No rest for the Wilko
- 15 Feb 07, 06:14 PM
London - So Jonny Wilkinson is not being rested by Newcastle after all.
Falcons boss John Fletcher says the star fly-half is on Sunday because he is too battered and bruised after playing for England on consecutive Saturdays.
You can see why Fletcher has felt the need to stress that the injury-prone Wilkinson - who is less than three games into his latest comeback - is not being rested to make sure he is fit for England.
Firstly, he has to reassure some of his own supporters, .
And secondly, Fletcher鈥檚 job is to keep the Falcons, who are currently 10th, in the Premiership.
As he put it he would have to be 鈥渁 stark raving lunatic to go in to such a game without one of the best players in the world鈥.
But what his statement does show is just how entrenched the 鈥 can you imagine the hilarity in New Zealand?
The issues in the English game and the problems it produces have been well documented, not least by my colleagues Stevie Miller and Rob Hodgetts, but consider this.
All Blacks鈥 fly-half Dan Carter is among 22 players as part of New Zealand's build-up to the World Cup.
Meanwhile, his English counterpart鈥檚 club boss is at pains to explain he is not being rested for the national cause 鈥 anyone spot the difference?
There are good reasons why the two countries have different set-ups and why their players are centrally contracted while England鈥檚 are not, and never will be.
After years of internecine fighting the Rugby Football Union says they are on how to manage the game in England.
But at this precise moment, while one top 10 is beginning a targeted build-up as he attempts to regain the World Cup for his country, the other finds himself a pawn in his country鈥檚 internal politics as he prepares to try and retain it.
Anyone else find this a little frustrating?
Wales 27-18 England
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For one thing, Carter isn't being rested, he is taking part in an incredibly extensive physical training regime that takes place over 5 days a week for 2 months. Yes there isn't a weekly game, and chances are very little intese contact work, but what he and his fellow ABs is doing is considerably tougher than a usual training week.
Yes the club vs. country problem is absurd, but that is the way it stands in England at the moment as is a problem of the RFU not having the forsight to put a plan in place when the game turned professional. Until a resolution is met, it's what we're stuck with, and as the figures attest, English Internationals aren't overplayed in comparison with their international counterparts.
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Unfortunately it appears all sport in England is now big business. With the conversion from amateurs to professionals having been quickly accomplished by the players and owners it would now behove the various sports bodies and the referees to realise this fact. Until that is done we will continue with referees who still think that the players are playing like gentlemen rather than win at all cost and the sports bodies still feeling they can bully the owners. Immediate dialogue is necessary to resolve these issues before the world cup.
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Yes, it must be financial, after all, money is usually at the centre of most things in professional sport. Either super 14 teams aren't as affected by missing there top players due to compensation packages(?) or 'the national cause' outweighs the League effort. For New Zealand I can imagine living up to the Legend and actually being the best in the World is far more important than any other consideration.
Who knows really?
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I think Jonny Wilkinson would be the first to say he needs game time. He has just had too many months off with injury!
Sean Fitzpatrick for one, is not too impressed with keeping the ABs out of the super 14. As he said, they were the best team in the world last year and they all played super 14 rugby. He thinks the ABs may go off the boil.
Sean Edwards (Wasps) has also said that the clubs are good a managing the players, after all, they are their prime asset. He also said that players in the past have come back from International duty in a poor state (even when they haven't played.
Sale's season has been wrecked by the autumn internationals - 5 players injured for the season practically. Clubs need to do well and more than survive. They need the international class players at key points in the season. Although they get the players' wages paid whilst they are injured, it is no real compensation for missing out on the Heineken cup. Perhaps the 6 Nations and the Autumn internationals could be better positioned in the season, e.g. early for the Autumn and end of season for the six nations.
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The All Black's system works much better. As Tim said, they're not exactly skiving off work but there is however a huge difference between any training session and a full match. The simple thing to do would be something like NZ and get everything sorted through the England management team and coach.
