Just reading Ian McGeechan’s autobiography Lion Man.

I recommend it.

McGeechan is so renowed for his coaching that it’s easy to overlook what a good player he was (and he stopped playing before I can remember watching much rugby).

However, there’s one passage where he describes his coaching philosphy:

"I believe that when you put new players in or a relatively new team together, you've got to be pretty direct in your coaching; you have to give them a framework, and a thinking and an understanding, because if you haven't got one mind, and one overall idea of what you are trying to do, that's when you fall between two stools. Once you've got that base right, once you've got all the basics, you can do anything; you can mix and match and that's where the decision-making and the talent shows, and then bring the best out of each other... 

And when all else fails, what's the plan? Go forward, and win the contact. If you do that, you will probably win."

Now how relevant is that to the past six years of England rugby?

As Graham says, it should be coaching bread and butter (shame Graham doesn’t write more articles for the blog).

I really enjoyed the game on Saturday.

Why?

Because my money was on Argentina. With the weather forecast looming and knowledge of England’s poor out of hand kicking, I viewed the 5/1 on offer as fair game and well it proved. I laid off mid-game at 5/2, job done.

And thank goodness because without the added financial incentive, the game was utterly depressing from an England perspective.

Matt and I were at the game three years ago when we lost to Argentina at Twickenham under the gloom of the Andy Robinson years. Gloom that was perceived then as short-lived. However, except for a brief run in the RWC 2007 (very brief, mind, who can forget the depths of the pool games), this England team have gone nowhere, done nothing.

The list of complaints continues. It’s tempting not to reiterate as they’ve nearly all been said before but:

• Where’s the joy and spirit which should come with pulling on the white jersey?
• Where’s the white jersey?
• The continued poor kicking out of hand?
• Whither the rolling maul?
• On-field leadership?
• Steve Borthwick?
• Louis Deacon?
• All forwards other than Lewis Moody?
• The backs?
• Wings playing full-back?
• Quick ball?
• Playing the game as you see it?
• Looking to the bench for instructions? WTF?
• Do they practice any backs moves?
• Ford?
• Wells?
• Callard?
• Rowntree?

There is something rotten in the state of English rugby.

How hasty have we been with the likes of Ashton and Robinson? Good second-in-commands who should not have stepped up to the position of first receiver. (How ironic would it be for Andy Robinson’s Scotland to claim an English scalp in the coming Six Nations?)

No-one doubts having Martin Johnson in the picture, but he should not be head coach. We called for the heads of the two above, we called for MJ to be installed. A man who would cut to the chase. Are his hands tied? Does he know what is wrong?

We now call for action again.

The three amigos have to go – Ford, Wells & Callard. Maybe more.

Again, we have to ask the question where does Rob Andrew fit into all this? We question the whole hierarchy. The entire RFU.

If their role is to create a conveyor belt of young talent, what good if the conveyor belt dumps them into the pit of joylessness which seems to be international rugby with England.

This has to stop or an entire generation will be lost.

SO, only three years early, here is the draw for the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup:

Pool A – New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1

Pool B – Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, play-off winner

Pool C – Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2

Pool D – South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1

Now, on the surface that looks fine and dandy for England, escaping having to face one of the Tri-Nations teams after the dismal Autumn annihilation. I think it is a bit tricky. Very bad luck to draw Scotland, one of the third-tier nations. The Scots always, always raise their game against the old enemy. They will be targeting their pool match against England  from this point onwards.  Argentina might actually be the softer of the two games. I always thought they were slightly overrated last year, despite their third place World Cup finish. If I was a betting man I would predict their fortunes taking a downward trajectory in the next three years. Let’s hope England’s fortunes improve as failing to top the pool would see almost certain 1/4 final elimination at the hands of probably New Zealand.

The All Blacks are probably relieved to see their nemisis France in Pool A. New Zealand have a much better chance of beating them here, and a loss is not as catastrophic as the two previous semi-final upsets.

Elsewhere Wales must be distraught to see their own nemisis, Fiji, alongside Cup holders South Africa. Ireland must fancy their chances of getting past Australia and Italy. The lack of depth in the game makes it unlikely that any of the other third-tier nations or qualifiers will make it out of the Pool stages.

Before the 6N started one of the more popular rugby forums was running a thread titled, “Your tournament hopes and fears”. It asked fans to state their ideal tournament, and their nightmare scenario.
My ideal realistic outcome was to lose no more than one match and to finish no worse than second. My nightmare scenario was to lose to Wales in the opener then to lose possibly two more matches, finishing fourth or even fifth.
As the 2008 championship now recedes already rapidly behind us, aspects of my worst and best scenarios both came to pass. We did lose to Wales, but we did come second. A curate’s egg then. Well, more like a curate’s battery egg farm actually.
The fact that England managed to sneak into the runners up spot is astonishing and frankly an indictment of the rest of the teams (Wales apart). It will no doubt be used by the urbane Mr. Andrew as evidence that England are “improving”, “moving to where we want to be”, “beginning to play the type of rugby we are know we are capable of” or some such. Any such cant however should be challenged in the strongest terms as if it is used to justify the status quo then it is the worst result possible for England.
What seems obvious is that things cannot remain as they are. The rumours of dressing room unrest are again surfacing and the knives are now well and truly out for Mr. Ashton and, in some quarters, Mr. Andrew. If Ashton et al survive the post 6N “review” (Mr. Andrew does seem fond of these exhaustive reviews doesn’t he?) they would surely not survive two 60 point maulings by New Zealand in June.
So how did England lurch from disaster to triumph back to disaster then to their best finish since 2003?
Wales (Lost 19-26)
Disaster. Total. Comfortable if not secure at half time, mashed at full time. I did not think Wales played that badly, or England that well, in the first half. One more score would probably have killed the game off. But England could not find that score. Disappointing injuries to the sick notes Moody and Strettle (as well as the nearly man that never was Rees) certainly unsettled England. Given that you would have thought 10-man rugby in the second half was the order of the day, whose brainwave was it to put Kay in the back row and then run everything from everywhere? Where was the direction from the coaches? Where was the leadership from key players? Unbelievable. Glad I did not buy tickets to this one.

