And on the bill this evening; Modern Blues.
They may be new names to some of you, ladies & gentlemen, but don't let that worry you - they are mostly new names to each other, as well.
What on Earth Monsieur Lievremont is playing at this time is a question for drama critics as much as for sports pundits. A fly-half who has never played there before, a winger shifted to full-back, and an uncapped centre pre-packaged with a poor disciplinary record, as part of a centre pairing who have only played together once, in training...
If it was anyone other than France, one could simply blow a dismissive raspberry and talk about Wales' margin of victory.
But it isn't anyone other than France. Wales wore the unfamiliar mantle of the favourite at home against England impressively enough, but now they must carry that title forward onto the field at Stade de France. It was a first in twenty years against the English, but Wales going to Paris as favourites hasn't happened for an even longer time.
Thankfully, the powder keg is almost entirely anhydrous. The return of Shane Williams to the wing, and Gavin Henson on the replacements bench, gives Wales pretty much a full deck of cards to play behind the scrum. Things look a little sparer up front, with Luke Charteris and Dafydd Jones seeming rather light cover for a pack that must contain Harinordoquoy, Ouedrago, Dusutoir and Chabal...
Whoever wins this one will have achieved something special. Wales must find, if not a new dimension, then at least the occisional wild vector if the failings exposed by England are not to haunt them again. France must simply find each other.
Friday, 27 February 2009
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
As Ye Sow...
England are still moaning about their perceived victimization by referees, with more emphasis on Jonathan Kaplan's performance in Cardiff.
They might, possibly, have a point. It's not beyond all reason that, on a subconscious level, certain refs scrutinize England more closely than their opponents. But there are several caveats to such a concession:
We all remember that there was more than a whiff of "payback" when New Zealand bemoaned the forward pass that cost them so dearly in the RWC07 quarter-final. Likewise, England's bellyaching about skewed refereeing increasingly looks to the rest of us like so many chickens returning home to their Twickenham roosts.
* The standard rugby euphemism for "cheating".
They might, possibly, have a point. It's not beyond all reason that, on a subconscious level, certain refs scrutinize England more closely than their opponents. But there are several caveats to such a concession:
- England have brought this upon themselves, by reverting to their negative instincts, and prioritizing disruption of the opposition over constructive attacking play. They have been one of the most streetwise* teams in the world for many years, and without a trace of shame. That they have somehow mislaid these skills is bad luck, but frankly, it's all a bit "rich".
- Just as northern-hemisphere referees have a partially-deserved reputation for overzealousness with regards to technicalities, so southern refs have had, for a long time, a tendency to favour the attacking side and over-penalise the defending team. Once again, England reaped the rewards of this for many seasons as their muscular forwards allowed Rob Andrew et al. to kick less conservative teams to death.
- The majority of the sin-binnings recently suffered by England have been open-and-shut cases. Haskell and Geraghty were stupid, Tindall suffered for the repeated sins of the team after multiple warnings, and Goode's transgression, if understandable, was transparently cynical. They do have a case regarding Lee Byrne, however!
We all remember that there was more than a whiff of "payback" when New Zealand bemoaned the forward pass that cost them so dearly in the RWC07 quarter-final. Likewise, England's bellyaching about skewed refereeing increasingly looks to the rest of us like so many chickens returning home to their Twickenham roosts.
* The standard rugby euphemism for "cheating".
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Look At The Scoreboard!
We're still learning this "favourites" lark.
Read the papers and websites in the aftermath of Saturday's fixture in Cardiff, and you could be forgiven for struggling to work out who England's opponents had been. Such was the celebration accorded to a functional defensive plan and a few hard tackles, it was almost as if Wales actually winning the game - by two clear scores, at that - had escaped all notice. Even from neutral quarters, there came the kind of headline that brought either nostalgic sighs or peals of laughter from the pubs & clubs of Wales.