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i dont follow premier league rugby but watch international. the clubs are greedy, and its the same in football and cricket. Overplayed players which are underperforming from exhaustion. E.G. Football World cup 2006, ashes 2007, whats next? Rugby World cup 2007?
chairman of these stupid rugby clubs just want cash and dont care about the national game. its a disgrace to be honest. Playing for your country is in your blood, club isnt, and is not as passionate
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Actually resting Wilkinson in a run of games only makes sense if he needs it. What is needed to weeks without contact to build muscle and real fitness as well as recover.
The problem would not be playing this week, indeed not playing is the worst thing for form, but playing 35 hard games a year.
All the Falcons are really saying is that without prior games Wilkinson was not conditioned for the battering. For most players it makes no sense to have a week off. Better to rest them all for a month after the 6 nations but that of course will not happen but should.
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The resting or not thing really makes little difference IMO.
Yes the ABs are being spared the physical knocks of in-game tackles, raking boots to the head in rucks and oitential joint twisting collapsing mauls which will keep them fit for the world cup. However they are doing some very intense physical training anyway, something that I doubt Wilkinson could cope with yet anyway.
He needs to be eased back into rugby a couple of games at a time and that is what is happening.
Regardless of that, the real benefit of the ABs missing the super 14 is NOT the lack of games, it is that they are to be training together as a squad constantly from now until the end of the cup. As opposed to the Northern teams who will switch back and forth between Country and club, and normally from one style to another, meaning that they fail to build up the instinctive comfort with the tacics and each others positions that the ABs will have.
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What strikes me about this is the hypocrisy in the media. In football, the newspaper columnists and broadcasters freely accept that most players and supporters first loyalty is to their club and only secondly to the national team. Steve McLaren has moaned about this today, but things won't change.
But nobody accepts that many if not most Rugby Union supporters feel the same way. Nobody stood up for county cricket supporters when their structures were ripped up by the national team people, who will stand up for the club RU fans?
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How come the RFU via Elite Director Rob Andrew is trying to renegotiate the terms of its agreement with the clubs half way through the season, and during their own review process? It seems they can never stop meddling.
If everything's up for renegotiation, can the clubs ask for a fair market price for their England players' time this season (1/3 of the season x average England player wage paid by club 拢180K = 拢60K), rather than the paltry 拢30K the RFU is still grubbily diddling them for?
I only ask because I'm a club supporter, Gloucester, and with an extra 拢100K or so in the kitty, we could employ and train up another 2 young players.
It is a business, after all, where my club can go bust - and money doesn't just appear magically from nowhere. Someone has to pay the players.
No one interested in hearing this? Oh well, back to RFU lah-lah land then.
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The club environment of Rugby in England is vibrant with - on the whole large spectator/supporter attendances,and is a regular week to week competition of - it has to be said - reasonable quality. It does not rely on the success (or otherwise) of the National side for it's financial security (in the main, at any rate).
The owners, and indeed the supporters of these said clubs have invested - in the first case literally, and in the second, emotionally - a tremendous amount, and it is understandable that they wish to retain the services of their best players to play for them.
I personally think that if some one did a scientifically based census among Rugby fans, the vast majority would put club first, and it is not as if England - or indeed any of the other - for instance - home nations take to the field week in or week out. The 6 nations and the autumn tours are all they play. What is that...10 -12 games a year i though it seems the RFU want to add additional games here and there, thus moving the goalposts??.
The clubs, on the other hand, play a minimum of 22 league games in 8 months, plus of course - in many instances a number of matches in the HC as well.
I would think - like any patriot - fans from any individual country would wish to see their National side do well - particularly in the World Cup, but I don't imagine they would subscribe to the notion that the domestic game should be constructed for the good of the National side alone.
With a little goodwill from all sides, surely it is possible for both entities to co-exist. It shouldn't require the sacrifice of one of them.
As a cricket follower, I know that the same club v country arguement has raged for ages, but it would seem that since it is believed that the England cricket team is the lifeblood - in financial terms - of the county club system, then the structure should be slanted towards their requirements with central contracts being used to take England international players out of the county game altogether.
I would implore everyone in rugby (which I also watch), NOT to let that happen to your sport. Kill the club game and you lessen the entire product I think.
