By Spiro Zavos
February 8th 2010 @ 5:44am
Italy is guilty of a ‘losing ugly’ mentality
Italy's Mauro Bergamasco, left, is tackled by Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll in their Six Nations rugby union international match at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Nick Mallet is a sophisticated man: he speaks several languages. He is bright: he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has been a very good coach: his Springboks in 1998/199 won 17 straight Tests, a South African winning sequence record. He is, however, a very poor coach of Italy.
He has set his team a goal of losing by no more than 15 points. That margin or preferably fewer points represents, Mallet has told his team, a sort of victory for Italy.
And to consolidate this negative team ambition, Mallett has imposed a style of play on Italy that ensures that his team can’t win Tests but will invariably lose in as ugly a fashion as possible.
This ‘losing ugly’ style makes Italy a difficult team to play expansive and attractive rugby against, as Ireland found on Saturday at Croke Park. They did, though, win 29 – 11 and this score reflected in a curious way a sort of double loss by Italy.
Ireland went past the 15-point mark and were never in any danger of losing the Test. Given the extremely negative nature of Italy’s play and the fact that this was the opening match of the Six Nations tournament, I thought Ireland were quite impressive.
There was nothing in the England-Wales match to suggest that these team will stop Ireland’s unbeaten run which now extends to 12 Tests, a national record for Ireland.
As well as being difficult for oppositions to play attractively against (the All Blacks and the Wallabies have struggled to put Italy away comprehensively in Italy), Italy plays (if such an active verb can be used in this context) the most unwatchable rugby that can ever have been inflicted on spectators by any team.
Every ball is kicked away. We don’t know if the backs can run and pass and make breaks because they never try these rugby basics.
They cheat at virtually every scrum. Against the All Blacks last year Stu Dickinson had a rare off day and let them away with this. On Saturday the French referee Romain Poite did not tolerate the boring-in tactics from the Italian front row and penalised them frequently, and correctly.
The worst aspect of their play, even worse than the never-ending kicking (with no one actually chasing the high balls), is the way the Italian halfbacks allow the ball to sit at the back of the ruck for more than 10 seconds. You feel like screaming out, ‘Use it! Damn you!’.
The sooner referees start applying a use-it or lose-it call, giving teams like Italy (and other ’sitters’ like England and Wales to only a slightly lesser extent) five seconds maximum to play the ball, the better.
Italy, too, like all the European teams play their first five-eighths mainly in the quarter-back position, directly behind the half rather than almost in line with him. The result of this senseless positioning is that most of the European teams, even Ireland and Wales – teams that actually try to run the ball – have to kick away possession quite often from turnovers rather than launching wide attacking raids.
Talking about senseless play, Alun Wyn Jones, the Wales second-rower lost the Test against England at Twickenham when he stuck out a leg to trip the English hooker Dylan Hartley right in front of the referee Alain Rolland. The score was 3-3 at the time just five minutes before half-time with Wales looking like a side that could continue its run of victories at the home of English rugby.
Ten minutes later when Jones came rather shame-facedly back on the field the score was 20 – 3. Even though Wales came back strongly and scored 14 unanswered points, the game was effectively lost by an action that Brian Moore (who is turning into an excellent commentator) called a ‘half-witted’ and ’silly cheap shot.’
England’s lineout was good, with Steve Borthwick doing a Victor Matfield in organising no fewer than six steals against the throw. The scrum was barely adequate, though. Jonny Wilkinson kicked too much and poorly and his positioning was in the European disease mode which made it virtually impossible for England to have any fluency in their backline.
England were an improvement on the side that performed so poorly against the southern hemisphere teams at the end of last year. But this was an improvement from someone on a life-support system to someone who is off it, for the time being.
Whether Saturday’s performance reflects an actual improvement or that Wales seems to be on another slippery slope to rugby mediocrity remains to be seen.
By far the best thing about England was their playing strip which reflected the strip used back in 1910 when Twickenham hosted its first Test. The off-white of the jerseys, with real collars, the band of blue around the waist of the white shorts and the blue socks looked terrific. The current jersey, with its red slash on the white, looks as if the England players have had their throats slit and blood is streaming out of the wound on to their jersey.
