At least that’s what Roarer Rex Godwin says. Anybody who’s been around The Roar for a while will be familiar with Rex who, at age 81, is one of the oldest Roarers currently posting.
What makes Rex distinctive, apart from his longevity, is that he still travels to suss out the opposition. He was in Lyon recently to watch the Saracens in the European Champions Cup games partly because so many of the quality players in Eddie Jones’ 32-man squad were slated to come from that team.
And so it proved – six of them are certainties to start in Brisbane. Rex was also at Twickenham last weekend to watch an England side beat Wales in a warmup.
“I’m impressed,” he told me via email. “The Saracen contingent – Itoje, Kruis, Farrell, Goode, George, Billy Vunipola and Mako Vunipola – is a very talented bunch.
“And when you include players like Hartley, Cole, Slade, Joseph, Nowell and Watson, you’ve got the nucleus of a run-on side that’s going to be very formidable at Suncorp.”
I told Rex I’d heard that Jones was making great strides in changing England’s traditional style.
“And in an amazingly short time,” Rex answered.
“Eddie has shrugged off the plodding Six Nations trudge and is talking up fast, rambunctious forward play with the backs sending the ball wide to their very speedy wings.”
I asked Rex for his take on the three-Test format in Australia.
“When you’re playing a three-game series, there are two schools of thought,” he wrote back.
“One school says a loss in the first Test inspires the losers to greater effort in the second Test. The other school says a first-test loss puts too much pressure on the losers who then press in the second Test and make mistakes. I agree with this second opinion.”
And what about Jones?
“I’m sure he [agrees with me]. Eddie’s on a roll. He’s six and zero since taking over England, and he’s intent on making that seven and zero. He’s taking a confident squad to Brisbane, and he’s got to keep that confidence up for Melbourne.”
I asked whether Glen Ella coming in as attack skills coach would make a difference?
“Absolutely. I’ve known Glen and his brother Mark since they were a couple of marvels at Matraville High. I had a chance to chat to Glen
in London this time through and he’s very up on his England charges, particularly any combination of the back three which was Glen’s area as a Wallaby.
“He feels that, for the first time in ages, England will have a potent midfield with a couple of great finishers on the edges. He’s encouraging the backs to grab their chances from turnover possession, not to kick as they would have in the old days, and indeed did in the Six Nations, but to race toward the chalk in a backline sweep as the Wallabies and the All Blacks invariably do.”
And did Glen reveal who he favoured to do the job?
“I didn’t ask because he wouldn’t have told me. He’s signed the official rugby secrets act. But I think I know who he and Eddie have in mind.”
“[Danny] Care at No.9, who should have a D on his jersey for dangerous anywhere inside the opposition’s half. [George] Ford had a nightmare against Wales, not only leaving 14 points on the tee but being uncertain in general play.
“Still, I think Eddie will talk him into belief and start him at No.10 with Owen Farrell, who’s an outstanding penalty kicker, good defender and distributor, outside him, Jack Nowell and Anthony Watson on the wings and Alex Goode at fullback.
“Goode is no great shakes hitting the line but he has a potent, long-range punt which I believe Eddie will employ to bring his superior lineout into play. Watson has real pace which is something the Wallabies don’t have in a winger now that Henry Speight is lost to sevens.”
And their forwards?
“Better than ours, I’m afraid. Hooker [Dylan] Hartley hasn’t played a lot of rugby since suffering his second concussion. He played against Wales but wasn’t his usual combative self. However, I’m sure he’ll be back to being a firebreather in Brisbane because, as captain, it will be demanded of him.
I expect [Dan] Cole and Mako Vunipola to prop. Cole’s always strong and Mako’s a real ground gainer. We don’t have anybody in the front row who can grab off a lot of real estate. Stephen Moore’s a fine captain but as a runner he’s strictly two yards and a cloud of dust. His backup, Tatafu Polota-Nau, is a damn good ball carrier but his lineout lob, well, let’s just say he’ll never play for the Lakers.
“Eddie’s greatest area of superiority is his second row. [George] Kruis, a battered warrior, is just about always a success as a target and [Maro] Itoje’s the thief of Bagdad. You don’t have to lift him, he’s Springheeled Jack. And those two are extremely well backed up by [Joe] Launchbury and [Courtney] Lawes who can also play No.6.
“Perhaps Cheika will choose our two best scrummagers and try for superiority in the scrums. Or he may go with Rob Simmons and 6’10” Rory Arnold, or tap Will Skelton and tell him to collect heads. I’ve given up guessing on our game-day pairing.”
And what does Rex think about England’s back row?
“First rate. Brisbane-born Jack Clifford’s a real find. Probably the fastest big man since Pierre Spies. At No.6 [James] Haskell’s another biggie and makes a nuisance of himself like Owen Finegan used to do.
