The Play-offs alternative view
By Duncan Keene
May 12 2011
Alternative Votes – A look through the squads of the Playoff Candidates. In the absence of ChrisC’s match previews, I thought I’d write an article to whet the appetite for the playoffs. Hopefully, Chris will surprise us and write some playoff previews, but if not, I’m sure we’ll all look forward to their return. This isn’t a match preview. The approach I’m taking is looking at the contenders, position by position and picking two teams.
1) A ‘Best of the Best’ team for the playoffs
2) 2) Who I would select from these sides for an England side to go to a World Cup now.
Clearly there will be controversy. These are four talented sides. In every position a strong argument exists for almost every player, every dog can have its day and even the weakest player on paper may be the one to create the decisive moment in the coming weeks. With my Tigers hat on, I’d happily take our player in every case and I’m sure fans of the other teams feel the same! I’ve attempted to allow for current form and overall class, basically, this is the side I’d feel most confident with in these big knockout games. I’m selecting from three teams (Saints, Gloucester, and Tigers) that have a lot of similarities, and one that stands out as very different. Churlish observers may think I’m meaning three proper rugby clubs and one upstart, but I mean three teams with strong attacks and variable defences and one team with a structured attack and superb defence. In almost all positions you could select a Saracen for defence and a Tiger, Saint or Cherry for attack.
It seems amiss to discuss the playoffs without first attempting to address the debate that surrounds them. Last week the country faced an important referendum on electoral reform, ‘First Past the Post’ beating the proposed Alternative Vote system by around 69% to 31%. More than two out of every three people to vote were unconvinced by the proposal. If in 2000 (when the playoffs were put in place) or 2002 (when the League winners were no longer deemed Champions), Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) had put the Playoff system to a fans’ referendum, then the result would have been equally resounding or more so.
The argument in favour of the Alternative Vote system was that a candidate does not have a mandate to be elected for a constituency if they can’t persuade over 50% of voters that they deserve to win. It would be fairer for voters to list their candidates in order of preference, with candidates eliminated and then a re-count taking place with the second preference (if one is indicated) counted from voters that supported the eliminated candidate. Essentially, the proposal was a different way of establishing which candidate is most deserving and a change from tradition. That is what the Rugby Union authorities, have introduced in English Professional rugby, a different way of deciding who’s best.
Fundamentally, the Playoffs were introduced for two reasons:
1) To make more money for the professional club game
2) To make the “Centrepiece” final match of the season the property of PRL and therefore the clubs rather than the RFU in the form of the traditional knockout cup.
So, they came about as part of the on-going battle for control of English rugby. I disagree with those however that claim they are fundamentally unfair. They are, like AV, just a different way of establishing who is better, I completely understand why people would ‘vote against’, and I personally would vote against, but sometimes fellow Tigers fans seem to deliberately ignore any potential fairness from the playoffs.
People talk about it in moral grounds, but it’s only really tradition which sees a league system as more worthy of determining the best team. If we didn’t have the playoffs then the last few years would have seen almighty arguments about the fairness of bonus points, the interference in the league of point’s deductions for very minor paperwork infringements, the effect of playing internationals during the league season, and the way the fixture list is pretty much commercially selected (pick your date and opposition for a big game, teams with their own grounds home on last day etc). Finally, the playoff’s big advantage over a traditional league is you simply must front up and beat the other leading contenders at the end of the season. So the title is decided between the best four teams rather than on who can win away at Newcastle and who can’t. I can understand that some see this as less fair, that it’s about grinding out results in all conditions and against all opponents, but there is a pretty convincing point of view that you have no clear ‘mandate’ as Champions if you’ve won every match against the bottom 8 and lost every one against the top 4.
This season is a good example of the retrospective fairness of the playoffs. Without them, who has a mandate to be called the best team in England?