What a pity that Wales didn’t wear their 1910 playing kit, the famous scarlet jersey, the black shorts and the scarlet socks. The current outfit, a sort of Miami Vice red, with no collar, white shorts and green socks with a curious white pattern on them, looks like a dog breakfast.
Is it a coincidence that Wales played in a similar dogs breakfast fashion?
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(34)
Wavell Wakefield said | February 8th 2010 @ 5:57am | Report comment
Completely agree that Mallett is a poor coach of Italy. Johnstone and Berbizier made incrimental improvements whereas Mallett has taken the team backwards at a rate of knots. Not only that but he is publicly negative, and often too.
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I disagree that the Italians cheat at ‘virtually every scrum’. I’m not sure how you could qualify such a comment, Spiros?
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I’m still peturbed that you’re pushing this ‘European disease’ stuff. Have you not watched Australia play under Robbie Deans, or for that matter, have you ever watched South Africa play? I have a sneaking suspicion that the inclusion of Australia in the 3N means that you think that Australia has a rugby connection with New Zealand, Mr Zavos. Not so I’m afraid. Ye heavens, no.
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It is a shame that Wales didn’t wear a centenary strip.
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How did Wales play like a dogs breakfast when they looked ready to beat England?
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Is 12 unbeaten tests a national record for Ireland, or is 13 the national record?
scarlet said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:03am | Report comment
this is my post from the Wales/England thread
was very disappointed with the Welsh handling in the first half but the substitutions, and a big rev at half time from Gatland, made for a more incisive second half. The Welsh backs showed a desire to run the ball and the ability to penetrate the defence. Hook and Roberts could be a very exciting centre combination along the lines of O’Driscoll and Roberts for the Lions, but it will take a few games for them to gel. Cooper was shown to be one dimensional, as was Tom James. AW Jones should have had the crap kicked out of him at half time by his team mates as he lost the Test through an act of crass, schoolboy stupidity. Overall I was not too depressed by the Welsh performance. If I was English I would be more concerned as the backs still lack any penetration or subtlety. The Welsh scrum suffered from the loss of two outstanding Lions front row forwards and the lack of a quality scrum half also meant that delivery in to the backs was often laboured by the Greganesque two steps before passing off the base of the scrum/ruck/maul that was evident with Cooper. It is no coincidence that the arrival of Richie Rees saw improved performance from the backs as he passed quickly and flatly without taking a couple of steps, maybe Wales will be able to develop further strength in depth with him to support Phillips and Peel. Also Andy Powell is too predictable and maybe Jonathan Thomas should take his place.
Wales gifted this game to England….bugger!
Wavell Wakefield said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:34am | Report comment
I saw absolutely nothing from Jamie Roberts, yet again, so I’d be more worried if I was Welsh, scarlet. Shane Williams is not a test winger anymore, Stephen Jones is on his way out and Martyn Williams is not getting younger. That’s a lot of experience. For me, the game proved more questions than answers. Welsh rugby simply has no depth – hence the scrum gained little ascendency, and the lineout was demolished. Flood is not the long-term English 12, and Tait started his first match at 13 in a few years. Significantly this is a settled Welsh side, and yet there is no hint that the team is capable of matching the heights of two years ago. This England line-up hasn’t played together for an entire year, so a mixed bag should be expected.
scarlet said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:15am | Report comment
The European disease?
That is one of those silly ‘have a go at Stephen Jones’ comments where the ‘Hemisphere baiting’ continues. It is quite ridiculous really as all nations are playing the same boring kick it up the middle style in the hope of generating turnover off a mistake and lets not restart the tedious debate on the ELV’s. The SH sides are just a guilty as anyone of playing this tactic and it is unbelievably tedious. Have just watched the Dragons against Saracens and it was the Dragons who made all the running and the heavily SA influenced Saracens stayed in the game through penalties and drop goals/drop goal attempts. Only one team was determined to play running rugby – the Dragons. am very keen to see what the Super 14 season will bring, hopefully it will bring balanced rugby with strong scrummaging and forward play which will allow exciting back line running rugby. That is how that game was intended, and how it should be played. As a Welshman who has spent 20 years living in Sydney and now unfortunately stuck back in the UK for a while I hope that guys like Spiro can bring more balanced reporting and unite all in the search for balanced, fluent, running rugby (and Spiro, don’t take that as another opportunity to spruik the bloody ELV’s)! The last time Australia went all out in support of running rugby it lost the ability to scrummage…….