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In response to the comment that the club owners are greedy - you'll find that most (if not all) of the owners have poured millions of pounds into their clubs without getting near breaking even on their investment, let alone make a profit.
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Regarding Sean's (no. 6) post about the Ashes players being overplayed, I think the main criticism of them was that they weren't played enough before the Ashes (Harmison, Anderson, Flintoff, Giles).
Back to rugby. The ideal system for the national team would be franchises with centrally contracted players, however, this would never meet agreement. Instead, the RFU could attempt to follow the cricket (ECB) approach, where the old structure is maintained but the players are centrally contracted.
If the RFU centrally contracted 30 players a season and they had complete control over those players so they decided when they played, etc, but when the players did play it was for the clubs who had nurtured them.
All the contract costs would be met by the RFU, so these players, when they played for the clubs, would not cost the clubs anything. If the players were dropped from the central contract (decided in August), then they would resign for their old club.
I can't see the club owners agreeing, but it's helped produce a better cricket team and most other major nations seem to agree with the central contracts. It would avoid the club vs country issue.
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The Kiwis are making a massive mistake in not having there key players playing in the Super14, it's a proven fact that game time is key... I'll put my money on the ABs bottling in the QF's or SF's of the world cup as they've done on previous occasions it will be such a shame not to face them in the final and disappointing for England that we won't be able to get the kiwis in the w/c final, as for carter being the best fly half in the world that's about as funny as saying O'Gara is right up with the best of them....;-)
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Liverpool in the 70's used a squad of 15 to win the European Cup and the league. People are not aware that you played the sport not for money but for the love of the game inthose days not for the the money.
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There are two types of people who think JW is better than DC.
1) Biased English supporters
2) Really Biased English supporters.
Being a good goalkicker doesn't, in and of itself, make you a great fly-half!
Yes I'll admit, JW is better at goalkicking than DC.
However, when you consider DC's running game, passing, tactical discipline and defence, how can you say JW's better? Dan Carter is the COMPLETE fly-half.
I'm a huge fan of both, they have different styles of playing. JW is very conservative. Nothing wrong with that, it's already won him a world cup! Wales, would kill to have him!!
DC's the complete opposite, he'd prefer to create a try, or score one himself, rather than drop at goal. Notice how DC really adds sparkle to that already glittering AB backline. When they're in full flow it's both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. It's how rugby should be played!! (with 15 men!!!)
I admire JW's determination to come back from all those injuries and best of luck to him. I think England will surpise a lot of people at the world cup, i'm tipping them to at least reach the semis.
Last time around England had the best back row in the world, and that could be their achillies heel this year.
But If I had to choose, I'd rather watch DC and the AB's play than watch JW and England's pack cuff and rolling maul their way through 80 mins. If it's all the same to you.
Can the AB's shake their WC curse? Who knows, i'd almost like to see them win it, so they can shut up about NOT winning it!!
I'm sure if the WC was played every year, the AB's would have won at least half of them by now. But sadly for them and for us, it's only every four years, so we have make the most of the occasion.
Let's hope for another brilliant world cup. Being a Welshman, it'll be tough going again. Better keep my DVD of the 2005 grand slam on stand by!! (especially the way things are right now!!)
All the best everyone,
cheers!!
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I am uneasy with the notion that international rugby should always take priority and as a result players should be centrally contracted. As interest in rugby in general grows the focus on club rugby and the premiership in particular will increase. This simply won't happen if the best players are almost always absent due to central contracts.
It seems to me the solution is to reduce the number of international friendlies in the autumn - to help the clubs - but to then completely halt club rugby prior to major international tournaments and fixtures. I would also convert the Six Nations tournament into a European Championship that is held every other year at the end of the season. Tradition must compromise in an era in which clubs must survive financially yet the international team requires that players be rested and train together prior to major games.
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So poor Jonny can't manage three games in successive weeks!!! What a lightweight.
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it is folly to compare cricket and rugby in terms of the club versus country row. The key difference is that many english counties rely on an ECB handout to remain financial viable consequently they have a far larger interest in a successful England team then rugby clubs do. Rugby clubs are separate enterprises and whilst they do receive an undoubted boost from a successful England team they are not reliant on them.
