RugbyShout

Geordan Murphy has been named to lead Leicester Tigers as captain for the 2010/11 season. The Ireland international, now entering

WARNING!!! If the pain from yesterday’s video on lost possession hasn’t subsided, don’t watch the video because although it’s not quite as painful, it’s shows plenty of ”basic” mistakes the Wallabies need to eliminate.

In the first four tests of the season the Wallabies have kicked the ball 82 times – that’s around 40% of the times they’ve started a possession sequence.

In the first game of the Tri Nations last weekend New Zealand kicked 44% of the times they started a possession sequence and South Africa 53%.

Click on “Read More” to see the video and further anlysis of the teams kicking performances so far in 2010.

As part of our statistical analysis we measure the effectiveness of kicks based on the outcome so a Kick (-) is a kick that:

• Gained no ground; or 
• Gave possession back to the opposition without a contest; or
• Opened an opportunity for the opposition to counter or kick the ball back and gain more ground than the original kick; or
• Wasted an opportunity to attack with ball in hand.

For example a box kick that goes too far and gives the catcher time to take and then shift the ball before the chasers can get there is a Kick (-), whereas the same kick that gives time for the chasers to arrive and contest possession is a Kick (+), unless of course there was an overlap in attack and the ball should of been passed instead of being kicked.

It’s a subjective thing but those are the sort of guidelines we work with. Other kicks like the Kurtley Beale grubber against Ireland are not contentious and are clearly a Kick (-). If a kick was the right option but it was poorly executed it will also earn a Kick (-).

As you can see from the graph the Wallabies kicking was worst in the game against Fiji but that was to be expected, being the first game of the season.  The game against England in Perth was the Wallabies best kicking performance but then dropped back against against England in Sydney and then Ireland. 

Our season rating for the Wallabies so far is 72% (+).  In the first game of the Tri Nations last weekend we rated New Zealand at 68% (+) and South Africa at 63% (+) so the Wallabies performance hasn’t been too bad, albeit against lesser opposition. 

Where the Wallabies do need to improve is in cutting down some of the simple mistakes they’ve been making as you’ll see in the following video.  

Ronan O'Gara and Munster's dream of reaching a ifth Heineken Cup final is over and the Ireland international has revealed the pain of losing in Spain - again.

I’m really looking forward to the rugby that’s coming up this year. I mean really looking forward to it.

In the last few years, the pre-Tri Nations June Tests have been reasonably exciting. Last year the Wallabies tore up the Barbarians in a try-fest, before wrecking the Italians in consecutive Tests. Finally the Wallabies edged out the French in a dour, yet physical, affair in Sydney.

These games provided some excitement for the fans, as well as giving the Wallabies some momentum going into the Tri Nations. But the quality of the opposition was questionable. The Italians, try as they may, are still just a few sandwiches short of admission to the elite rugby nations party, and the French were stretched thin after a tough series against New Zealand. And the Barbarians, well the less said about their performance last year the better.

Also, the Wallabies side featured in last years Mid-Year Tests was pretty much business as usual in terms of selection, with the odd new player (JO’C for example).  Little experimentation was shown.

This year, however, the Wallabies have the opportunity to test new combinations in a special and rare way.

Beginning with the first Test against Fiji in Canberra the selectors should select the same, or a very similar incarnation of the team that played in the Wallabies last test (vs Wales at the Millenium Stadium) to set a benchmark. Australia will most definetly win this match, but this could be a chance to give last years squad a run and to see how they are performing.

For example, Giteau and Barnes have copped a fair amount of flak (fair as in justified, as well as large) around here this year especially.  This option provides a good opportunity to see whether they are still capable of stepping up in the green and gold, or whether they dont deserve a spot in the squad this year. Richard Brown, Matt Dunning, and Luke Burgess are just a few names who need to be tested this way as well, just to name a few. For the Wallabies coaches, this could be the “Damage assesment Test”.

The “Australian Barbarians” games are where the new up-and-coming players and combinations should be given a run. Beale, Horne, most of the Faingaa family, Simmons, Higgenbotham, Houston, Douglas, Fitzpatrick, Inman, Cummins, Brackin-Henry, Toomua, Leilifano, this list goes on- these are all exciting prospects that are too green to be thrown into the deep end of full Test Rugby.  It is critical that the “roughies” of Australia are given a decent chance to prove whether they are ready, need work, or they’re just Hendrik Roo- I mean duds. Oh, and don’t forget Hangers.

Hopefully, if the coaching staff and selectors follow this method, by the time the Wallabies take on Ireland, a new look, jam packed and optimal Wallabies squad will have been molded out of the extended squad to be picked at the end of the Super 14.

By all means, go nuts for the remainder of the Super 14. But if you are dissapointed by May 29th, just remember what’s around the corner.

