Toulouse the team to beat in Heineken

By Paul Morgan, editor of Rugby World Magazine

Toulouse should be confirmed as the red-hot favourites for the Heineken Cup, after the quarter-finals were confirmed and semi-finals drawn.
The three-time champions have been handed the chance to make it four by the draw which ensures if they make the Paris final they won’t have to leave France to do it!
Leinster though have won in Toulouse before, in a famous quarter-final a few years so don’t write off their Rolls Royce of a backline!
The Heineken Cup quarter-finals are confirmed:
Munsterv Northampton
Biarritzv Ospreys
Toulouse v Stade Français
Leinster v Clermont
Matches to be played on April 9, 10 and 11
Semis: 1.Toulouse/Stade Francais v Leinster/Clermont Auvergne
2.Biarritz/Ospreys v Munster/Northampton Matches to be played May 1 and 2
Now who will win it?

2009 – What a year!

By Stephen Thomas, Rugby World reader

So 2009; what a year! There have been many ups and downs; many tales to tell. I’m going to be here every month reviewing everything which happens and giving out my unofficial awards. Now I’m going to look at 2009.
First of all is the Player of the Year. The IRB Player of the Year went to Richie McCaw and though that is a great choice, I personally believe it should have been Brian O Driscoll. He was superb both for club, country and for Lions. He still has the touch of class about him and when he touches the ball you just expect something to happen.
Team of the year is next. My winner is Sale Sharks! Only joking; they are a work in progress so perhaps next year! I’m going to give it to the British and Irish Lions. For a team who only got together for a short amount of time beforehand; to have the camaraderie they did and to come within a whisker of the winning the series is a credit to all of them especially the coaching staff which leads me to Coach of the Year.
There is only one choice for me. Sir Ian McGeechan. I never really realised how much the Lions meant to him until I saw the DVD of the tour and after a team talk before a game, there he was crying. Hands up this made me emotional and made me realise that it means that much to him.
Special recognition due to Declan Kidney who took his Munster form to Ireland and getting a Grand Slam for the first time in 66 years so well done to him. Also to Richard Cockerill for Leicester who deserves credit as he took over mid season and winning the Premiership and getting in the final of the Heineken Cup deserves huge credit.
My final award is the Moment of the Year and there are joint winners for that. Ireland and winning the Grand Slam for the first time in 66 years; what a great moment to watch and they fully deserved it with the talent of players they have in their squad.
My other recipient is Tom Williams in Bloodgate. Now I thought the events of this summer were awful and Dean Richards got what he deserved really but the thing that made me laugh the moment was the footage of how he got the capsule to open! Surely he could have made it less obvious!
Until next month…

Rugby World Player and Team of the Decade

By Paul Morgan, editor of Rugby World Magazine

The new edition of Rugby World goes on sale today with our Player and Team of the Decade announced.
But what do you think? Would you have selected a different player or different members of the team.
Does a side with 4 Kiwis, 3 Englishmen, 2 Welshmen and 2 South Africans reflect the Noughties?

HE STARTED the decade with a hat-trick in his first Six Nations Championship and finished it as one of the key reasons why Ireland went the whole of 2009 without suffering a defeat. So in the eyes of Rugby World there’s only one man who should be named Player of the Decade: Brian O’Driscoll.
The man from Blackrock College will earn his 100th Ireland cap in the coming Six Nations and more than any other has written his name large and bold across the decade that will be known as the Noughties.
Whether as captain of Ireland, Leinster or the Lions, O’Driscoll has shown exemplary form over a sustained period – form that wins him our accolade above and beyond a host of players who have left an indelible mark on our great game.
O’Driscoll may be our Player of the Decade, but he doesn’t captain our Team of the Decade. That honour falls to the captain without peer, England’s Martin Johnson.
The decade produced two World Cup winners, in England and South Africa, so naturally those teams had a number of players on our shortlist. But it isn’t all about World Cups as New Zealand managed to earn four representatives in our starting XV without even making a final.
Similarly, the rise of Argentina in this decade and Wales’ two Grand Slams had the judges scratching their heads
and working out how we could keep our team down to 15 players. A number of big names missed out, such as Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back, as we looked for balance in our side and the recognition of players like Sergio Parisse, who may never win a Six Nations or World Cup but should nevertheless always figure when we’re looking for legends of our game.
Full team

Mils Muliaina – New Zealand
Jason Robinson – England
Brian O’Driscoll – Ireland
Matt Giteau – Australia
Shane Williams – Wales
Dan Carter – New Zealand
Agustin Pichot – Argentina
Gethin Jenkins – Wales
John Smit – South Africa
Carl Hayman – New Zealand
Martin Johnson (c) – England
Victor Matfield – South Africa
Richard Hill – England
Richie McCaw – New Zealand
Sergio Parisse – Italy

Subs: Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma, Sylvian Marconnet, Juan-Martín Fernández Lobbe, Fourie Du Preez, Jonny Wilkinson, Yannick Jauzion, Juan Martín Hernández.