It's only fair to highlight a few dissenting voices; Will Carling being notably, and commendably off-message, and stealth Welshman John Taylor bringing some perspective.
This collective critical navel-gaze may stir derision from partial commentators like the one you are reading. But it will no doubt be fine and dandy by Messers Gatland, Edwards & Howley. They quietly press on with the business of trying to win the championship, with once again all the focus on someone else.
Saturday's game was a new test for Wales, and if they didn't get straight As, they passed comfortably enough. There was no panic when it became clear that, as widely suspected, England were no pushovers after all. There was perhaps a little too much adherence to a "plan A" that wasn't entirely working, but it ultimately proved to be working well enough, and was justified by the result.
In fact, it was the newly-confident English who sought to open the game out more; a development as praiseworthy as it was surprising. That Wales refused to get pulled out of shape, plugged away, and finally doused the fire with water still left in the tanks, provided yet another sign of a team growing as a unit and as individuals.
The midfield handling by the forwards for Leigh Halfpenny's try was a thing of rare beauty, but overall this must count as an "ugly" win; and, in the final analysis, may appear all the more beautiful for that.
Read the papers and websites in the aftermath of Saturday's fixture in Cardiff, and you could be forgiven for struggling to work out who England's opponents had been. Such was the celebration accorded to a functional defensive plan and a few hard tackles, it was almost as if Wales actually winning the game - by two clear scores, at that - had escaped all notice. Even from neutral quarters, there came the kind of headline that brought either nostalgic sighs or peals of laughter from the pubs & clubs of Wales.
It's only fair to highlight a few dissenting voices; Will Carling being notably, and commendably off-message, and stealth Welshman John Taylor bringing some perspective.
This collective critical navel-gaze may stir derision from partial commentators like the one you are reading. But it will no doubt be fine and dandy by Messers Gatland, Edwards & Howley. They quietly press on with the business of trying to win the championship, with once again all the focus on someone else.
Saturday's game was a new test for Wales, and if they didn't get straight As, they passed comfortably enough. There was no panic when it became clear that, as widely suspected, England were no pushovers after all. There was perhaps a little too much adherence to a "plan A" that wasn't entirely working, but it ultimately proved to be working well enough, and was justified by the result.
In fact, it was the newly-confident English who sought to open the game out more; a development as praiseworthy as it was surprising. That Wales refused to get pulled out of shape, plugged away, and finally doused the fire with water still left in the tanks, provided yet another sign of a team growing as a unit and as individuals.
The midfield handling by the forwards for Leigh Halfpenny's try was a thing of rare beauty, but overall this must count as an "ugly" win; and, in the final analysis, may appear all the more beautiful for that.
Friday, 13 February 2009
The Scent of Blood...
1988.
Salman Rushdie published "The Satanic Verses". Michael Keaton spooked us with "Beetlejuice". U2 released the album "Rattle & Hum". And the Welsh rugby team were the bookies' favourites for the Five Nations match with England at Twickenham...
It hasn't happened since. A generation of Wales fans have grown up as fans of the underdogs. It's taken an age for the wheel to turn, but turn it finally has. England will take the field at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday evening, as rank outsiders. Read that last sentence again. Yes, it's true.
Warren Gatland has no problem with being a favourite. It's a mentality he has worked hard to instil in his Welsh charges; and it does indeed seem to be rubbing off. There is no sense coming from within the camp of the discomfiture without. "Bring 'em on" seems to be the mantra. "Gats" has even found time to indulge in the psychological psilly-pseason. His announcement that Wales have decoded England's lineout calls is a masterful piece of nonsense; it can be doubted, derided, even mocked... but it cannot be ignored. Genius?
There's a consensus among pundits that Wales have too much in just about every department. The cold numbers foretell a hefty Welsh win. Those who recall the litany of recent English drubbings of Wales lick their lips at the prospect of long-delayed revenge.