As independent businesses reliant on personal to success to remain financially competive English rugby clubs should have the right to play English players whenever they wish. Whatever the situation you must put your business first.
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I agree that Wilko needs game time, injury prone or not two weekends of play in a row at any level should not be considered cause to sit out later on at any other level. Look at the physical endurance endured by National Hockey League players in the states, they play every other night and are constantly at risk of injury at any point during the season.
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We'll see after the world cup whether the AB's way of doing things works. Frankly they looked in the Autumn as though they could sit on a beach for the next 6 months and still cream England and Wilkinson, who would probably rupture his elbow whilst building a sandcastle.
Incidentally, Dan Carter is the best fly half since Bennett, O'Gara is about 60% and Wilkinson has played two comeback games against mediocre midfielders and so is roughly 5% of DC.
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I believe Carter has been training with the Brisbane Broncos to keep him trim and fit. He's a fantastic player akin to Darren Lockyer and two of the finest rugby athletes in rugby at present. Wilkinson doesn't come close to these guys. His kicking through the H's is superb but as a creator of space he is useless and unimaginative. I believe Wilks his a huge fan of League but doubt he has the physique or tactical awareness to survive in such a brutal arena. Union gives him plenty of time to catch his breath while the forwards grunt and groan their way upfield. How old is Farrell again? He was a dodo in League so you guys can keep him! Never did anything against the Aussies or Kiwis but should thrive in the rather less demanding code that is rugger where he can stand around for 50% of the match watching and waiting for the ball that has been hijacked by the forwards who have convinced themselves that the only way to play rugby is to protect the ball in a huddle of 8 players and push and shove their way up the field and then collapse in a heap after 10 yards while the backs share stories about what they watched last night on the TV. I love Union Internationals but the ones where the teams throw the ball around like the French, Aussies and All Blacks, now that is Rugby!
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Why not halt all league and cup matches during the international sections of the season? Give every-one a break. One league and one cup competition for the rest of the season. Surely there are too many matches being played these days. The players are falling apart!
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Who knows if the NZ model is right. Who knows if the UK model is right.
What isn't right is that yet another interesting blog as turned into a DC vs JW argument between 2 camps both firmly entrenched they can't see the grass for the trees.
Anybody who thinks JW is 5% of DC shouldn't be allowed to post on a rugby board. Anybody who thinks DC shouldn't be known as currently the best Fly-Half going shouldn't be allowed to post on a rugby board.
I prefer to watch Carter and think he's the more naturally gifted player, but I also think that JW will more often than DC be the difference between winning and losing.
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When leading AB's are rested from club/Super 14 sides, New Zealand has enough depth of talent so exciting new players get a chance to show their stuff. There are plenty of players around today who first played because the leading players were touring with the AB's or resting. Which UK clubs are going to collapse overnight because a couple of players are away playing for the national side? They should look at developing the younger players rather than thrashing the JW's and other stars to death. Putting clubs ahead of the national interest is very short sighted. How many clubs complained about the improved attendances and new players that the RWC brought them?
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I support both my club and England - you can have both you know! Seeing the international players at club games is what brings more money into the clubs and Johnny is a crowd puller. But anyone who thinks club rugby is not as passionate as internationals has absolutely NO idea about rugby at all! If you think there is no passion at a rugby game, go and stand in the shed at Gloucester.
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when england won the world cup in '03 wasnt the whole club v country thing pretty much the same then as it is now? it shudnt make a difference...
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I agree that in internationals DC is by far the best fly half, JW couldn't lace his boots nor could any other international in the world.
The only fly half that could get close to DC is Carlos Spencer, and he is not in the AB squad what does that say about the other teams chances for the WC.
As for place kicking I would put Chris Paterosn up against JW any time.