Bay35Pablo said | February 8th 2010 @ 1:23pm | Report comment
It won’t matter what the Super 14 plays as it will be under different interpretations which the boofheads in the IRB will reject because it comes from south of the equator and is the rugby equivalent of murdering babis in their eyes, or sumfink similar.
Viscount Crouchback said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:51am | Report comment
Totally agree about the “use it or lose it” call. Goalkeepers in soccer are given six seconds to kick the ball from hand, so I don’t see why something similar shouldn’t apply to scrum halves in rugby.
pothale said | February 8th 2010 @ 7:51am | Report comment
It was still godawful stuff from Ireland though. I don’t buy the notion that because the other team is doing, that they have to be similarly shackled. Every fan in the place was screaming at the Ireland to get the ball out and move it quickly. I thought Poite had a poor day in marshalling the offside line, but notwithstanding, Ireland had the guns in their backline to do a lot more damage.
Kearney must be hoping – along with a lot of Irish fans – that he’s had his ‘mare’ of a match out of his system. He was lacklustre, lazy and seemed to be sparking on about 3 of the ten cylinders that he has shown previously.
Earls and Dempsey are not up to scratch to replace him, so here’s hoping he’s back in form next week.
Italy’s delays at the scrum should have been tested a bit more, even if it meant coughing up a penalty to find out, through assuming the ball was out (because on a few occasions it was, and the ref let them away with it.)
84% said | February 8th 2010 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Spiros, you’ve shown yet again that you know SFA about Coaching and Rugby Union ! To say that Mallet has applied a “negative team ambition” to have as their current goal a loss of not more than 15 pts shows how little you know about good coaching. Since Mallet has taken the reigns of Italy they have indeed improved their overall performance by reducing their losses.(one step of many). Have you lost sight of the lack of talent available to Italy not to mention their light “rugby culture” ? It takes years to hone a nations rugby skills and must be done at the grass roots level with long term plans … like what Australia used to have twenty plus years ago, that brought them up from “also rans” to being one of the top Rugby nations, alas they too (Australia, probably aided by your and other “rugby Journalists” confusion with which code to play) have gone backwards at a rate of knots.
Robby Deans like Mallet are two superb Rugby Coaches who have the runs on the board and need your understanding about their skills and not have you going off like a badly constructed firecracker when their teams don’t conform to your expectations as to how Rugby Union should or should not be played. Learn the game …Union is TOTALLY different from League and remember that Union is also an all weather game where sometimes you have to use your team in different configurations and tacticts depending on who your opposition is.
Please make the necessary distinctions between the two codes when next you take pen to paper to report on what you know too little about.
I imagine that this will not pass your censorship which is part and parcel of your lack of insight.
Hammer said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Wow – I often think SZ dials in his contributions to this site … they’re seem a mish mash of his more serious articles and last minute rush jobs …. but this really seems over the top … Italy under Mallett are horrible to watch and they celebrate losing margins … in their current guise they’re a blight on the 6N’s
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 5:00am | Report comment
Mallett has reduced losing margins has he? What are the stats?
Mr cheese said | February 8th 2010 @ 10:39am | Report comment
I think that Mr Zavos knows very little about Italian rugby: they have about 30 players in the whole country, and most of them are Aussies earning a few quid after leaving Rugby League.
Romania would have been a more obvious choice for the 6th nation, but nobody fancied Bucharest. The powers-that-be fancied an occasional trip to Rome instead. Neither Italy nor Romania would have been excellent, but still…..
Nick Mallett has a bunch of goats to work with. What do you expect him to do ?????
Choosing 15 decent Italian egg-chasers is like choosing 15 decent Australian novelists. However hard you look, you just won’t find them…
True Tah said | February 8th 2010 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
Mr cheese
you dont know a lot about Italian rugby, there are more Argies than Aussies in their side.
And rugby is a lot more popular in Italy than it ever was in Romania.
Matt said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:33pm | Report comment
The number of young kids and teens playing the game in Italy has exploded since their inclusion in the six nations and the media coverage has greatly increased. Give it time. It took the French ten years to win their first game in the competition didn’t it?
pothale said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
On a related note to Italy’s continuing ability to perform at test level, it would appear that the financial guarantees necessary for them to join the Magners League have now been secured.