By what do you think? Name your Team and Player of the Decade and tell us why you have made your choices.

Also if you’d like to get 32% off a subscription to Rugby World Magazine go to our websites at http://www.rugbyworld.com, where we have a new offer available!

Llanelli Scarlets v Leinster – Verdict

By Rugby World editor, Paul Morgan

LEINSTER blew Llanelli away at Parc y Scarlets (32-7), but the game proved (if it needed proving) that the worries about rugby’s laws are confined to England as we were treated to an entertaining game, with both sides intent on playing attacking rugby.
Leinster’s dominance meant they had the majority of the ball, but when the Scarlets had it they were committed to an attacking style of rugby that would have woken up some of the England fans who were sent to sleep at Twickenham in November.
There were a few high balls, but they didn’t dominate the game, and we saw five excellent tries.
Leinster’s five points almost wipes out the holders defeat in the first round to London Irish, as they join the Exiles on 10 points at the top of the pool. But don’t tell Leinster coach Michael Cheika that! I tried after the game and the Aussie’s glare back at the question means he still hasn’t forgotten the horror of that defeat!
Leinster were simply better in every department and started so well, moving 22-0 ahead inside the first 30 minutes, that the Scarlets were unable to get a foothold in the game.
But when you consider the number of Test players, including Matthew Rees, Dafydd Jones, Rhys Thomas, Regan King, Mark Jones and Morgan Stoddart, that the Scarlets had missing it is no wonder they couldn’t live with the European champions.
Despite that when the sides meet again next weekend don’t rule the Scarlets out, because the style of rugby they play means they will always score tries, and it is clear how they beat London Irish in round two.
I can’t see past a Leinster win when they meet again because the Dublin pack is so powerful, but it could easily be closer and Leinster will have to fight for the crucial bonus point as one thing is for sure – London Irish will pick up five points at home to Brive, who are proving to be one of the worst sides in the competition.
In Jonathan Davies they have one of the brightest young talents in Welsh rugby. The side centre is destined to have a big future and had Sean Lamont not smashed Isa Necewa in the second half at 7-22, without using his arms, we might have been talking about a losing bonus point for the Scarlets.
Leinster have uncovered two very promising players in back rowers Sean O’Brien and Kevin McLaughlin, who form a great partnership with Jamie Heaslip.
The match proved that the Fijian management should send a rather large Christmas present to Isa Nacewa, who was again outstanding on the wing. Nacewa has played once for Fiji – in the 2003 World Cup – but refuses to play for them again. Surely he could be tempted by a shot at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, where he was born and grew up. The pace and elusive running he showed at Parc y Scarlets proved he is more than capable of making an impact at the World Cup.
But what do you think?
Where you there? Did you watch the game on tv? What’s your view?

The Celtic Perspective – Part 2

By Rugby World reader Ken FitzGerald

Once more unto the breach dear friends….

This famous quote is from Shakespeare’s play Henry the V. The breach in the quote refers to a whole in the wall surrounding the town of Harfleur in Northern France. Henry and is army had besieged the town in 1415. During a lull in the fighting Henry addressed his exhausted troops to ignite their passions and motivate them to attack the whole in the wall again and to basically keep going in the face of adversity. Most of us have probably seen clips of this blood rousing speech over the years performed on film by Laurence Olivier or Kenneth Brannagh. The reason I mention this is for two reasons. The first being I was struck by the thought of what words of inspiration Martin Johnson uses on his players before a game; and the second being will Graham (gis’a hug Shawsy) Simmons’s producer at BSkyB have to use a similar speech to get him to interview the goliath that is the England manager again?  If you haven’t seen the post match interview from last Saturdays England Argentina game u-tube it. The ending is hilarious. To say the Martin Johnson looked like a man under siege is an understatement.    

No matter how poor a spectacle the game was England got a win and they will take positives from that. Argentina is a difficult side to play against and a win is a win. But is this England side paralysed by a fear of failure?  Has Martin Johnson become for England in just over a year what Roy Keane did for Sunderland? Isn’t man management and motivation about empowering decision making on the field not stifling it?  With the exception of more decoy runners being used I saw no improvement in England’s attacking play and both Geraghty and Wilkinson didn’t have good days at the office.   Regardless I think England will be bolstered this week by the inclusion of the excellent Simon Shaw and will go into the game believing they can at least compete with the All Blacks this weekend. I fear it will be all one way traffic in Twickenham though. 

I must admit I didn’t see the Scotland Fiji game but am always pleased for a Celtic win; and the All Blacks proved that their brand is a big draw just about everywhere. Great to see a rugby match going ahead in the San Siro, a source in the ERC tells me it may be one of several Italian venues being considered for the Heineken Cup final in 2013.   