“But it’s Billy Vunipola at No.8 who’s the standout. Heavy through the hips, buttocks and thighs he has terrific leg drive and a try-and-stop-me attitude. David Pocock, who I think will be our No.8 at Suncorp, is a wonderful No.7 but is less effective at the back of the scrum.
At No.6 Scott Fardy’s world class. I think Cheika will pick Michael Hooper at No.7 to make up, in small part, for the loss of Kurtley Beale. And a great loss it is as a Beale/Israel Folau midfield would have carved up England.”
And to predicitons, who does Rex think will come out on top in the first Test?
“We’ll have home field advantage of course and a vociferous crowd tearing strips off the old foe. Another negative for England is that they’ll be fielding some players who’ve never seen action at Suncorp.
“But, and there’s always a but, Eddie surprised the Boks and his team could surprise the Wallabies. I’m a Wallaby fan first and foremost, and I think they’ll score, say, three tries to two. But with Farrell handling the penalties, I think England will take the first Test.”
Charlie Turner
Guest
"This is an article written by a guy pretending to talk via E-mail to a guy hes made up" was Spiro the author?
Not Bothered
Guest
You like fiction do ya?
Not Bothered
Guest
What a load of rubbish this is. Sure old Rex travelled to Eng atond France check out English players. I mean who wouldnt do that...for no reason. Absolute b0ll0cks. This is an article written by a guy pretending to talk via E-mail to a guy hes made up. Not the first time either. This Rex guy is such a fan that at 81, for no valid reason, he flies to England just to go to a Saracens game because hes heard a few of the English team are coming from that club. Sure. I could have saved Rex a few dollars and let him watch it on my TV. You may have fooled some but I can smell nonsense a mile away mate.
Timbo
Roar Rookie
"timbo – if the english team is a lot different than the one faced by the wallabies in the rwc then surely most of the team have had a good break not being heavily involved under lancaster." I said there were about 7 of the starting XV from the RWC match that would likely be starting in Brisbane. To that you need to add Billy Vunipola who was injured the week before, and Kruis and Mako Vunipola who were on the bench. In addition there will be some England players (like Burrell) who went through all the squad slog in the summer, and the pre-RWC matches but missed the cut. They then went straight to their clubs and played the pre-season matches and club season (which runs in parallel with the 6 Nations). I would suggest that at least 10 of the starters in Brisbane should, by any stretch of the imagination, not be playing. The rest are simply at the end of a 10 month continuous stretch. Jones comments on this are interesting. He asked his coaches recently what sort of state the players were in and got the answer 'in bits'. Quite rightly he came out publicly and said this wasn't a factor. He's trying to create the sort of .no excuse. environment that Woodward created between 2000-2003. However, this is entirely the fault of the NH game, and they're going to have to reap the consequences - again. More ammo to the global season argument.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Big question ebop, which probably needs a whole new discussion. I'm pleased the NZRU has put a freeze on scheduling new Tests because it might help bring a lot of these issues to a head. They've festered for too long.
ebop
Guest
You've always been a cool, calm and collected poster Rugby Fan with good reasoned arguments so much respect there. Clubs are to blame no doubt as they squeeze every last millilitre of blood from their over paid players. Question is, what do you guys prefer, club success or international success? But probably the horse has bolted already as my understanding is that your unions don't control the clubs so what can be done?
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Agree again, TM. Don't think I realised the problem at the time but hard to deny it.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
PeterK Off the top of my head, the players who have had the toughest schedules over the last 2 years are Robshaw Farrell Ford Watson Joseph Billy Vunipola Kruis Brown Cole I'd have been happy to see all those players get rest and a proper pre-season. On top of that, Dylan Hartley would be better off taking a break after his concussions, while Care and Youngs look stale, even if their workload hasn't been as heavy as others.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Not sure why you think pre-season friendlies are meaningless, TM, they are a pretty standard part of preparation in any professional sport. Super Rugby teams play them too. Glad to see you've moved straight on to arguing about who's to blame, since that shows you accept the fact that northern hemisphere players do have a different workload. It's still common to see that basic truth denied. Even Eddie Jones still seems unaware of it. Also means we can move straight on to agreeing about more. I already wrote above that the northern unions and clubs have no-one but themselves to blame for their ridiculous schedules. Hey, we are finally on the same page!
taylorman
Guest
Yep, we alluded to that months prior to the tournament. The England side were not up to the mental pressures of hosting the tournament at home, made worse by the pressure that Pool A placed on them. Hansen mentioned this regularly after having faced the same pressures in NZ in 2011. Hosting IS a big deal, and the pressure applied by the fans and particularly the medial/ social media is huge, England possibly the worst in terms of media mass and attention. The side didnt have the leadership across the board that NZ did in 2011 and they only just made it. Lambs to the slaughter.
taylorman
Guest
Yes they do play long periods Rugby fan but who's fault is that? Did the SH ask them to play all those meaningless friendlys and second rate club comps. How many trophies does a club side get to compete for? We have the Super series, and thats it. We do have our local ITM where the ABs hardly play. No point bringing it up if its all of your own doing. Want a break? Dont play rugby. Its not rocket science.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
PeterK so long as the Wallabies' forwards can handle the powerhouse England pack there won't be a problem, because Jones has peversely sent the good backs on a second team tour.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Exaclty, Jones is being peverse and sending the good backs elsewhere, which shows his good/bad nature as a coach.