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Matt (24) seems to me to be one of the few people to have posted an objective assessment of JW & DC. The red mist (or black fog) has clearly descended on most of the others. The reality is that DC is playing at the top of his game and is in superb condition. He has a much better balanced, and appreciably faster, three-quarter line outside him and a back row that is able to offer better protection by fair means or foul (not that they're dirty, but they seem to get much more licence than any other back row in international rugby at present - which reflects what referees allowed Back, Hill and Dallaglio to get away with when they were the dominating force). This allows him to play a more expansive game than JW, but JW at the top of his game offers something that would see him chosen by more international sides than DC. It's somewhat similar to the difference between Tony Ward and Olly Campbell or Stuart Barnes and Rob Andrew in their respective heydays. I was always staggered that Ireland played Campbell in preference to Ward and thought that Andrew was not in the same class as Barnes, but it was the less glamorous pair who delivered more consistently and who, consequently, got the call. I think the same would be true of DC & JW if a coach was lucky enough to have that choice. As it is they are both more complete players than Bennett ever was - and he had the benefit of playing outside the greatest player ever to have stood on a pitch. How bizarre that another Welshman, Geraint Jones, should have been honoured for his services to sport before Gareth the Great got the same award. If ever a man deserved to be knighted, it's GOE. I hope we'd all sign-up to that!
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A couple of points.
1) The AB's will be playing in the S14, but not until March 23rd when their traing camps finish.
2) Comparisons between JW and DC are ridiculous, they play a different game and are part of different teams. Their jobs (except for set kicking) can be and are quite different. So stop comparing them.
3) JW's injuries have been a sad interuption, but DC broke his leg only about a year ago, but his fitness and medical support were clearly better than that of JW.
4) DC is a far better player than JW.
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To Jonathan de Silva: Has Wilkinson not just had 3 years to do the non contact training thing - building muscle etc.?
What I suspect he needs now is a gradual introduction back into contact, and 2 weekends in a row followed by a rest weekend is maybe no bad thing. If it wasn't for the fact that at #10, your cupboard is almost as bare as Scotland's he would still be turning out for Newcastle rather than being thrust back into international matches.
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My issue with all of the criticism of the current set-up is that it is what helped England become world beaters in the first place. If we all think back to the start of this century the English (and also French) players were so much fitter than their counterparts from the other home nations. This is one of the key reasons England dominated so much at this time, albeit only winning 1 grand slam. Yes, Woodward played a key role and we had some quality players but, despite this, we cannot get away from the fact this helped give England a massive spring board. I agree the current system isn鈥檛 perfect and needs fixing but I think we should all remember what helped put us in such good standing and helped give us such high expectations of the national team.
My answer to fix this is simple; give the teams a bit more money (probably from the Heineken Cup) and in return England gets full player release during the international periods. This would include the week before, the week after, and during the whole 6N tournament and throughout the THREE AI鈥檚! This season we were wrong to play 4 as this simply took away grace and favour with the clubs. I don鈥檛 think central contracts are needed but I do think continued periods of time with the international players is a must - I鈥檓 sure Ireland will benefit more from training to together than England will be negatively affected from players playing this weekend!
Out of interest does anyone agree?
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As mentioned by a number of contributors the ABs are not being rested. However they have been removed from competing in the Super 14s. It is debatable whether not playing for 6 weeks is going to be a positive or negative. Time will tell.
On the club v country debate. The facts are that in England the clubs currently pick up the wage bill. Their ability to pay requires success. Success requires the best team playing week in week out. Sale is the best example of what international play can do to your season - desimate it (i'm not a Sale supporter)
Club v country is an issue when you have lack of depth to select your national team from. In a lot of areas England do lack depth. The only way to develop the depth is through the clubs. Catch 22 - there will be no incentive to develop if the RFU are then going to remove the players from club rugby.
There is no right answer but diluting the club game and filling clubs with foreign players does not look like a solution.
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I don't understand why John Fletcher has to make these comments. It seems to me that he is retaliating against the RFU in order to get some headlines and make everyone perfectly aware (as if we we're already!) as to his position with respect to the club vs country arguement. Does he not realise the best thing to do would have been to keep quiet, be the bigger man and let Johnny have a week out of the headlines.
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The best fly half debate will always depend upon the TEAM you鈥檙e playing with. JW was the best FH in the world in 2003 when he was surrounded and supported by a great playing, support and management TEAM. DC currently has the luxury of having just the same, a great playing, support and management TEAM around him.
