Bob Dwyer Rugby Workshops

If there was ever any question about the continued international development of the game of rugby, then that question was emphatically answered in the most positive fashion last weekend, when six (6) teams travelled from the Southern Hemisphere to play  the entire Six Nations group of Europe.

Huge crowds watched the matches, with three matches attracting 80,000 and more – including the Italy v NZ match in soccer-mad Milan. All of the matches were highly competitive, with even the hotly favoured All Blacks given a scrummaging lesson by the Azzuri.

The decision to include rugby again in the Olympic Games is indeed well founded.

France v South Africa.

The weekend’s feast of rugby began in Toulouse, where France welcomed World Champions South Africa. With the Springboks missing Francois Steyn, Jean de Villiers, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies, this was never going to be an easy match and so it proved. France had at last come to terms with the selection of both Harinordoquy and Picamoles in their backrow, and their size and undoubted talent fitted the French game plan to a "T". Elsewhere, the selection of their team seemed spot on also - this has not been evident in recent times. The huge Romain Millo-Chluski continued his excellent form from a few months back in New Zealand and Australia, and the new centre pairing of Yann David and Maxime Mermoz were rock solid in defence and clever in attack.

The French approach was obviously to be physical and aggressive from the outset and, indeed, they “out-Bokked” the Boks. Their scrum had much the better of the encounter and their lineout, with four genuine jumpers, competed selectively and intelligently.  They took one catch against the throw with South Africa attacking on their five-metre line and, psychologically, this was another nail in the Springbok coffin.

At the all-important tackle contest, the French forwards drove fearlessly and powerfully  - importantly, over and beyond the ball - and this allowed scrum-half, Julien Dupuy, the freedom to choose his options. The Springboks had been the clear masters of the tackle contest area throughout the Tri-Nations tournament. This was obviously a new experience for them and they did not enjoy it.

Sometimes the bully-boy approach of these Springboks can be replaced by petulance, when things are not going their way. The great Bryan Habana is always quick to show his displeasure; Heinrich Brussow is never far behind; nor is Victor Matfield, and Morne Steyn is already showing the same tendency.  As these signs appeared, the French tightened their grip on the match still further.

France were clear winners and only an opportunist try to John Smit from a wayward French throw in kept South Africa in touch on the score board. The margin of 20-13 did not do justice to France’s superiority.

England v Argentina

England’s legion of fans turned up in huge numbers hoping for some positive signs of development from their team against a well-under-strength Argentina side.  The Pumas were without two of their world class players in Juan Martin Hernandez and Juan Martin Leguizamon, plus their experienced goal-kicker Felipe Contepomi, and indeed, fielded novices at scrum-half and fly-half.

England, on the other hand, were looking for a step-up from their recent form, with the inclusion up front of James Haskell and Dylan Hartley and the in-form Paul Hodgson at scrum-half. Alas for them, this was not to be and the first half was dismal. Wilkinson was as accurate as ever with his kicks for goal, but was poor out of hand. Argentina were poor for goal, but accurate out of hand, and were able to put loads of pressure on the hapless Ugo Monye, at this stage playing at fullback. With numerous opportunities resulting from frequent England handling errors, Argentina were able to exploit space down the blindside, on both sides of the pitch, and came close on more than one occasion. Faultless positional play by Wilkinson saved England on more than one occasion and poor kicking for goal, both penalty and drop, let Argentina down.

England, to be fair, tried to construct some advantage with the ball in hand, but, whilst their intent was good, their execution was poor. All quality play derives from quality technique and this was absent. Perhaps the coaching staff will eventually notice this and employ someone who can help with the rectification.

This attitude eventually bore fruit for England, and Haskell, who continues to promise much, made the break and Banahan eventually benefitted for the match winning score.

England sorely need some of their injured army of players to return. The prop situation is dire – not so much talk of English scrummaging superiority now. Thank God they don’t have to play Italy any time soon! Moody and Wilkinson continue to hold the team together.