PeterK
Roar Guru
if the players are that soft mentally why wouldn't they crack playing the wallabies now.
PeterK
Roar Guru
timbo - if the english team is a lot different than the one faced by the wallabies in the rwc then surely most of the team have had a good break not being heavily involved under lancaster.
Peter Hughes
Roar Rookie
Dirk hehehe - those stats are irrelevant to a claim of "easybeats". Yes Wallabies have a much superior win/loss ratio but almost every one of those games has been highly competitive so each win did not come easy at all - quite the opposite in fact.
Sam Taulelei
Roar Guru
Australia v England sporting contests always inspire a lot of passion and interest. What makes this series so fascinating and exciting is that both teams are on similar trajectories in their development. The Wallabies were the biggest improvers last year and won the Rugby Championship. England are the biggest improvers this year to date and are the Six Nations champions. Ignoring the history between the respective coaches, we also have two teams that have worked hard to change their DNA and stereotypical perceptions. Australia with their forward play and scrum, England with their desire to play to score in multiples of 5 rather than 3's. For me this series is more appealing as a fan because it's a genuine contest and not a foregone conclusion.
Dan in Devon
Guest
A fairly spot on assessment but I would make two counterpoints. Firstly, Haskell may be big but I have not been impressed by his work at the breakdown during the season. Having worked with George Smith, I expected Haskell to be a lot more imposing and crafty. Neither nor Robshaw are up to the standard of Hooper or Pocock. Secondly, Itoje is still quite young and inexperienced. He is an outstanding prospect but I would reserve judgement until he has played against Southern Hemisphere teams. For me , the most dangerous forward in both teams is David Pocock. Admittedly, I am basing my assessment on what I saw during the RWC, but I thought he was simply phenomenal and I expect he will have a major, impact on the upcoming series.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
A lot of England players haven't had more than a month long break from rugby since the end of the New Zealand tour two years ago. That's going all the way back to the last Test on the 21st June 2014. The English domestic season officially began again on the 5th September 2014. Match to match, that's a ten week gap between the seasons, which is not much different from the South. In 2014, the last end of year test was 29th November, and the first Super Rugby round started on the 13th February, which is only a gap of a day or two extra. Going back to England, most club players use all that time for a pre-season training schedule (probably the same in the south). International players will have been given time off, and some will have got a month in. However, everyone would have been back training by the end of July, or beginning of August at the latest. Since then? For any England player who featured in the 30th May 2015 Premiership final, and then made the World Cup squad, the longest rest they had was three weeks, because the England World Cup training squad started on 22 June 2015, and there hasn't been a break since. An early World Cup exit didn't give any players a longer rest, it just mean they went back to playing for their clubs earlier. England's last World Cup match was on September 18th 2015. Club friendlies took place the following weekend, and the official opening round started on the 16th October. Some World Cup players were in the club starting XVs that day, so they would have been back in training almost immediately. Look, it is what it is. Although clubs would dearly love their top players to give this tour a miss, the players will be desperate to go. Also, the clubs agreed all that World Cup training time with the RFU, so they can have no complaints there. However, anyone who thinks the southern hemisphere players are always in the same boat needs to take another look at the calendar. The World Cup final was on October 31st 2015. The official start to the Super Rugby season was 26th February. Match to match, that's a gap of over 16 weeks. No Southern Hemisphere side ever tours the North after the sort of scheduled I've outlined above. Also, no Southern Hemisphere touring side ever faces players who've had a 16 week gap between seasons. That's not pointing fingers, or trying to disparage the obvious strength of rugby in the south. If you want to argue that NZ would probably still beat all comers if the roles were reversed, I'd have to agree. My head says Australia has everything in their favour for this tour but I'm not writing England off. The equivalent fixture list four years ago saw England down in South Africa after the World Cup. We got battered for two Tests and then managed a draw in the last. If we still had enough bloodymindedness to fight back to a draw back then, then I'm going to hope we can show some spirit this time to stay competitive this time. I'd be happy with one win and delighted with an unlikely drawn series. Anything better than that, and I'll probably be back on here telling you always knew it would happen, while trying to work out how to delete this post.
Ferdy
Guest
Although I tend to agree with the overall opinion that the most likely outcome of the forthcoming series will be Aussie victory, I don't share the overwhelming view of the majority of posts on this site writing off England's chances, with an Australian series win a foregone conclusion. 'Recent' matchups between two sides (excluding the RWC game last year - battering I admit) combined with current form and squads suggest a much tighter contest. Would an English victory cause the same stir as say a Welsh win in the upcoming series v NZ? I don't think so.