Down at Hobart to watch the Rebels v Waratahs friendly, I had a conversation with a rugby tragic who comes from the UK and has been in Australia for some time.
‘I love your columns,’ he told me, ‘but you do seem to have it in for British rugby. Why is that?’
I agreed with him that I have been critical of British rugby, on and off the field of play, for decades. Sometimes, though, as in 2003 I have been extremely generous to what I considered to be one of the great rugby teams in the history of the game, Sir Clive Woodward’s Rugby World Champion England side.
But in general, let’s be honest, virtually all the time I have been critical. And I explained why to my Hobart friend. To begin with, England, in particular, have played terribly boring rugby, slow, plodding, unnecessarily antagonistic and based around an incessant kicking game.
I also pointed out that off the field, England or its pretentiously named union The Rugby Football Union (why not the England Rugby Union for goodness sake?) has opposed every attempt from Australia and New Zealand to make the rugby football game just a rugby game, a skilful, athletic, fast, running and handling game where scoring tries are the object of the exercise rather than kicking goals.
In 1895 The rugby union stalwarts ensured that the northern counties were booted out of the rugby game because players there, mainly miners and factory workers, wanted to be paid during those periods when they were off work because of rugby injuries.
There was plenty of money in the game to allow this.
But the public school old boys who lived in London, especially those from Rugby School, killed off the initiative on the grounds that professionalism would corrupt the Corinthian ideals of the rugby game. This was and is a nonsense.
The Rugby School Old Boys were determined to keep the game as an enclave for the upper middle classes (their class) and even set up a bogus commission in that year to establish the nonsense that William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it at Rugby School in 1823. This supposed event the commission argued gave the old Rugbeians a sort of property and intellectual rights over the game.
It did not matter that Thomas Hughes, the venerable author of Tom Brown’s School Days, told the commission that Jem Mace was the first to run forward with the ball at Rugby School in the 1840s and that Webb Ellis was actually a cricketer at school.
The Rugby Football Union since the 1890s has opposed every attempted improvement in the game, including in recent years a rejection of the ELVs rules which would have created only three penalties rather than the current 30 in the ruck and mauls.
The worst aspect of all this is that this blinkered view saw rugby as a game of set pieces, kicking (football rugby) and the occasional run and try. Stephen Jones rather memorably endorsed this attitude by stating that the perfect rugby match was one played in mud with a 9 – 6 scoreline!
In New Zealand and Australia, the set pieces are seen as a way of starting play, a means to an end not an end in themselves. And the fastball-in-hand game has generally been seen in these parts as the ideal way of playing the game, and the best way to win matches.
All this brings us in a round-about way back to England’s performance against Scotland in last weekend’s Six Nations match at Twickenham. And in short, England played as if they were the All Blacks in white kit. This is, of course, the highest praise that can be given right now to a rugby team.
Owen Farrell, the young flyhalf, kicked twice in the match in general play, the first time 26 minutes into play. For the rest he set up attacks with a fine variety of passes, pop-up, held-back passes and one gem of a long floating pass to an unmarked player out wide.
England’s set pieces were strong. The forwards were mobile and hunted as a pack. And they cleared the ball out from the rucks and mauls with extreme speed. And when they did Ben Youngs, the halfback, cleared straight away.
There is a 5-second rule in place now for clearing a ball lying at the back of the ruck. Youngs never waited even a second.
As soon as the ball was clear, he got it away. The result was that England’s attacks were wave after wave of probing runs, sometimes the forwards and then the outside backs. It was exciting, thrilling stuff.
And for someone who has believed that this sort of play is unattainable for England sides, except on rare occasions, it was instructive to see how effective it was for England.
The sign of a side on the up is that new players can come in and make a mark. I’d never heard of Bill Twelvetrees, the inside centre. But he was outstanding in making breaks, passing and setting up rucks to maintain the momentum of the England attacks.
This is the second successive time that this England team has played a splendid, real rugby match. Last year England monstered the All Blacks, again at Twickenham, in a manner that rarely happens to the New Zealanders.
Both these impressive victories by England, against the All Blacks and against Scotland, were at their Twickenham fortress. The next test of England’s willingness to play real rugby comes at the weekend at Dublin against Ireland.
Ireland were excellent against a Wales side that has lost all its form since the beginning of 2012 when they were the Grand Slam victors. The Irish loose forwards were particularly impressive.
And Brian O’Driscoll was back to his magical best, even playing scrum half when the Ireland half was in the sin bin.