Argentina will be much the better for the match and will have a whole second week together before they play Wales. This limited preparation would dismay the coaching staff of the more wealthy “super-power” teams, who insist on interminable squad sessions and practice matches for practice matches. Makes you wonder what they actually do with all of this time together – maybe more fitness and strength tests!

Ireland v Australia

This was always going to be a difficult match for Australia. Ireland had been the form team in Europe earlier in the year and Australia were a long way last in the Tri-Nations. Some patches of quality performance, including a decisive victory for South Africa’s only loss in that tournament, gave hope to Wallaby supporters, but I was, regrettably, predicting a loss. The support of 80,000 vocal, fervent fans was sure to be a telling influence.

Encouragingly, the Wallabies again lifted their performance a notch or two from their win against England. They continued to get numbers to the tackle contest and, significantly, they had added powerful leg drive and a desire to get beyond the ball. If all of this sounds fundamental, it is! But it has all been strangely absent in all of this season’s performances, save a few snippets here and there – generally when the match had been well and truly lost.

The scrum remains a real weapon for Australia and, but for referee Kaplan’s reluctance to justifiably punish Ireland still further, could have given the match to Australia. He even managed to find cause to penalize Australia for an engagement issue, many seconds after the Wallaby scrum had demolished the Ireland eight for what looked like a great ball turnover.

On the other hand, our lineout remains a problem, despite the work which has been done to use Wycliffe Palu as a fourth jumper. The absence of a quality lineout technician - once again, “Where are you Dan Vickerman?” - is a real worry, and the lineout will not function to the required level until this vacancy is filled. It is impossible to properly shape your game, without the security of your own lineout ball.

Once the ball got out past the forwards, however, the game belonged to Ireland. The Irish backs had alignment and re-alignment, catch and pass skills, speed to burn and ran relatively straight. Well done to backline coach (Australian) Alan Gaffney!  They took a while, mind you, to overcome some first- outing rustiness, but, by the end of the match, were threatening every time they had the ball.  The Wallaby backline still shows no capacity to work as a unit and therefore do not consistently question the defence. They have quality individuals and Giteau plays better at inside centre, where his crossfield running causes less problems for his team mates, but it is all based on the individual talent of one man each time, never on the collective.

Once again, Robbie Deans showed a reluctance to use his bench, and one wonders whether fresher legs may have been able to stem the last fifteen minutes of Irish assault. Cliffy Palu, for one, was looking toward the sideline for some relief.

The looks on the faces at the end told the story. The Ireland players were overjoyed at having got out of jail. The Wallabies were disappointed after having never been behind on the scoreboard and in front for 90% of the game.

Giteau will rue his two missed penalties, relatively simple ones at that, but the game should have been put beyond doubt in the 73^rd minute, when Giteau himself had earned, but was not given, a justifiable penalty. He was on his feet above Donncha O’Calaghan, who had tracked well back to dive on a loose ball. O’Callahan buried the ball to buy time for his support, but Giteau had “all the rights”, until the arriving Wallaby forwards drove him forward off his feet. Kaplan’s totally inconsistent ruling was that Giteau had gone off his feet, over the ball and denied access to the Irish, but the offence had already been committed by O’Calaghan. The penalty to Australia was warranted and in a very kickable position. A ten point lead at this time would have certainly given the Wallabies a well earned victory.

Whilst on the subject of refereeing, I won’t even mention the ridiculous yellow card for Wycliffe Palu, or the ridiculous failure to yellow card Rob Kearney, for the same offence/non-offence.

The last statement of the day belonged, of course, to the “money man”, Brian O’Driscoll!  In a rehearsed, well executed play from the scrum, he went over between the posts for the seven points to earn the draw. A more experienced Wallaby mid-field defence might have predicted BOD, just as Justin Harrison, a few years back, successfully predicted the throw to the “money man”, Lion’s captain, Martin Johnson, in the decisive lineout of that series.