Some Thoughts after three Rounds
A If you had to guess which team turned up so late that they couldn’t have a Captain’s Run, which would you suggest?
Correct, Wales. Sean Lynn was very diplomatic, saying they will have another look at the matter.
More to the point, why did the logistics officials book a flight and a coach that left too little time to allow for traffic problems? And why fly out from Bristol, not a Welsh airport? That in itself tells us a lot about Wales and the WRU’s current position.
It’s nine years since that infamous train journey from Paris to Pau by the Irish side (match lost 7-8), but lessons aren’t easily learned. More on Cymru below.
B Officials
One moment everyone is moaning about the too frequent interventions of the TMOs; the next, how could they miss such an obvious incident? You can’t win them all. Social media criticism has centred on refereeing performances: not good enough! Unfortunately, refs can have off-days just like players.
Relatively new ones can only gain experience on the field of play.
There has been much unhelpful and unfounded criticism of leading referees. I suggest accusers have a quiet word with the referees’ department of World Rugby.
C England
John Mitchell has two matches left in which to refine his first-choice team. Put it another way: who does he choose to start against Scotland next week, in preparation for the big Twickenham showdown?
He gave some outsiders their chance in Round One versus Italy, and they took it. Since then he has stuck largely to his first choice back-line, though the Aitchison/Harrison quandary remains in place.
Question-marks hover over Jess Breach (especially defence), but Claudia Macdonald is a ready replacement when fit; another over Mo Hunt (especially her pass). The Ireland game showed Lucy Packer in a favourable light when she came on. I’ve always been of the opinion that Hunt’s pass is the slowest of all the recent English 9s. She is 36 now, an age where experience and know-how become less telling.
Everyone rightly drooled over Sarah Bern’s performance off the bench (two tries), yet Maud Muir won Player of the Match! Such are Mitchell’s dilemmas.
Since we still don’t know England’s programme for the summer, we can’t tell how many more matches they have before the RWC starts. Mitchell does (or should) know, so he can plan accordingly. He might give some less frequent choices their chance again at Leicester. Since injuries are always lurking, I would prefer that option.
A prime case is at loose-head. With Mackenzie Carson sadly out of action, Kelsey Clifford deserves another run-out.
D Italy
The big talking-point about the Azzurre remains the change in head coach. No explanation has been given, but we shouldn’t expect one. More to the point: Italian fans looked back at Fabio Roselli’s coaching record and shook their heads. In their view it offered no reason for selecting him.
Now he can counter these accusations with a fine away win. The squad played as if they had full confidence in the methods he proposed. They came back from an early home score, and fought off a determined Scottish riposte with a fifth try.
It’s five years since Francesca Sgorbini made her debut. This season she is developing into the dominant player her coaches had expected. She may yet displace the captain, Elisa Giordano, at No 8.
At last the FIR authorities responsible for the leadership change can point to an upturn. If Italy can beat Wales at home in the final round, that will be two wins to their credit; not world-beating, but an improvement.
Yet accusations of neglect by the board still find voice among local critics. The squad needs the backing it deserves.
E Wales
The moment Sean Lynn signed his new contract, he realised the challenge he was taking on. For the first time in many years he has to make do with a struggling squad, where reinforcements are hard to find. So different from Hartpury College.
One recent addition strengthens my argument. In the absence of Sisilia Tuipulotu he had to find a back-up for Donna Rose at tight-head. He chose Jenni Scoble, who has done a commendable job. But she is already 32, so the question is why the Welsh pathway system didn’t discover her long before she came to prominence in the Celtic Challenge. I can already hear Welsh voices chorusing: “What pathway?”
The current squad lacks many qualities Lynn would wish for, size, strength and pace to start with. This is where his favourite concept ‘family’ can’t hope to make up for present weaknesses.
One area that can and must be put in order is susceptibility to penalties.
It’s a sad fact that the entire Welsh rugby world is in the toils at present. At least the women have a successful, trusted and confident coach in charge, but I fear fans will have wait a while longer before he can produce a squad capable of challenging the leading contenders.
F France
Maybe it’s the centuries-old inability of the British (and English in particular) to understand the French approach to life, but French fans too have been loud in their complaints about the present management.
Let’s look on the bright side. Les Bleues downed a resurgent Ireland to start, then had comfortable home wins against Scotand and Wales. For the moment, we’ll overlook the 42 points they conceded in the process.
Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have selected squads that come closer to most people’s expectations; Morgane Bourgeois restored at full-back, for example. She has become the Number One kicker of the tournament (40 points already), so much so, that one or other of the two captains has asked her to pot at goal rather than go for the more Gallic option of try-scoring. Hard realism in practice.
A crying need was for greater security of possession. All teams make handling errors, but the French have paid heavily for their risk-taking with off-loads and no-look passes. They will meet the team most similar to them in the next round, Italy. One target must be to keep their defences watertight. The Azzurre backs are as capable as them of making a try out of nothing.
When they come to meet the English once more, they’ll need to have full confidence in that area; anything less will mean another unfulfilled dream.
At least they should dominate up front in Parma with something to spare. The pack can look formidable.
G Scotland
After their latest showing against Italy they remain an enigma. Hopes had been high that they were on their way to unparalleled success in the 6N. Bryan Easson had tough choices to make in selection, always a good sign, but rare for the Scots.
Their win against Wales, though welcome, was by only three points. They put up a decent performance in France, claiming two tries and 53% possession, according to Sage. That helps to explain the disappointment in Edinburgh.
They are never likely to outweigh an opposition, but the Celtic Challenge and hard work in places like Edinburgh University are helping to unearth forwards who can hold their own.
But in the Italy game Helen Nelson had to revert to her right boot all too often, a sign that systems aren’t consistently in place. That serves to negate the talent they have in the backs. Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd weren’t given enough space to exploit their talents.
H Ireland
This is the squad that is most obviously on the mend. New leadership has renewed their self- belief and improved their results. The danger is that an adoring Irish public will expect too much too soon.
They lost to France at home, but by only 12 points. A whopping away win in Italy brought smiles to faces, then came England. Reducing last year’s debit account by nearly a half (49 points against 88), they can take some credit. I keep harping on about player depth, but in Ireland’s case, the absences are perhaps more limiting than they would wish to admit.
They have two away matches to finish, against Wales then Scotland. They are perfectly capable of winning both; that would be an uplifting end to the season.
In a preview I wondered whether Dannah O’Brien’s kicks would find as much space against England.
She did, helping to confirm her central place in the Irish game-plan. She had the much vaunted English back-three scurrying up and down the field in a miost undignified manner. Less obvious but equally valuable is her work in defence. Now Scott Bemand needs to unearth another 10 to support her efforts.
Current positions: 1 England, 2 France, 3 Ireland, 4 Italy, 5 Scotland, 6 Wales.