In real terms, how can you compare JW and DC at the present time. Sure they're both internationals but JW has been out of international rugby for 3 years and has a transitional TEAM to work with. DC is in great form and is riding the crest of the rugby wave.
For DC, it's easy to make risky decisions, go for the line break, etc., when you have the confidence in the team behind you. The AB physical conditioning machine has been working overtime over the last 18 months; just take a look at DC's physical development in the last 12 months alone. The autumn tests highlighted the AB's physical superiority at the tackle area, the rucks and even in open play.
JW can鈥檛 make those decisions at the moment because look at the quality he has infront of him and to some extent behind him. Also although JW is fit, physically he has a way to go to match DC.
As an Aussie, I admire both JW and DC for their skills but a direct comparison at this stage is a bit pointless. Even by WC 2007, JW would stil have a lot of catching up to do.
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Some folks seem to dismiss players playing for a club against playing for their country far too easily in my opinion. Both are important to the structure and stability of the sport.
I sympathaise with Newcastle, Jonny's job there is not a bit of work on the side when he can fit it in. The clubs know that if they want to survive nevermind prosper they need to develop squads so why should England be so different. There are other no. 10's in the England. Dont get me wrong I love to see Jonny in there but if I were Brian Ashton I wouldnt rely soely on him for us to acheive some success at the world cup or the 6 nations.
The super 14's strikes me as a better sporting product than the english premiership but then those clubs dont have the heinenken cup which works well in Europe. We all know there is a mutual reliance between club and country for the stability of many sports but unlike cricket I think club rugby stands up on itself to a greater extent and therefore the clubs deserve more support.
Finally i follow the tigers and i know i've got a chance of getting a ticket now and then to watch them - I dont have the same opportunity to watch my country play.
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Good posts Matt and Louis. I would say to all one eyed AB posters on this board; don't write off JW just yet, three weeks ago most people were convinced that he was finished; now AB supporters are beginning to get twitchy in World Cup year - as you should looking at your past RWC history. You've had it too easy playing England's third team for the the last three years!
By the way, DC is a great rugby player, but that doesn't logically equate to saying therefore that JW must not be. We should all congratulate a great example of a come back from somebody who most had vitually written off.
"5%?" "Not fit to lace his boots?". Kiwis, get a life over there! Get out and smell the roses a bit! This is sport - true, the greatest game that was ever invented, but its sport, for heavens sake.
On club v country; Fred Allen, the great ABs coach of the great Lochore, Meads, Nathan, Tremaine team of many years ago, was a passionate supporter of professional fitness regimes (his adage was you get fit to play rugby, not play rugby to get fit) long before professionalism and what Fred Allen doesn't know about winning rugby methods could fit on a stamp. But he also said that to get rugby fit you need to play matches, not train in a gym. So Kiwis, we are all looking forward to see if Henry has got it right; these are big (sporting) stakes!
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If clubs have to play whilst international players are removed, and they wish to be successful, they only have two options:
1. recruit quality overseas players who will not be withdrawn
2. play up-and-coming youngsters
The first has already happened. We need to find some way to encourage the clubs to risk good youngsters and stop so much overseas recruitment. Some sort of seed funding may be the answer, who knows but for the future it needs addressing.
One of the accidental benefits of Sale's problems this year has been the emergence of Blair (now injured)Wigglesworth and Foden as quality players. It has also been one of the joys this year to see the Gloucester youngsters playing with french and AB flair. I used to think of Gloucester as a forwards based grunt team, now they are one of the best teams to watch (I am a sale supporter!)
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I think that the only way to solve this is to manage it properly instead of lining up for confrontation on a regular basis.
New Zealand manage it, but what they do doesnt make it right or necesarily better.
Surely one way would be to play all the six nations games back to back. After all, that just mirrors the world cup.
The clubs would moan about lost players and revenue but when you think about the premiership can continue but it may make the clubs think about who they sign.There are after all circa 350 players in the Premiership plus all the academies where half the players dont get a game and are lent out to smaller clubs at this time of the year. They might as well scrap the B fixtures etc and find another time for them .
