CHRIS FOY – WORLD OF RUGBY: Since taking charge of England, Eddie Jones has had one date and one Japanese city etched in his mind; November 2,2019 – Yokohama.
Since taking charge of England, Eddie Jones has had one date and one Japanese city etched in his mind; November 2,2019 – Yokohama. That is when and where the World Cup final will be played.
The Australian fully expects his team to be involved in that momentous occasion, but first he needs some assistance in another Japanese city, next Wednesday. All the best coaches seem to have the sporting Gods in their pocket, so Jones must hope for a favourable return from the tournament draw in Kyoto.
The doomsday scenario is a repeat of the English nightmare in 2015, when they crashed out of a classic Pool of Death, featuring three of the world’s top six teams; themselves, Australia and Wales. That was caused by a quirk of the rankings when the draw was made, nearly three years prior to the competition.
Putting aside the elusive All Blacks, England bend the knee to no other country at present, but there could still be trouble ahead on May 10. Of the 12 nations who have already qualified, Jones’s men are sitting pretty among the top seeds, but that doesn’ t guarantee they won’ t find themselves in a deep, deadly pool.
The worst-case outcome could feature Wales again, Argentina and a qualifier with the pedigree of Samoa. There may only be one relatively soft touch in the pool, perhaps none. Band Two in the draw has Wales alongside Scotland, France and South Africa. If the Springboks get their act together and start making best use of vast resources, they will be a major threat to any Band One side.
What has the look of a Pool of Death at this stage, may seem less menacing by the time the World Cup begins. Conversely and more significantly, supposedly weaker nations could be become deadly too, if World Rugby step up the programme of financial support which provides valuable, specialist coaching for the have-nots.
That was a significant factor in the build-up to the 2015 tournament and more of the same would represent positive intervention by the governing body. They have to be careful not to play God, with loaded assistance which favours some countries over others with similar resources, but blanket backing for Tier 2 teams must be encouraged.
The ultimate triumph would be for various Pools of Death to shake up the established order and for the quarter-finals to be gate-crashed by two teams from outside the Six Nations and Rugby Championship hierarchy.
Manu Tuilagi and Nathan Hughes go back to their roots
Congratulations to Manu Tuilagi and Nathan Hughes – among so many others – for going back to their roots as board members of the new Pacific Rugby Players’ Welfare body. The England players with Samoan and Fijian heritage will make a big difference, by offering highly visible support to Dan Leo and others who are driving this worthy and long over-due initiative.
With their backing, as high-profile islanders representing a leading foreign nation, PRPW’s voice will be heard as they seek to provide guidance and education to those arriving in far-away, alien surroundings.
Players from the south Pacific, with their innate gift for the game, continue to have a unique, dis-proportionate impact on professional rugby, so it is high time to clamp down on what has often been exploitation of cheap labour, especially in France – and help newcomers integrate. Leo and Co, with backing from Tuilagi, Hughes and others, can make a profound and positive impact. This column salutes their endeavours.
Visiting teams must show more appetite
There are increasing signs of clubs choosing their battles away from home – whether deliberately or sub-consciously. It has long been common practice on the far side of the Channel, but it seems to be catching on in the Aviva Premiership.
Saracens are poised to name a reserve side to face Wasps in Coventry; where a crowd of 26,000 will gather in anticipation of a seismic collision. The title-holders are – with some justification – keeping powder dry for the Champions Cup final, but the up-shot is a sadly diluted fixture. Jekyll-and-Hyde Gloucester seem to be choosing their battles too. Having won at Top 14 leaders La Rochelle the previous weekend, they capitulated against Bath at The Rec.
In days gone by, especially in a West Country derby, Gloucester packs would have at least gone down with an almighty fight – quite literally.
Not this time. The same applies to Northampton, who collapsed in a heap at Exeter. Most sides can keep the home fires burning, but fewer and fewer are managing to fan the flames in hostile territory too.
Twickenham to host fitting finale for Thierry Dusautoir
When Toulouse host Bayonne on Saturday, it will be Thierry Dusautoir’s final club appearance before retiring – and it simply won’ t be a grand enough occasion to do him justice. The one-time aristocrats of European rugby have slumped to the lower reaches of the Top 14 league, so it is fitting that their revered flanker should have a final chance to grace an iconic arena.
Dusautoir, the warrior captain of France for so long, will represent the Barbarians for the first time against England at Twickenham on May 28 – and that fact should, by rights, put thousands on the gate.
The 35-year-old has been a titan of the sport. In the 2011 World Cup Final against New Zealand, he was the best player by miles and should have ended it a champion. Instead, he had to settle for the world Player of the Year award.
Four years earlier, he scored the decisive try and made a staggering 38 tackles – two more than the entire All Blacks side – as France ousted the tournament favourites. What a player he has been.
TV switched on to the Premiership coverage
Five on Five; it certainly has a ring to it. That’s the number of Premiership games that will be shown live on the terrestrial channel from next season. It’s a step in the right direction; a small step, but a vital one.
Providing the five fixtures are chosen with care, they could showcase the league and the sport to a broad audience, far beyond the reach of BT Sport’s subscriber channels. It is the perennial, awkward equation – revenue v exposure. Club rugby is not financially robust enough, by any means, to ignore the bottom line entirely, so this is a reasonable compromise for now.
But in time, greater terrestrial coverage would be a boost for the game in these parts. The Six Nations is an event that commands wide attention on the simple basis that lots of people can see it.