Let’s wait and see if Scotland come up with another barrier to entry……
Chris said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Perhaps its time that they kick Scotland out of the Magners and replace them with the Italians? In the long term Italy will be a much more important rugby market. Scottish rugby is dying, Italian rugby is exploding (except on the field of course where they seem to be going backwards).
If 80,000 fans at the San Siro can’t convince the powers that be to act then nothing will.
soapit said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
i assume italy are wanting to improve in the future. to do this they’ll have to attract a larger playing pool.
how will they attract this extra talent. people like winning and if you can’t get a win watching good performance and their team having a go. if i was italian i wouldnt want anything to do with a national team that had damage limitation as their main goal in most matches in their annual comp. note that they can achieve their not losing by more then 15 without actually scoring at all so they can “succeed” without having any success as an attacking (kicking or running or mauling or whatever)team whatsoever. bad for rugby and very bad for italian rugby.
it’s so incredibly short sighted. plus they’re in the 6N to help them develop italian rugby but it goes both ways. wouldnt matter in one off games but an ongoing situation in one of the worlds top 2 annual rugby comps just aint good enough.
Bay35Pablo said | February 8th 2010 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
“The off-white of the jerseys, with real collars, the band of blue around the waist of the white shorts and the blue socks looked terrific”
Terrific? More like horrific. I thought they were horrid. I couldn’t work out if someone had left something in the wash with the kit, or if they started out white and the grass stains were having a weird effect.
Go back to straight white, this cream or off white or whatever looked …… (urgh). Words fail me.
mattamkII said | February 8th 2010 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
Chris,
Scottish teams currently hold 1st and 3rd places in Magners League
Their 7 national team is solid
Their development program has lifted child (24%) and adult (9%) since it began
The national is more competitive now than it was in the early 2000’s
Other than that, Scottish rugby is headed in the wrong direction?
Sure they are ranked 9th but the game as a whole is in much better shape and heading in a much better direction then it was 5-10 years ago.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:17am | Report comment
‘Sure they are ranked 9th but the game as a whole is in much better shape and heading in a much better direction then it was 5-10 years ago.’
Yes, I would firmly agree with this, but the improved domestic fortunes (not in the HC) hasn’t panned out in the test arena, and worryingly Scottish development has been matched and overtaken by Ireland and Wales. I also think that if Scotland and Italy played each other 10 times, five at home and five away, each side would win their home games. How does that compare with Scottish rugby in the early 1990s? The removal of rucking can’t be to blame for all the Scottish woes.
brad said | February 8th 2010 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
Spiro. Englnad have thankfully done away with the red sash and now have afull white jersey (still no collar). try to remember the autumn internationals, no ugly sash there remember.
Spiro Zavos said | February 8th 2010 @ 4:08pm | Report comment
Wavell Wakefield is perturbed that I should call the quarter-back alignment of five-eighths a ‘European disease.’ But he might have noticed a little verbal jousting by Stephen Jones and Stuart Barnes in a Sunday Times forum. Jones made the nonsensical remark that Craig Gower seemed to have solved Italy’s five-eight problem. ‘He stands too deep,’ Barnes said (rightly) dismissing Gower as an efficient five-eights.
Barnes himself was one of the last (only?) English five-eights to stand flat when required. He could make a backline hum but was overlooked on most occasions for the predictable, limited Rob Andrew who stood as deep as Jonny Wilkinson in the pocket on most occasions.
WW is right when he says that this European disease has caught on in Australia and South Africa particularly.
One reason why I don’t rate Matt Giteau as a five-eighth is because of his tendency to hide behind his pack in the quarter-back position. But there are Australians like Berrick Barnes who understand that there are times, especially from turnovers, when a five-eights standing flat can capitalise on the situation.
Alan Gaffney has brought some of the Randwick flat backline techniques to Ireland. But in the heat of the game Ronan O’Gara still tends to go back to the quarter-back position, unfortunately.
The RFU could do worse than hire someone like Bob Dwyer who is suffused in the Randwick flat backline theory (as practised by Mark Ella), to act as a national coach going around the country giving master classes on the theory of backplay.
I predict that there will be a huge improvement in England’s backplay if this happened.