Northampton finished fourth, normally the position of outsiders and where most fans would feel a little bit guilty to win from. But, how would the table look without the EPS rest periods? Do we not want to encourage teams to go for Europe without over-stretching their squad? Saints lost five matches in a row between January and March. During the Six nations: away to Tigers, Irish, Bath and Exeter and home to Saracens and Gloucester. The team that lost both those home games was missing 6 players I expect to play in the playoffs. With a European Cup final coming up, I don’t think it’s clear at all that Saints are weaker than the other contestants. A very dangerous team to be coming to Welford Road.
Ah, what about Gloucester then? Look at the odds, 14/1 earlier this week. The bookies don’t get it wrong and they’re telling us there are only 3 decent teams in the playoffs and one of those is not from Castle Grim. But I think there’s a case for this emerging young team. Winning 11 out of 11 at fortress Kingsholm despite a massive injury crisis, and finishing third despite losses away to bottom half teams Exeter, Leeds, Sale, and Newcastle. All I can think is the altruistic Brian Redpath didn’t want to affect the relegation picture. His biggest embarrassment came six days after claiming the ‘glory’ of the LV cup, getting comprehensively thrashed 53-15 by a rampant Quins side (another bottom half of the table team) at the Stoop. Most pundits are claiming the 41 all draw at Welford Road as their best result of the season, but I think both teams look at that game with a hint of embarrassment, the most impressive Gloucester performance I’ve seen this season goes back to a rainy October night and the 18-3 destruction of Bath at the Rec. Gloucester’s form since Christmas is good, with the odd aberration, one of the hardest factors they faced was playing the eventual other playoff members within a week due to the mid-season winter weather, emerging with a draw, a win and a loss against Teflon Sarries that must wonder what the other team’s first choices look like!
That is of course fundamentally unfair to Saracens, they have won the most games this year and equalled the record for most wins in the regular season. They can only beat the teams in front of them and it could be argued that the other directors of rugby ran scared of them, Cockerill chose to play his big guns against Leeds at home, Redpath chose to target Saints at home on a Tuesday night and Malinder rested Ashton for their trip to Vicarage Road (to be fair, other than that a strong Saints team played). Clearly, if we did not have the playoffs then the bonus point system would be coming under big scrutiny and intense debate if this situation repeated itself where one team wins the most games and another tops the table.
Bringing us on to Leicester Tigers, table toppers. Again. The record of the Tigers dynasty is incredible. Seven Semi-Finals in a row. We’ve won the previous six. For the third time out of three under Richard Cockerill, we have topped the league. Surely, the most underrated coach in the Premiership, he seems rarely to get credit from the national press or opposition fans, as though coaching Tigers is a walk in Oval Park, serenely allowing the players to take charge and run the show. That’s not how it looked on the pitch after the London Irish game, where Cockers laid in to his men for their lack of professionalism in the first 70 minutes. As a player, assistant coach and now top dog, Cockerill has always given the proverbial 100% and demands the same for his team. Clearly, there is a strong argument that topping the league makes a team the true champions, but I think we need to prove it against the other top teams. What’s been our best result of the season? Saints at home? Llanelli away? Have we played well against good teams? We’ve consistently beaten the poorer sides, not something we’ve always done in the past, taking 50/60 points available against the bottom half of the table. A figure that could be higher without the three points chucked away at Wasps. But our record against the other playoff contenders is poor. Two losing bonus points vs Sarries, Four points out of ten vs Saints and the same vs Gloucester. Undisputed Champions?!? For me it’s up in the air and we must win these next games.
My big problem with the playoffs is that potentially a team could be absolutely dominant in the league and not gain any advantage over the second place team. In theory a side could win every game with a bonus point, amassing 110 points, and be no better off than a team 50 points below them in second place. (note – 62 points is the lowest ever amount to qualify in 2nd, but 60 points would have been good enough that year). Like or loath the ‘alternative vote’, but at least it had the safeguard in that a candidate getting over half the vote would get in.