Finally congratulations to John Fletcher and Pat Howerd for protecting their prize assets.
A question particularly in respect of Jonny.Would England have played him this week had there been a game and would John Fletcher have had a say? Over to you Mr Andrew and Mr Ashton
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The All Blacks haven't won the World Cup since 1987, so who's to say that their way is the right way?
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One of the fundamental factors why Carter can be left out for the beginning super 14 and Canterbury do not moan and grumble is the high quality of his replacements. I cant remember the name of the guy who played for Canterbury last weekend at 10 but he was by far one of the best players on the pitch and Im sure he would not look out of place in the international arena. The reason why English clubs suffer when internationals are taken out of their squads is because their back-up players are not good enough. Toby Flood is an able replacement but he is no Jonny Wilkinson.
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Kiwis are making a smart move. The time off will give there player more time to work on their strength and fitness before the world cup. They will have a massive advantage over the other teams (as if they didn't already) Going into 2003 England stressed that they were the fittest team in the tourderment. The most ugly as well but the point is in those close games it gave them the upper hand as will it for NZ when the time comes
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Geoff,
John Fletcher has made these comments for this reason: in any business situation where the organisational structure is fundamentally flawed, any individual making conciliatory noises will be picked off by the competing forces on either side. That is what has happened here; Fletcher made a fair-minded comment earlier in the week only (I suspect) to get a roasting from Falcons fans and probably the shirts at Newcastle behind the scenes.
On a more upbeat note: if a resurgent England with real pace in the back three was to meet the ABs in the RWC final with JW and DC at the top of their games...what a superb prospect that would be. We'd all be privileged to have the chance to watch it. (Not sure if the Groups allow for it). I know that there would only be one winner if the game was played in the next 2/3 months, but 8/9 months is a reasonably long time in rugby.
And in sport for every Cathy Freeman (pressure cooker = success) there is always a Devon Loch (so far in front the race was won but fell over a fence that wasn't there...!)
Bring it on!
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Fair enough on Flecter for resting Wilko not for international reasons but why then bitch to the press about it. Very unprofessional no wonder there a club v country row when there are so many idiots in charge.
As for post 30 shut up you bloody new zealander! JW rules
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Of course Wilko should be rested. The country needs him to be fit and healthy. The poor guy hasn't played for our country for 3 years. Feel sorry for Newcastle supporters but bottomline is that Newcastle aren't 10th in the league over night!! One game and one player aren't going to change that over a w/e.
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If I have missed something I apologize and no doubt will be put right.If you read John Fletchers original statement it said there was a joint decision to rest Jonny. It didnt say who with(perhaps naievely) and all he is doing now is saying it wasnt with England(because the press and some alleged Falcons supporters inferred it was) but with Jonny and the physios.Semantics or clarification? Its still the best decision for the player, England and the Falcons and frankly, on its own, little to do with any club v country row exept to eat up column inches.
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Scottish rugby supporters would kill for a club game with the same strength and support as the English Premier League.
The professional franchises in Scotland are a loss-making farce; Edinburgh are having one of their better seasons but are still struggling get a couple of thousand fans to home games. The club game in Scotland has been starved of support and is now largely amateur - it's probably on a level with National League 2 in England (at best).
The RFU should be careful - a strong second tier competition is vital for supporting the national team.
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Interesting, a blog about club vs country becomes a my fly half's better than your fly half argument.
On the latter, fly halfs play to the pattern dictated by the coaches and the opposition. JW at present plays conservatively because England are rebuilding a basic quality and the champagne stuff will have to wait. NZ on the other hand are dominant in most areas giving more of a free reign to DC. Any player is only as good as the players around him. May I remind all of JWs try against NZ at Twickenham when England had a team that gave him free reign.
On the former, the conflict is in danger of becoming destructive again. If England lose to Ireland as is widely expected, I will guarantee that the English football press will produce headlines involving turnips, the broadsheet commentators will follow suit and poor old Brian Ashton's job will come under threat. Regardless of the performance of the respective teams.