One of the big questions I’ve been wondering about is whether the touring squad selections will be based on this being a serious tour or a development tour, as we have seen the Northern Hemisphere countries send fresh faced squads down under with some very one sided results. However, the trend seems to be shifting- for instance, the French squad that toured New Zealand and Australia last year was as close to a full strength squad as possible. Hopefully, we can see sides that really take it to the Wallabies, as this will give them a solid pre-Tri Nations hit out.

Here are the challengers:

England
The last time Australia played England was in the EOYT’s at Twickenham, with Australia winning 18 – 9 in the opening match of their Grand Slam Tour. England have stalled since the last RWC, where they were runners up.  They haven’t won the 6 Nations since 2003, although they have been runners up twice since then. In the most recent 6 Nations, England were a mixed bag. They opened their tournament with a 30 – 17 drubbing of the Welsh, probably the highlight of their competition. However, lowlights included a 15-all draw with the Scots at Murrayfield and Jonny Wilkinson ending his streak of penalty goals that had begun in 2003.

England haven’t won in Australia since that man kicked a heartbreaker in 2003, and their last trip to Australia saw them crucified 43 – 18 at what is now Etihad Stadium. With current captain Steven Borthwick all but ruled out for the tour, the English may be led down under by Lewis “Mad Dog” Moody. The travel will be an issue for them, as they are set to play two games in Perth before getting steel-toed back to Gosford for a midweek game, then winding up in Sydney, before leaving Australia to end their tour against the NZ Maori.

(Edit: England Australasian Tour Squad of 44 picked; see Lance’s article here )

Ireland
Ireland stole a 20-all draw last time these two sides met in their match at Croke Park, with Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll scoring in the 79th minute to wreck the Wallabies Grand Slam party. Ireland have experienced a resurgence since their embarassment at the 2007 RWC, bouncing back to win the Six Nations in 2009 and be runners up this year. 16 Irish players were selected in the British and Irish Lions squad that toured South Africa last year.

The last time Ireland played in Australia was an 18-12 victory for Australia in match that featured a spirited performance by the Irish. Many of the players in this game are still core members of the Irish side, now seasoned veterans having experienced tours, 6 Nations and the B&IL Tour last year. The two tests against England might be an opportunity to test some new combinations, but the game against Ireland will be tough. Ireland play New Zealand two weeks before their clash against the Wallabies, and one would assume they will come to Australia and acclimatise. The Irish team will be fresh and rareing to go- expect a trasher.

If the Irish bring a top team to play a top Wallabies team, it should be an absolute cracker.

Fiji
In between World Cups, Fiji are usually an unknown quantity. In 2009, the IRB designated that June was a Global Release Period, so the Fijian players in European clubs are available for selection- this is a big win from both a rugby and a marketing perspective. They may not be picked, but some players that are available for selection include Napolioni Nalaga, Deacon Manu, Nicky Little and Mosese Rauluni.

The last outing the Fijian team had was last years EOYT’s, but the coaching staff claimed that the IRB did not help them gain access to Fijian players tied up in their club teams in France, which the IRB denied. Regardless, the Fijian team was competitive against Scotland, going down 23 – 10 at Murrayfield, but they were demolished the following by Scotland 41 – 6.  The last time Fiji played the Wallabies they were spanked 49 – 0 at Subiaco.

Fiji have the ability, when at full strength, to be giant killers. This was obvious in the RWC 07. A full strength Fijian team will provide an exciting and testing fixture, and a good start for the Wallabies Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series.

Timetable

05-06-2010    7:30pm    Qantas Wallabies v Fiji    Canberra Stadium, Canberra

08-06-2010    7:00pm    Australian Barbarians v England    Members Equity Stadium, Perth

12-06-2010    6:00pm    Qantas Wallabies v England    Subiaco Oval, Perth

15-06-2010    7:30pm    Australian Barbarians v England    Central Coast Stadium, Gosford

19-06-2010    8:00pm    Qantas Wallabies v England    ANZ Stadium, Sydney

26-06-2010    8:00pm    Qantas Wallabies v Ireland    Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Ireland winger Tommy Bowe has been named Six Nations rugby player of the year. Bowe started all five matches

Ireland winger Tommy Bowe has been named Six Nations rugby player of the year. Bowe started all five matches

Ireland coach Declan Kidney insisted there was "more in us" after their Six Nations campaign ended with a shock 23-20 loss to Scotland that wrecked dreams of a winning farewell to Croke Park.

Last week, David Gronow sent me some pictures and facts about his grand father Ben Gronow to be shared here...

So here are some bits of the remarkable story of a Welsh gentleman who started his career as a brilliant Rugby Union (Bridgend and Wales) fullback and kicker - he gave the very first kick-off in newly built Twickenham, Jan.1910 - , then moved to Huddersfield to become one of the world leading Rugby League forwards, and later became the first British professionnal player to join Australian National Rugby League as Grenfell coach-player...

Thanks a lot, David ! 