And so that brings me onto Ireland. I was right about the cataclysmic tussle prediction last week but not about the result. Was this the third and fourth best teams in the world playing each other? If you believe in the rankings is was. While not a great spectacle and the atmosphere in Croke park was nothing like the Heineken Cup semi final last May. It was still by and large a fascinating encounter. It was Brian O Driscolls 100^th cap, it was  Rockys return to his adopted home city and it was Cian Healy’s test debut. The selection of Paddy Wallace at inside centre absolutely baffled me. The Wallabies couldn’t believe their luck and the excellent Pocock and Elsom ran down the ten twelve channel all day. O’Gara had a shaky start giving O’Driscoll a hospital pass leading to the softest try the Wallabies will see all tour, and the rest of his game wasn’t much better. Which brings me to the question of Declan Kidneys selection policy. If he dropped Gordon D’Arcy because he believed he wasn’t playing well for Leinster and he picked Paddy Wallace because he believed he was playing well for Ulster then why was Ronan O’Gara selected at out half when Leinsters Jonathan Sexton is clearly the inform out half in the country at the moment ?  Why did the wily Kidney not play Tommy Bowe at inside center and the in from Shane Horgan on the wing with Keith Earls on the bench? This team was not picked on form and was looking dead in the water until Cian Healy grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and charged twenty meters over the gain line and deep into the wallaby twenty two late in second half  igniting the passions of the seventy odd thousand in the stadium. They showed a lot of belief to stay in the game and fought hard for the draw. But Ultimately Ireland got out of jail with a last gasp try from their mercurial talismanic captain. But let’s hope the fifteen to face South Africa in two weeks are all their on merit and not for services rendered. This of course won’t happen, which makes me think of what words of inspiration the crafty Cork man uses to motivate his troops.

 Once more unto the breech dear friends….

 p.s can any of Rugby World’s English readers please explain Steve Borthwicks selection for the England team never mind as captain?

 

 

Rugby union: Lions 2009 – first Test verdict

From Paul Morgan, editor of Rugby World Magazine

One of the greatest matches in the history of the British and Irish Lions finished with 30 players and almost 48,000 fans (including the media) emotionally drained, here in Durban. I was privileged to be there as I was privileged to watch Dan Carter wreck the Lions in Wellington four years ago. Could we have asked for anything better?

The Lions were down and out / dead and buried (pick your cliche) after 45 minutes, trailing the world champions 26-7. Surely there was no way back for the men in red. But from a platform created by their world-class centres Jamie Roberts and Brian O’Driscoll they hauled themselves up by their bootlaces and back into the game with tries from Tom Croft and Mike Phillips to create a nerve-jangling last five minutes. Although the Springboks showed why they are world champions by shutting the door on any comeback and sealing the win.

The spirit that Ian McGeechan has instilled in these Lions is incredible and with Roberts busting the Springboks defence at will and O’Driscoll weaving his magic they always looked like scoring. They got over the line three more times, Ugo Monye being tackled into touch, Phillips seeing Bakkies Botha knock the ball out of his hand when he was touching down and Monye have the ball smashed out of his grasp as he went over, by Monye Steyn.

What more could anyone want from a rugby match? White hot atmosphere, a staggering comeback and the game still on a knife edge in the dying minutes.

So while my prediction for a seven-point Lions win proved wrong they could have won by a lot more. In the journalist’s sweep that has been going for the whole tour I said Lions by 12, and it was won by Alex Spink of The Mirror, who will hopefully put it all behind the bar in our hotel tonight!

The Lions comeback was startling and the theme of the post-match interviews was one of frustration from the Lions, who know they should have won this match, but also of resolve they can put it right next week in Pretoria.

That will be tougher than today, but Ian McGeechan has never lost a second Test as coach of the Lions – that record will be tested next Saturday.

The Lions will be horrified by the way they were dumped in the scrum.I can’t remember as many penalties in the scrum for one player, Beast Mtawarira. It will be a mystery to many how he managed to hold such ascendancy over Phil Vickery? Very difficult to understand form the touchline. We will hear more about that as the week goes on.

Other points to note:

* The Springboks were so nervous under pressure and the unforced error count will horrify them as much as the scrum will horrify the Lions

* In Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips the Lions (and Wales) have found two genuinely world-class players.

* How good a Lions debut from the bench was that from Rob Kearney. Very impressive replacing Byrne in the 38th minute!

* The Springboks pack is a formidable outfit. Their lineout was watertight and their scrum will scare the rest of the world.

* John Smit has to be the best captain in world rugby today. It was 26-7 when he went off and when he came back it was 26-21 and he was the key reason for the way the Boks sealed the deal.

* Next Saturday’s Test in Pretoria is teed up for another cracker. So if you are coming out you are very lucky!

But what do you think about this series and yesterday’s game?