Colin N said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
“Barnes himself was one of the last (only?) English five-eights to stand flat when required.”
How about Wilkinson between 2000 and 03? Hodgson whenever he played? Flood played flat last season. I probably need to study the game again, but I thought Wilkinson stood flat against Wales. The problem comes when the forwards don’t generate quick(er) ball, therefore it doesn’t matter where you stand as a fly-half, you are unlikely to score tries.
Mr cheese said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:13pm | Report comment
The last sentence should probably be: “I predict there WOULD be a huge improvement in England’s back play if this happened.”
You use the word “would” rather than “will” in a conditional sentence.
Anyway, I am a little surprised that there are apparently plenty of people in the colony who take an interest in what is laughably called “Northern Hemisphere Rugby”. I thought people down there were more interested in Rugby a XIII.
Best wishes,
M Fromage
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 4:53am | Report comment
I totally agree with what you (and Barnes) say about Gower, Spiro. He stands far, far too deep. Jonny Wilkinson also stands far too deep, and it was noticeable that when Wales were making their 2nd half comeback he descended even deeper. Also, when Wilkinson does attack he attacks on his own, and is far too narrow visioned. Personally I think that the flat playing Toby Flood would aid the England backline (as he did last 6N). It may turn out that Wilkinson was simply lacking confidence with Flood at 12 (which may be the case given that Flood was turned over twice). Perhaps Flutey will help release the outside backs, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Wilkinson is not the man to take England forward regardless of who plays 12. We do have to remember, however, that whereas the Irish and Welsh backs have been playing regular test rugby together, the English team has not experienced uninterrupted selections since the previous 6N.
Mick said | February 8th 2010 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
I would like Italy to improve and actually have a chance of winning, a full house at the San Siro with Italy still in the game with 5 minutes to go would be insane
Jameswm said | February 8th 2010 @ 4:15pm | Report comment
I always laugh at the NHers who think the SH players are equally as negative. The skills of the NH players have improved, but when behind and a player up, or presented with a 5 on 3, they still invariably don’t know what to do. It’s an instinctive thing. The Aussies aren’t perfect but they are bred into having a go. It’s so obvious when you watch a match.
I’ll see if I get the chance to tape an England match and show you what I mean, but it’s probably more obvious in the club games.
Pajovic said | February 8th 2010 @ 6:34pm | Report comment
More generic non-specific hemisphere babble. Try comparing countries instead of hemispheres. I think you will find it slightly more effective and you can back your points with specific examples.
Jameswm ‘but it’s probably more obvious in the club games’ wow astounding analyses. Did you perhaps stop to think that player resources are spead amongst a larger number of clubs in the NH?
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 4:54am | Report comment
‘The Aussies aren’t perfect but they are bred into having a go. It’s so obvious when you watch a match.’
Ye heavens, no.
Mart said | February 8th 2010 @ 7:58pm | Report comment
But it’s a fair point …. Eng (particularly) haven’t looked good in the backs for a while apart from flashes (Ire and France in recent 6Ns). They miss the spark that someone like a Cipriani could bring (a la Giteau to the Wallabies) for me. He may make mistakes but he has a go (here’s hoping he comes to the Rebels !). On Sat you could almost telegraph 3 plays ahead the Eng backs moves. Having said that someone above makes the reasonable point that (for whatever reason) Eng haven’t been able to field a settled side for some time now so if the current crop gets a decent run / some luck who knows – the breakaway try at the end was well executed after all.
If you want some interesting debate from a NH / Eng viewpoint, look at the Times website – ahead of Sat they had Barnes / Jones / Dalaglio / Guscott / McGeechan discussing the 6N teams and esp Eng. No holds barred and some very good points made (probably after the 16th bottle of red was drained) …..
And I like the “new” Eng all white kit – and even the purple change kit ! Now if only we could get rid of the “O2″ (or indeed any) sponsors logo…..
Pajovic said | February 9th 2010 @ 12:09am | Report comment
Anthing that involves that one eyed clown from the Times Stephen Jones isn’t worth reading. LD basically insisted that every Wasp should be picked, IM couldn’t say much due to his posiion as Lions coach and his unwilling ness to offend any of the players he coached (which is fair enough) and JG sounded like he hadn’t watched a GP game in months. It was God-awful. Look at the review Stephen Jones gave Tait, who was clearly effective against the Welsh a duff score. Jones picks players, ie, in this instance Haskell and then just runs with them regardless of form. he is now drooling all over Lawes (who is an exciting prospect). I can’t stand the man. His hatred of all things irish, Kiwi and rugby league is bordering on the offensive.
