September - October - November

Scrum offer you an insight into the best rugby writing on the web with the return of our Rugby Today feature.

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November 9, 2008

Debutant stops Italians with disputed try

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Greg Growden reports from Australia's narrow victory over Italy in Padova.

"The Italian protests were just part of a confusing afternoon, which saw the match played on a field clearly smaller than the usual dimensions. The Wallabies team management had complained before the game that the length of the field was about five metres too short, the in-goal was minimal, and the width of the field had been tightened. But there was nothing anyone could do about that because the field was surrounded by an athletic track."

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November 9, 2008

Boks soar... for a while

The Springboks escaped in Cardiff according to Mike Greenaway - writing in the Sunday Independent he offers his views on South Africa's tour opener.

"A ruthlessly efficient first half performance from the Springboks, straight out of their Rugby World Cup text book, was sufficient to see off a plucky but inefficient Wales - but only just.

"This was a sobering slap of reality for the South Africans in this first match of a tour that is unashamedly a precursor to the British and Irish Lions tour in June. The basic lesson learned will be that resting on laurels in test matches is the preserve of the foolish."

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November 9, 2008

All Blacks sloppy against enterprising Scots

Gregor Paul offers his assessment of the All Blacks' victory over Scotland at Murrayfield in the New Zealand Herald.

"The All Blacks will leave Edinburgh having failed to answer some key questions.

"They got the job done in terms of producing the desired result but it was only half a performance. The enterprise and resistance of the Scots was a big factor in diluting the quality of the All Blacks' work, as was referee Wayne Barnes who really should be thanked for his contribution and then encouraged into a new career - one that doesn't afford him any authority."

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November 9, 2008

Time to get shirty over England jerseys

Former England international Stuart Barnes, writing in the Sunday Times, passes judgement on the new-look England following their victory over the Pacific Islanders.

"England played out of their skins against the Pacific Islanders; not in the sense that they were particularly brilliant, but in the way they changed their approach to the game.

"For the past five years the team has essentially been based upon the bludgeon, based around the front five. Yesterday the attacking emphasis switched from the front row to the back three. It was refreshing."

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November 9, 2008

England still dominate Australian scrum

Paul Ackford previews England's clash with Australia this weekend and singles out the scrum as a key point of contact. Read his assessment in the Daily Telegraph.

"England screwed them at Twickenham in 2005 when Baxter was yellow-carded for deliberately collapsing the scrum, and the England forwards pulverised the Australian pack again in the World Cup quarter-final in Marseille when Andrew Sheridan delivered a performance of staggering cruelty.

"In my experience, no other side of Australia's stature and quality has existed at the sharp end of international rugby for so long with such a fundamental flaw to their game, begging the questions: how and why have they got away with it for so long? "

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November 9, 2008

Backs give Johnson a sound grounding for sterner Tests

Writing in the Observer, Jon Henderson find splenty of positives in England's first performance in the Martin Johnson era.

"The backs, the most distinctive element of Johnson's first selection, were under the greatest scrutiny yesterday, behind a pack that was solidly reliable all afternoon. Only two of the seven players outside the scrum - Jamie Noon and Paul Sackey - were England regulars.

"Of the other five, full-back Delon Armitage, centre Riki Flutey and wing Ugo Monye were, like their manager, debutants, while the Dannys at half-back, Cipriani and Care, had two full caps between them. None did his prospects of playing against Australia any harm and of those who gave theirs a definite boost Care and Armitage were the pick.

"Care is a real livewire, a scrum-half with fast hands and quick feet. He may have provided Johnson with a regular No 9 after a series of dud auditions by others, although Harry Ellis may have something to say about this."

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November 9, 2008

Time to get shirty over England jerseys

Writing in the Sunday Times, Stephen Jones questions England's sartorial choices.

"After one significant hammering in a school game decades ago, I remember my mother consoling me with marvellous news that I looked great in my jersey. It obviously made up for the pain of conceding all those points but it was a consolation surely not available yesterday from the mothers of any of the England team.

"Some of us are not reckoned to be in the top bracket when it comes to assessment of fashion but I thought England looked ghastly and ridiculous. I'm not for a moment denying the impact and fund-raising capabilities of the replica jersey market but this kit, modelled by Danny Cipriani, is only going to sell to any member of the public wishing to look like a clown who has spent too long dallying in an abattoir."

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November 8, 2008

Blunt, direct, honest: new management is setting positive tone

England international James Haskell offers an insight into Martin Johnson's effect on the England camp in his blog for the Guardian.

"The younger players can't help but respect him. He's been on the other side of the fence and has seen everything there is to see. The first time I met Martin a few years ago Joe Worsley teased me afterwards, saying I looked nervous, was burbling my words and resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights. He was probably right. I was just 18 and it was a bit of a shock, coming face to face with the man who'd lifted the World Cup. You don't look at him and think: "What are you talking about?" His man-management since we've been together has been excellent. There's been no talking for the sake of talking, just a quiet word here or there. He's blunt and direct but I like that sort of honesty."

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November 8, 2008

How precedent Obama gives Scotland hope

Writing in the Daily Mail, Peter Jackson previews Scotland's chances against the All Blacks.

"How strange that a nation of inventors who gave mankind the telephone, the steam engine, the television set, penicillin and the raincoat have failed so miserably to devise a way of beating two little islands on the other side of the world. No wonder, therefore, that Graham Henry chose to rest 80 per cent of his first-choice team after breezing into Edinburgh at the start of the projected Grand Slam tour."

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