Six Nations 2017: France and Ireland show cunning to outfox Wales and England Scrum to France, final play, 5m out. France five points ahead and frothing with Gallic trickery. Monstrous prop, Uini Atonio suddenly needs a head injury assessment which sees France return their top tighthead, Rabah Slimani, to the field. As a prop there is no scenario of greater importance than a defensive scrum 5m from one’s [...]
Wales’s Six Nations resurgence against Ireland defers debate over Rob Howley’s tactical rigidity In the build-up to Friday's fixture in Cardiff, when Wales overcame Ireland 22-9, their former flanker Martyn Williams pointed to the "stubborn" management team as a factor in explaining their patchy form of late. Coaches are often caught in a dilemma between whether to stick with the status quo or delve deeper into the squad [...]
Helter-skelter Premiership action is wire brush for rusty stars as England grow in strength for Six Nations climax For a club’s fringe players, the Six Nations provides opportunities to accrue a run of games that can build coaches’ confidence in the consistency and repeatability of favourable performances. International stars will normally only appear at their clubs in order to receive treatment from physiotherapists who are most familiar with the imperfections of their physical [...]
Former Saracens boss Brendan Venter could have set a precedent with remarkable Italy “ruckgate” tactic against England February 28, 2017 One can only speculate on what was said in the home dressing room deep beneath Twickenham’s West Stand on Sunday afternoon. After the first half’s bemusing events, themselves the result of a considered Italian strategy, England eventually hauled their way back into the match before recording a 36-15 victory. Brendan Venter, Italy’s defence coach, employed [...]
Marmite coaches, swelling crowds and now star signings: why Newcastle Falcons are soaring higher than their better-resourced rivals February 20, 2017 Light has been cast on the omnipresent shadow of relegation long lurking behind Newcastle’s Falcons, with the North East club well-installed at the mid-point of the Premiership table having staged a remarkable second half comeback to beat Northampton Saints 46-31 on Sunday afternoon. The club’s new artificial playing surface has produced multiple exciting performances and [...]
Why Paul Gustard deserves credit for England’s Six Nations comeback against Wales February 13, 2017 Paul Gustard has brought a bit of Saracens to the England fold, and it has yielded well so far. Gustard has provided a positivity, an upbeat confidence that has made the squad believe. Senior management were aware of the necessity to bring in a figure who was extroverted and emotional, not only to counter the [...]
Why England players will have shuddered at Eddie Jones’s assessment of the France win February 6, 2017 As bruised England players pored over the Sunday papers while tackling a breakfast of serving bowls of cereal and kilos of back bacon, they would have been unnerved digesting Eddie Jones’s post-match remarks. The head coach blamed himself for the dull performance in England’s narrow 19-16 win over France on Saturday, saying that he didn't [...]
Leicester’s refreshing youth policy is a reminder that size isn’t everything in rugby January 30, 2017 Harry Thacker, the 22-year-old Leicester hooker, is not unfamiliar with crossing the whitewash, and scored his 10th club try in a dynamic display as the Tigers bounced back from an embarrassing Champions Cup defeat last weekend to beat Northampton Saints 27-20 on Saturday. Thacker is continuing the trend of outstanding Welford Road hookers who are [...]
Why England’s Six Nations challenge is reliant on head overruling heart for Dylan Hartley and James Haskell January 23, 2017 The inevitable roles that Dylan Hartley and James Haskell will play in the Six Nations must reinforce the preponderance of mental strength over physical fortitude. There can be little argument against the notion that Haskell is a physical specimen; indeed, all of those who choose to subject themselves to his incessant social media bombardments are [...]
Why England’s spate of injuries could be a blessing in disguise for Eddie Jones January 16, 2017 England’s so-called injury crisis may be lengthening bookies’ odds for a repeat Grand Slam, but it is causing little harm in the medium-term. Eddie Jones’s team can still win the tournament in the absence of some of their regulars, although it will certainly be a greater feat with Ireland confident and France having all the [...]