But it can't, and won't, be that easy. England's fitness, skill levels, tactical awareness and strategic direction may be safely questioned. Their sheer bloody-mindedness, however, should never be under-estimated. If eyes are to remain fixed on the prize, then a close, ugly home win in Cardiff must be embraced if required.
"Payback" is simply an optional extra.
Salman Rushdie published "The Satanic Verses". Michael Keaton spooked us with "Beetlejuice". U2 released the album "Rattle & Hum". And the Welsh rugby team were the bookies' favourites for the Five Nations match with England at Twickenham...
It hasn't happened since. A generation of Wales fans have grown up as fans of the underdogs. It's taken an age for the wheel to turn, but turn it finally has. England will take the field at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday evening, as rank outsiders. Read that last sentence again. Yes, it's true.
Warren Gatland has no problem with being a favourite. It's a mentality he has worked hard to instil in his Welsh charges; and it does indeed seem to be rubbing off. There is no sense coming from within the camp of the discomfiture without. "Bring 'em on" seems to be the mantra. "Gats" has even found time to indulge in the psychological psilly-pseason. His announcement that Wales have decoded England's lineout calls is a masterful piece of nonsense; it can be doubted, derided, even mocked... but it cannot be ignored. Genius?
There's a consensus among pundits that Wales have too much in just about every department. The cold numbers foretell a hefty Welsh win. Those who recall the litany of recent English drubbings of Wales lick their lips at the prospect of long-delayed revenge.
But it can't, and won't, be that easy. England's fitness, skill levels, tactical awareness and strategic direction may be safely questioned. Their sheer bloody-mindedness, however, should never be under-estimated. If eyes are to remain fixed on the prize, then a close, ugly home win in Cardiff must be embraced if required.
"Payback" is simply an optional extra.
Monday, 9 February 2009
Yes, We Have No Banana Skins...
Wales 26-6 (dec.)
Scotland 7 (all out)
Few Welsh dreams played out the Murrayfield game as easily as reality ultimately allowed. Scotland - admittedly handicapped by injury and looney selection - proved far more accommodating hosts than anyone had predicted.
26-13 may look like a contest, but it wasn't. Had the eternally perfect Chris Paterson been kicking goals for Wales instead of Scotland, it would have been 37-5. As it was, the man who has scored all but 20 of Scotland's last six matches' worth of points against Wales, sat on the bench for 30 minutes, waiting for one of his hapless team-mates to injure himself. Once on the field, he led his team to a subsequent parity - in terms of points, at least.
That Wales settled for the hour-mark scoreline will frustrate fans and concern coaches, but there is an argument for keeping powder dry for when the English visit Cardiff on Saturday. On reflection, a solid, professional but unspectacular victory might be just what is needed. It should ensure that the spotlight remains to be shared with Ireland, whose calm dismantling of France has made everyone sit up and take notice. A perfect atmosphere, one suspects, for Gatland & Co. to quietly take care of matters arising this week.
Scotland 7 (all out)
Few Welsh dreams played out the Murrayfield game as easily as reality ultimately allowed. Scotland - admittedly handicapped by injury and looney selection - proved far more accommodating hosts than anyone had predicted.
26-13 may look like a contest, but it wasn't. Had the eternally perfect Chris Paterson been kicking goals for Wales instead of Scotland, it would have been 37-5. As it was, the man who has scored all but 20 of Scotland's last six matches' worth of points against Wales, sat on the bench for 30 minutes, waiting for one of his hapless team-mates to injure himself. Once on the field, he led his team to a subsequent parity - in terms of points, at least.
That Wales settled for the hour-mark scoreline will frustrate fans and concern coaches, but there is an argument for keeping powder dry for when the English visit Cardiff on Saturday. On reflection, a solid, professional but unspectacular victory might be just what is needed. It should ensure that the spotlight remains to be shared with Ireland, whose calm dismantling of France has made everyone sit up and take notice. A perfect atmosphere, one suspects, for Gatland & Co. to quietly take care of matters arising this week.
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