play, being 29 it is probably too late to change. Personally I think negative coaching is at fault and there is an urgent need for the coaching panel to change and I hope Johnson give it a high priority.
Spiro Zavos said | June 24th 2008 @ 8:04am | Report comment
The thing that struck me in the Junior World Cup was that Wales is producing some lively inside backs but England are going for bulk in the five-eighths and centres. Wales also was a very niggly team, walking in front of the goal-kicker when he was taking a shot, pulling jerseys, punching, lying on the ball, playing the man off the ball. It didn’t surprise me that they ended up having a brawl with France.
Handy Andy said | June 24th 2008 @ 8:34am | Report comment
While I am aware this will get howls from the stalls, I’m going to mention it anyway. I’m sorry, but I believe al Baxter doesn’t deserve our derision but respect. Here is a man, who, despite the brickbats thrown at him continues to work at his craft, and indeed, improve. It is not his fault that he is the best tighthead in the country. Kepu, despite his performance on the weekend against some very disinterested Tongans simply can’t dominate at lower levels the way Baxter can. From my point of view, the job he did against Sheridan in the World Cup was very good. It wasn’t his fault that the referee was conned. And that’s not just my opinion, I’ve heard Ben Darwin say exactly the same thing.
The Waratahs scrum performs well up t likes of Carl Hayman et al. Why then do the Wallabies go backwards. Perhaps because Al has Nathan Sharpe behind him.
Scrummaging is such a collective skill, the fault for Australian scrummaging oes should be placed in the hands of Eddie Jones, who spent too little time on the scrum and too much time on intimidating his team to play ‘colour be numbers’ football.
Despite all this poor tuition, Al continues to make a difference.
For that, He at least has my respect.
There, I’ve said it
sheek said | June 24th 2008 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Spiro,
You’re not suggesting these tactics by the Welsh youth are something new!!!!!
The Welsh play like the French in more ways than one……………!