As for Cipriani, he cannot kick a tactical ball to save his life, cannot pass and cannot tackle. Melbourne can have him.
Spiro Zavos said | February 8th 2010 @ 9:34pm | Report comment
I have just watched the Scotland – France match, on delay in Australia on ESPN. This was far and away the most exciting and interesting match of the round. Full marks to Scotland for trying to play a ball-in-hand game. They made more lines breaks than France but were unable to convert the breaks into points when they were in the red zone, unlike France.
And the reason for this? Take it away Jonathan Davies, a union and league great and now an excellent match analyst. Scotland were guilty of standing too deep when moving the ball along the line after the initial penetration. I couldn’t have made the point better myself.
France looked a complete side, with a strong scrum. secure lineout, a great loose forward trio and fast, big and skilful backs.
If France brings this game to Paris next week against Ireland, the match will be a cracker.
The Scotland-France match was very well refereed by Nigel Owen. He got good co-operation from the players at the ruck and the ball generally came out quite quickly, especially when France were on the drive.
When a referee knows what he is doing and understands what is happening at the rucks, rugby becomes a free-flowing game, as the Scotland-France match was.
Mr cheese said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:18pm | Report comment
I think his name is Nigel Owens but that is a different matter.
I would be interested to ask you a question about him, Spiro. Do you really think he had an excellent game ? After the match, on the BBC discussion programme, somebody asked if it made any sense to have a referee who addressed the players only in English. If the French don’t speak English very well, it’s pretty difficult. Plus, Owens speaks with the Welsh accent which they probably don’t catch.
In Rugby, they have video technology and lots of backroom staff. How much dinero would it cost to teach the refs a few words of la langue francaise ?
“A vaincre sans peril, on triomphe sans gloire…”
pothale said | February 8th 2010 @ 11:51pm | Report comment
Far and away the most exciting? Have to disagree with that one. I thought the second half dreary bar a couple of breaks – particularly Lamont’s late breaking run.
Scotland may have chosen to run with ball in hand and make the game more dynamic, but they failed to cross the French line at critical times, and not all of it was down to good French defence. Equally their defending against the French for the two tries they scored was pretty inept too. The first try scored by Basteauraud was so predictable in its pulling in of the backline into tackles at the ruck, that Basteauraud was practically able to walk over the line. Equally the Scottish defence, particular at 6 and 12 was very poor in not communicating with each other and drifting across to cover the run of Harinorduqouy and the pass to Basteauraud. No one laid a glove on him as he ran in.
The second half between England v Wales had much more excitement to it – for this neutral observer anyway, in that Wales made a game of it and were able to get points on the board from boot and hand – Hook’s try the best of the match.
France were treading water for a lot of the second half – maybe saving themselves for next week. If they were trying to score, then like Ireland against Italy failing to score in the second half, they’ll need to up a few gears.
The French scrum certainly looks the most complete of the 6 Nations. They drove the Scots backwards on a number of occasions for quite a few metres each time. Ireland could be in the doghouse if that happens next week.
I’d agree that if England’s backline improves – Wilkinson standing more shallow, and the return of Flutey – it is going to make them tough to beat. They should dispense with Italy easily next week – who have got their first-up match out of the way. Unless Mallet tells them to spend 5 minutes on each ball behind the scrum (was there anything more excrutiating to watch?
If the pundits and bookies are right and Ireland lose against France in Paris, England should be in very buoyant mode by the time they meet the Irish in Twickenham.
Was it just me or was the Frnech/Scotland match not full of reset scrums that seemed to serve no purpose? Owens may be a good ref, but he struck me as far too patient, and should have started pinging a lot quicker.
soapit said | February 9th 2010 @ 10:31am | Report comment
with respect to gower people pull in rugby league half backs who get the defence pushed back ten metres from the ruck every time and wonder why they stand too deep as a rugby 5/8. plus they’re used to standing and passing rather then running forward and engaging a defence but thats another issue.