Clive Woodward recently wrote that player management doesn't necessarily mean rest and that some players will be better for a game this weekend. The problem is that the decision doesn't rest with the England coach but with the club directors.
On a secondary note, it is slightly concerning that Sale have publicly stated that they have to field their best team for fear of dropping into the relegation mire. I had some sympathy with this until I noted that Robinson and Lund will play yet Chabal and Bruno are benched. Lucky Monsieur Saint-Andre isn't French otherwise all sorts of accusations might be flying around.
Until an agreement is reached which all parties are agreed to, the England team will suffer, in turn the grass roots game will suffer and premier rugby will be like watching NZ/Samoa Vets v SA/Australia Vets or worse, it gets like football where the top clubs are just Southern Hemisphere academies.
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whats more amazing is how since the english game turned professional that the RFU and the Premiership have allowed this situation to get so bad rather than addressing it head on a long time ago, like a former England Coach suggested many years ago and then ended up being forced out of his job, Clive Woodward was right then and the RFU arrogantly disagreed!
If you consider the autum internationals and the 6 nations your talk 8 or 9 games each season, thats not many, how hard is it to ensure that there are no domestic league games on the same weekend as internationals and that there are no domestic games in the middle of the biggest annual international tournement of the northern hemisphere!
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I thought these chaps were meant to be professional sportsmen, not a bunch of school girls.
If my my boss told me i was to take a week off as i had worked too hard in the preceeding weeks, i might experience shooting pains down my right arm!
Get on with the job you are payed to do- it is a players choice as to whether they become sportsmen or not, and if they are, they should be prepared to work for their money.
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Good post Jim
Sorry joey mate, but yours is tripe.
These players are elite athletes, in the business of elite athletic performance, and if they are treated as just another set of commodities to be used up the prime assets of the business will be wasted and the business will fail. NZ and Ireland have got the principle right, even if the particular methods used to safeguard the players (assets) may need fine tuning in England.
England won RWC 2003 because we had a good enough team (and a clued up coach) to cover up the flaws in the professional system, not because they were nurtured by that system.
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On the topic of AB's not letting their squad play for 6 weeks...if you check the calendar they will be playing some pretty intense rugby in June and July...it's called the Tri-Nations a mere 6-7 weeks before the RWC in September...somehow I have a feeling it will bring them back on the boil.
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At the risk of forming a mutual appreciation society. Joey is exactly right. Ask any athletic coach about peaking cycles and the conditioning and training schedules needed to deliver absolute peak performance on an exact date.
Ask them to deliver that weekly and they would all faint.
The bottom line, rugby players will begin their season at peak physical shape. Conditioning staff will then be working 24/7, not to maintain that peak, but to slow the deterioration so that they still resemble something like professional rugby players come season end.
The problem is, the club responsibility ends in April, and doesn't start again until September. In September the season restarts without 30 of England's finest plus Scots, Irish, Welsh, Samoans, Tongan, French... I could go on, only Kiwis and Aussies left (because they don't let their first teamers play up here). Clubs will be worried, not about the welfare of their elite internationals, but their performances without them. Why then should they care about the shape of their internationals.
Needs sorting, it pains me to say it, perhaps losing automatic relegation mey help this situation. Bank balances are then protected.
On a secondary point, a broken leg playing for Worcester is the same as a broken leg playing for England, you won't be selected untils its mended. Player fitness needs management but you can't wrap them in cotton wool.
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Doh!! Joey is not absolutely right, Pundit 20 I apologise.
Joey what I mean't to say to you was; if you are experienceing shooting pains down your right arm, you may have a trapped nerve and need a rest. If as I suspect, left from right is a bit of a challenge, perhaps your heart is the problem. A rest might be in order.
Sounds like your boss is a good manager of his human resources.
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Doh!! Joey is not absolutely right, Pundit 20 I apologise.
Joey, if your right arm has shooting pains, you may have trapped a nerve. A weeks rest will help.
If, as I suspect, you find left from right a challenge, perhaps its your heart.
Sounds to me like your boss is an excellent manager of his human resources.
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