I’ve often been what classes as a ‘supporter’ of the playoffs on these forums. I acknowledge their existence and have trained myself to think in terms of what things mean for playoff qualification, home draws, styles of play likely to succeed at Twickenham, and not just are we going to finish top of the league. In fact, if you’d asked me a week ago I’d probably have told you I wasn’t that fussed whether we came top or second. But, the London Irish game really brought home that top of the league still matters and what it meant to me. Those last 4 roars weren’t normal cheers of appreciation from the massed ranks of the Crumbie terrace; they were Hope, followed by Anticipation, then Delight and Celebration. We were down and out, but Agulla’s try raised some memory of comeback’s past. Allen’s try and we all knew the script, but would it be followed. Croft went over and we went crazy but were thinking of Gloucester’s recent equalising score and as Tuilagi went over the noise I could hear wasn’t “win”, but “top of the league”, pulsating out of every vocal supporter. It still means something. We don’t need a trophy to tell us that.
Similarly, I would ask the arch critics of the play-off’s (from all teams) to check their pulse rate when watching the semi and final. Loathe them, mildly dislike them, and think they are unfair, ok. But, I personally don’t understand how some can ignore them. They matter. Once they are there they have to be won, we can’t just point at the league table and walk off. I’m looking forward to the next few weeks and finding out which team has the skill and nerve to pull off victory.
Here are the players I expect to see and my All-stars and English qualified selections:
Full Back – No 15
A mouth-watering array of options at fullback, it would be even more challenging to separate the contenders if the majestic Geordan Murphy and stylish Olly Morgan were fit. As it is, the options are Scott Hamilton, Ben Foden, Alex Goode and Tom Voyce or Freddie Burns from the West Midlands (aka “Country”). Voyce is one of the few players I dislike from the entire squads of the four combatants. Burns has great potential, but with Morgan injured this is an area where Gloucester are weakest. Scott Hamilton has been an incredibly consistent performer since arriving at Tigers, racking up appearances, tries, and being a constant influence on the game whether at Wing or Full Back. Even at his best though, he lacks the counter attacking game and kicking nous of Goode and Foden, leaving the first name on my team sheet as an All-England shoot out.
It’s an incredibly tight decision. For Martin Johnson and Brian Smith, the experience of Foden is one reason he is consistently selected ahead of Goode. Another factor may be timing, when selecting the EPS and Saxons, Sarries’ saw the former Oakham schoolboy to be a fly-half in waiting. As Foden found previously, not nailing your colours to the positional mast can harm your chances of honours. Lastly, there is, of course, the Robbie Russell factor. As anyone reading the Saracens message board will know, the England management have a pathological hatred of anyone tainted by a Fez. I suspect this persecution complex will fade as their side and players continue to develop. Both Foden and Goode have exceptional ‘twinkle toes’, exciting the crowd with their ability to find the gap. I think Goode is in sensational form this year and deserves a place in my Allstars. But, I’d still keep Foden just ahead internationally because of his experience and because as the electoral reform vote showed us, an alternative has to be categorically better than an incumbent, it isn’t the same as starting from scratch.
Left Wing – No 14 and Right Wing – No 11
All four teams have effective wingers. The popular version of Saracens’ style of play would see it that their wingers get less ball and fewer opportunities than their counterparts in their free flowing, bonus point earning Midlands rivals. (note earlier clarification of Gloucester’s location) And the stats certainly back up that they score less tries. Statbunker shows 21 tries from Gloucester’s wings, 22 from Northampton’s and a massive 24 from those piano shifters on the Leicester wings. Meanwhile, the wingers’ in Watford have a measly 12. However, James Short and David Strettle contribute to Sarries’ success, only 9 tries have been scored down their flanks, tying the Tigers’ and better than Northampton’s 12 and Gloucester’s 15. Strettle is high up the Clean Breaks List and tops defender’s beaten for the entire league, that must be why he’s known as the ‘Duracell Bunny’, going on and on and on with his legendary stamina. Short is an aggressive tenacious defender setting the tone with his trademark kick chasing.