England’s test is to have the courage to play its ball-in-hand game away from home. And against quicker, better and more fiery side than Scotland (disappointingly) proved to be.
I made the fearless prediction that France would win the 2013 Six Nations tournament. I was careful to ensure that I did not predict a Grand Slam for them, though.
As it happened, they were beaten by an Italian side that ran brilliantly from broken play. And came back from being behind to surge to a well-deserved, if unexpected, victory.
The French players looked cumbersome, physically and mentally. Coach St Andre has promised that his team will not play was poorly again in the tournament.
Well, the test is on the field rather than words from the coach. France have the chance of partial redemption in Paris against Wales.
Italy travel to Murrayfield to continue their quest of successive Six Nations victories against Scotland.
But the match of the round is Ireland v England, and its pointers to the how the British and Irish Lions might play in their series in June against the Wallabies.
dave
Guest
Here we go again... Northern hemisphere bashing by a bloke who has never played the game. I'm sorry Spiro but you shouldn't write about a subject you know nothing about. Of course they can call themselves 'The Rugby Football Union' as they invented the game. Who cares who first picked up the ball but then again who says Thomas Hughes knew what happened that day? You quote him like his word is gospel!! The RFU weren't the only ones that were against ELV's, so were a lot of other countries and the ground swell of public opinion in those countries were against it too. The ELV's were pushed mostly by Australia (and yes I know other countries pushed them too) because they want a dumbed down game to compete with AFL and NRL. Well I'm sorry but it was a blessing that they were thrown out by the IRB council...not just the RFU. It was a case that if you don't agree with me then your wrong!! Sorry Spiro but people are allowed their opinion and if the public didn't want it in some countries then why should they be forced to have it? Another massive selling point of Rugby is the different styles in different countries. Each country has it's own style, strengthens and weaknesses and its all part of the beautiful game. When you go to SA you know they are coming at you through the forwards.... The Welsh the backs and the best is NZ who come from everywhere. If everyone played the same then it would take away from the intrigue that each game has which is exactly the trouble with league where every game is basically the same. The set piece is also central to the game and if you take that away then it might as well be league... Asutralia is the only country that wants the set piece to be solely a restart. I have a number of mates that play over in NZ and kiwi friends here that love it when the scrum gets on top!! SA, Argentina and the Northern Hem all love the set piece but because Spiro (whose never played the game) and Australia don't, lets dumb them down.!! No sorry Spiro but you and the rest of Australia are in the minority so tough. Why is it that you have to slag off everyone else that doesn't agree with your view and they are automatically wrong.. I say good luck to any team that wants to play its own way!! Its up to the rest to beat them with their own style! You and Stephen Jones are very much alike ... One eyed bigots that love to hate!
Dean Vincent
Guest
France to win 6 Nations? They'll be lucky to win a game from what I've seen in their first two outings. Absolutely dire. Don't think I've ever seen such a boring, limited French team. They just seem to want to steamroller opponents and very little else. Michalak looks utterly clueless at 1st five.....a backline playing with confidence would have torn them to shreds. Unfortunately Wales did not convert their opportunities despite their dominance of possession and territory.
Doug
Guest
IIRC actually only the first couple of weeks of the ARC were played under the full ELVs. There was a change in the interpretation of rucks after complaints from players and coaches. I really enjoyed watching the ARC as a whole, but particularly the first few weeks were fantastic.
Wales15
Guest
I am afraid Kingplaymaker is partially correct. I can't comment on Ireland as I have no clue, but in Wales it is declining or rather becoming static because of the success of the boring football. Children are seeing the success of Swansea/Cardiff and the woes of regional rugby and as second nature to most Welsh people, they go for the team that is winning. Also, rugby league is slowly growing in South Wales, the last time I saw. However, I stand to be corrected on that one as I am not that in touch with it lately. It will undoubtedly have a negative effect as with a small population base as it stands, they can't afford to lose people. But in saying that, look at England. Football is their national sport and yet with a rugby player pool (1 million) more than Wales(50,000), they're not that good currently. And yes the AB win was good, but they should be beating them as much as the AB's do them, which is 9 times out of 10.
Malo
Guest
Spiro do you have any credibility left? Of course England will win it.