Italy (Won 19-23)
Appalling again. One bit of flukey skill for Sackey’s try and that was it. Italy should have won and would have won if they possessed a half decent halfback. Worrying times.

France (Won 13-24)
World Cup semi final revisited. England revert to type and go large on defence and decent forward play. And France commit rugby suicide. Seriously, someone should tell Lievremont that the great French teams of the past had abundant running flair but they also had some of the nastiest, most physical forwards ever to play the game. One moment near the end summed it up for me. Five minutes left, France field a kick in their 22. Surely they will kick downfield as far as they can to get position? No, they run it, knock on and cede possession from which England score the clinching try! I was strangely muted after this game. Happy yes, but not as delighted as the drunken fans around me. It was like getting a credit card to pay off an overdraft.

Scotland (Lost 15-9)
What can one say? The worst game I have ever seen England play. In 30 years. Not even the debacles in the mid 80s were this bad. Following as it did on the heels of Dannygate, this was a bitter pill to swallow. Ashton was now in siege mode. Lose to Ireland and he would be out on his a**e. Credit to Scotland though for again being our Achilles heel.

Ireland (Won 33-10)
Dom has reviewed this on this site. Not much to add. Danny showed the way forward ( and you gotta love his f*****g interview style!) but it was just too little too late and left you just so angry at what might have been. If we could play so poorly so often and still come second? What would we be like if we actually had a clue?
 

England travelled to Murrayfield with no ambition other than to continue their suffocating game plan which served them so well effectively in France.

According to the BBC, Ashton was furious at the England display:

"They just played the game of rugby better than we did in terms of their execution of the core skills. "Their kicking game and their discipline was better and you're highly unlikely to win game of international rugby if you don't compete in those areas."


In the same article, Vickery is quoted as saying

"they did the basics better than us"


So, it seems to me that they’re saying that their execution was poor but played according to plan. “We flippin’ murdered ‘em” anybody?

One can only hope that history will show this match to be one of the last nails in the coffin of England’s and Ashton’s limited game plan. Will it mark the beginning of the end for Ashton, Wells, or even Vickery and Wilkinson?

When Cipriani was dropped, there was always an outside chance that he would benefit by not being playing in such a defeat.

There was so little positive in the game that I actually buggered off at half-time to buy some compost, having already laid off my bets to be in a win/win situation. By abandoning the TV and listening to the commentary on BBC Radio Five Live, I was able to inject some imagination into what was going on. Unlike the England team.

The writing was on the cards early in the first half. It was obvious to those watching at home. It was obvious to the commentators. That it wasn’t obvious to the team is very doubtful. But they lacked the leadership, the nous, any tactical acumen or the ability to change things.

Why England are not using Dave Alred when kicking is the only tool in their box is questionable.

Why kicking is the only tool in the box is unfathomable.

How have we got into this situation? How has Ashton, the great hope for attacking back play, come to this? (why indeed…)

A low point, a real low point.

I simply cannot believe that the problem is down to players losing the plot in the heat of the game. Does anyone believe that these guys fling it around in training but choke when the starting whistle blows?

We need to re-examine the issues between Ashton and Wells. Everyone wants to see an English pack that can frighten the life out of the opposition but they want the heavies allied to a slick set of backs. To which end, the overwhelming Newcastle influence in the backs has to be broken up. We need a fresh injection of ideas into the backs. This means players who are naturally attack-minded at club level. There is clearly a mental block.

I’ve talked before about the need to bring in the Volcano more. But the tide of my opinion has turned. He’s obviously a threat but I can’t help feeling that someone needs to give him a boot up the arse. If he wants the ball, if he wants to explode through the middle, if he wants to have the impact that Cohen used to have in his prime, he’s going to have to hunt for the ball and shout for it.

Let’s get Cipriani, Tait and Simpson-Daniel bring their youthful influence over the creativity of the squad – Barkley too, were it not for his court case. Let’s not let Wilkinson, Flood and Noon play together. I’m not saying drop them, I just think they shouldn’t play in the same combinations. Wilkinson needs the Catts and Greenwoods of the world to stop being overbearing in his safety-first, defensive offense tendencies.

Ireland here we come…

OddsChecker

Wales v Ireland – Currently no standout value in the market. I’m looking at Wales at about 6/4. Wales have shown more quality than Ireland in recent performances. With doubts over Dempsey and Murphy and with Gatland having a psychological advantage over O’Sullivan, I fancy Wales’ chances. But 6/4 doesn’t meet my criteria of value. I think it will be a close one though so the in-game betting might offer some chances. Ireland are definitely overvalued at 4/6.

England v Scotland – England should account for Scotland but as soon as you rule out Scotland, you’re in trouble. Bear in mind that this English team can only string together a performance for the first half at best. There’s no point looking for value in the English odds. Most of the markets are hovering at around 3s to 4s on a Scotland victory. Betfair are offering nearly 5/1 which might be worth a nibble. The Edinburgh weather forecast is for a fair day with a nip in the air. Look for value backing Scotland in in-game betting after England have a 3 to 5 point lead.

France vs Italy – France have only got the Championship to play for – how much motivation will that be. Lievremont keeps chopping and changing. Italy at 15/1 on Betfair (10/1 elsewhere) is tempting but with Mauro Bergamasco out, a surprise is probably beyond them.