As David puts it :

Ben, a stonemason with huge hands, was born on March 3 1887 and started his rugby career with Bridgend Harlequins. He was one of a family of nine children and he followed a well-worn path from Bridgend Harlequins to Bridgend (union club). In 1908/09, he was captain of Bridgend and made 16 appearances for the Glamorgan County side.

Ben, a superb goal-kicking full-back who, because of his size and strength, moved up to the forwards in rugby league, went on to play for Wales at senior level, making his debut against France on New Year's Day 1910 at Swansea where he scored a try in the 49-14 victory (large team picture here). Despite his tremendous kicking abilities, those three points - which is how much a try was worth in those days - was his only score in an international jersey for the Welsh union team.

He went on to play again in that first-ever Twickenham match against England on 15 January 1910 which Wales lost 11-6, before completing the Four Nations against Scotland in Cardiff, which Wales won 14-10, and Ireland in Dublin where the Welsh won 19-3.

David Gronow [...] recalled how his grandfather began to attract the attentions of the Northern Union clubs and particularly Ebbw Vale due to his union exploits, but in 1910, Huddersfield got his signature and at the age of 22, Ben went north for a fee of £120.

Ben made his debut for Huddersfield against Ebbw Vale on September 3 1910 when the Welsh team were part of the Northern Union, and went on to make 395 appearances for the club, scoring 80 tries, kicking 673 goals, accumulating 1586 points.

By the end of the 1910 season, Ben had played 31 times for Huddersfield and also won his first Welsh Rugby League international cap when they played England at Coventry.

In the years that followed, Ben was to ascend to real stardom. He was part of the 1914/15 'Team of All Talents' at Huddersfield which won all four trophies available to them - the Challenge Cup, the Rugby League Championship, the Yorkshire League Cup and the Yorkshire Cup.

It was a team captained by Harold Wagstaff and was the culmination of a period of dominance in rugby league which was the best in the club's history. [...] Ben rose to such status in rugby league that he would have toured Australia with the 1914 Great Britain side had injury not struck him down.

He went off to serve in France but re-established his rugby career at Huddersfield on his return.

 

He went on the 1920 Great Britain tour of Australia and New Zealand and went again to Australia four years later when, at 34, he became one of his country's oldest tourists, and went on to represent Great Britain on seven occasions.

Incidentally, here are two "Melba" pictures of the 1920 touring team in Australia (Sydney, June 1920), both provided by Rugby League collector Stuart Quinn (thanks, Stuart!). (BTW, you could also check some of my old posts about Huddersfield here or there ). (also cf large picture of the 1920 team)

 

 

David further explains :

The most famous of those pioneering adventures that Ben made, however, was to become the only British player for 50 years to play in New South Wales or Queensland when he made the unusual decision to sign for a small-time rural club called Grenfell in 1926.

In a highly-researched [and highly recommended...] article called "The Ben Gronow Mystery", Sean Fagan [of rl1908.com fame - Hi, Sean!] writes:

"...during the 1924 Lions tour of Australia, Gronow was approached by Harry Sunderland (who was the Australian team manager) to take up a coaching offer in Grenfell, in the mid south-west of rural NSW. [...] Gronow accepted the offer, returned to Australia in 1926 to play for Grenfell, before moving back to England for the 1927-28 season........the decision to move to Australia primarily based on wanting to improve the health of his eldest son who suffers bronchitis and is in need of a dryer climate."

And David concludes :

On his return to Yorkshire in August 1927, Ben played mainly for Huddersfield reserves before his retirement [...] at the age of 40 (after brief spells at Featherstone Rovers and Batley).

 

He later served on the club's committee, was made an honourary member of the club and was one of 21 names inducted into the Huddersfield Rugby League Club Players' Association Hall of Fame in 1999. He died on November 24 1967 aged 80.

 

David's memo about his grand-father is available online here.

 

And now waiting for Wales to play France next Friday night... exactly 100 years after Ben Gronow's debut...

 

 

"6 Nations Championship" starting tomorrow... Here we go again!



I've got the same issue every year... how to match "live" sports with my rugby memorabilia... ?



Not always easy... just consider these fine Baines cards : there're just perfect to introduce England, Wales (tomorrow in Twickenham), Ireland or Wales... but how come Mr Baines couldn't anticipate and design some French or Italian cards as well ??

So here we have the first test Match day 22 of the 3 match test series for the Lions of 2009. The Lions will take on the Springboks in Durban This Saturday

15. Lee Byrne (Wales)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11. Ugo Monye (England)
10. Stephen Jones (Wales)
9. Mike Phillips (Wales)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
7. David Wallace (Ireland)
6. Tom Croft (England)
5. Paul O’Connell (Ireland) C
4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
3. Phil Vickery (England)
2. Lee Mears (England)
1. Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

Replacements:
16. Matthew Rees (Wales)
17. Adam Jones (Wales)
18. Donncha O’Callaghan (Ireland)
19. Martyn Williams (Wales)
20. Harry Ellis (England)
21. Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
22. Rob Kearney (Ireland)