Hightackle
Guest
Seriously? They were fluid becuz they wanted to be fluid, is that it? England looked really good and Scotland were beaten by 20 points. To say it would have been closer if it was closer is ridiculous. Im sorry but it is. England completely outplayed Scotland and left points out there. I mean to say if the Scottish player hadnt made the mistake the score would have been closer is really silly becuz that near thing came off an Eng mistake, so you could just as easily say that if Eng hadnt made that mistake Scot wouldnt have had that chance couldnt you? Anyway I think thats a really bizzare and illogical way of thinking.
Hightackle
Guest
Yes and if Scot had scored 20 more points they would have won. However they didnt. I do agree though that if England had played less well and Scotland had of played a lot better it may have been closer. However they didnt. Farmer what is your point? "It could have been closer". What does that even mean? I think if Australia had of beaten NZ and and France in the WC that they would be WC champs. However they didnt. I think you are missing the point of sport.
Hightackle
Guest
Wales won a higher % of games in the 90s than the 00s.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Ok Bakkies slow down and try to pay attention to what I'm actually saying. Scotland and Italy have seen vast increases in participation over the past 5 years, 50% in the first case. Wales and Ireland may ALREADY have good playing pools, but they have not seen the same dramatic increase in the past few years. So the quality although good, may not be improving, whereas it is bound to for Scotland and Italy.
Bakkies
Guest
What have you been smoking? Wales have won 3 Grand Slams (2005, 2008, 2012) and finished 4th in the most recent RWC. I am not sure if you were following Rugby in the 90s both Wales and Ireland were awful. I don't know what conclusions you are coming up with for Ireland but the amount of kids taking up the game here and is expanding in to GAA strongholds is quiet good. That wasn't happening in the 90s to the same extent it is happening now.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Well, the calibre of players in each team doesn't seem to have improved over the last decade nor have the playing numbers soared.
Dublin Dave
Guest
Groan! Spiro on his historical hobby horse again. I'd like to have it shot, only I fear it might end up in our beef burgers. :)
Mart
Guest
Agree with Lion and Bakkies, France / Wales will be a corker given their results last week and the weather will possibly kybosh much of the running rugby potential in Dublin. Eng did play high intensity / fluidity but they look to me as if they are doing it for fluidity sakes rather than making real inroads to try scoring. They seem to be forcing it one step too many and, yep I agree, the Scots could have got closer. Against that the results agaonst NZ and Scotland speak for themselves. Most worrying / pleaseing (depending on where you stand) is the relative youth / iunesperience (in terms of caps) of the Eng squad .... it reminds me of when ng named Carling as a really young captain years back, some thumping defeats followed but the Eng hierarchly stuck to the plan and the 1991 / 1995 RWC teams were the result.
Colin N
Guest
It could have been closer had Scotland taken their only other chance, but then England could have won by 40, possibly 50 had England taken all of theirs and not conceded two soft tries. That's the crucial point.
Bakkies
Guest
Supposed to rain in Dublin on Sunday with possible snow on Monday so conditions will dictate.
Bakkies
Guest
Scotland didn't threaten because they couldn't protect the ball or gave away stupid penalties.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Scotland didn't really threaten at all, and England left a few tries on the pitch. Realistically England didn't get out of 3rd/4th gear.
Bakkies
Guest
Scotland were awful and still were capable of getting close so it's hard to gauge where England are. The Scots - Gave away to many penalties. - Ball watched and allowed the England players to get over the advantage line. - Were shocking at the breakdown. No cleanout and gave away too many turnovers. They finally have a backline but their pack didn't front up and give them the ball they required.
Bakkies
Guest
''and it seems Wales and Ireland are the only countries where growth is static, less so of Ireland but very much so of Wales who seem to rest on their laurels. This may have bearings on the future of these four countries.'' Rubbish. Rugby has been growing over the past twelve years in Ireland it's going to level out at some point. Rugby is growing in Connacht and has done so significantly over the last 2 years. You will see more and more better rounded players come out of Ireland with the emphasis on skills coaching. Ulster are well on top of the Pro 12 with a young squad. Munster are moving forward by bringing younger players, the rebuild wouldn't have happened so quick after losing a dozen or so experienced players (Wallace, Leamy, Quinlan, Hayes, Mick O'Driscoll to name a few) if the player base and talent wasn't there. Welsh regional Rugby may be struggling but they are still producing talented players. The Ospreys won the Pro 12 with a youthful squad after shedding a truck load of marquee players from the previous season.
Lion
Guest
Spiro: Match of the round will be between France and Wales, not the English and Paddies. It will just be a kick fest between Farrell and Sexton.