If, I was writing in a national newspaper, I’m sure I’d be told to pick some ‘outlandish’ selections to promote an agenda or provoke a debate, preferably a youngster and ideally someone that adds pace and excitement, I’d then talk up their potential as though it was proven long term form and class. If I was to do so then the first name on my sheet would be Charlie Sharples. He’s lightning quick, intelligent, physical and has a happy knack of scoring, with 7 tries in the Premiership this year. Alongside James Simpson Daniel, he makes up an all-English wing pairing for Gloucester that combined is arguably the strongest of the playoff contenders. Simpson-Daniel is no longer the fresh faced magic newcomer. He’s an experienced campaigner and carries the scars to prove it..
Saints have England Superstar Chris Ashton, and reliable clubman Paul Diggin. Diggin loves beating Tigers and will be one to be wary of on Saturday. Ashton is Ashton. Flash, fast, strong, abrasive. He will need little introduction to readers, with the BBC thrusting his Swan dive down their throats for the entire Six Nations. Fans of the other teams can only hope that the constant dreary moaning about his fun celebration will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and he’ll “do a Tom Croft” at a key moment. In reality, he will be one of the biggest threats every time he gets the ball.
Tigers will pick Alesana Tuilagi and one of Matt Smith or Horacio Agulla. Again, these should need little introduction. Tigers’ wings are an often overlooked part of the team, but score tries for fun. Tuilagi is the bully boy with about a tenth of his younger, charismatic brother’s national popularity. He is seriously disliked by many team’s fans, as with any good bogey man, the fear comes from knowledge of what he can do and how good he is. Agulla gave good impetus to the match last weekend and scored a key try, Smith is like Diggin for Saints, a solid club man. Big and strong he has operated across the backline for Tigers and won’t let us down wherever he plays.
With due respect (as Lord Alan would say), I’m going to discount Short, Smith, Agulla and Diggin from the debate. Leaving Sharples, Strettle, Ashton, Simpson-Daniel and Tuilagi. As we’ve seen, individually they are a high achieving bunch of wings. However the key stat for wingers is tries. Tuilagi is this year’s top Premiership try scorer and Ashton is second. I find it too hard to look past that pacey and powerful potential pairing when selecting my team. For my English pairing, it is tempting to select Sharples, Strettle has an appeal, but I can’t resist the idea of Simpson Daniel offering a creative edge alongside Ashton’s sharp finishing.
Outside Centre – No 13
At one stage in the season, all four teams had settled outside centres; Manu Tuilagi, Jon Clarke, Chris Wyles and Mike Tindall. Then the ever looming threat of England and the Six Nations appeared, His Royal Highness moving firmly into the Lewis Moody camp of England captains with a 12 week injury. In the absence of Tindall, Henry Trinder, Tim Molenaar and Jonny May have been the most common replacements. With some Shed heads thinking the talents in particular of the exciting Trinder and May are more useful to the team than old broken nose.
One player who must have felt like breaking that nose a few times is Northampton’s redoubtable Jon Clarke. A big unit with subtle hands who has looked every inch a replacement for Tindall over the past 4 or 5 years, but never managed to make the test side. Nonetheless, as we know from our almost capped and lesser capped heroes of the past, sometimes it is good for a club to have quality players that have total focus on their club game. Clarke is facing two or three massive weeks in his career, the difference between him and Foden and Ashton is there is unlikely to be a World Cup on the horizon. These weeks are his highlight and it makes him dangerous.
Chris Wyles, the six foot American centre wing is likely to start at 13 for Sarries. A solid, experienced campaigner. In all honesty, I doubt many fans look at a Saracens team sheet and shudder with fear that he’s been selected. But he’s often involved in key moments in their matches and you will get consistency.
One who sends a shudder through the spine, and every inch of the body, is the phenomenon that is Manu. Well on his way to iconic status, barely needing a surname, Tuilagi jr (or should that be jr, jr, jr, jr, jr, jr?) has taken this season by storm. As such an established part of the team, it was a shock to look back at pictures of last year’s Twickenham final to see his entire face and body covered in green paint as he led his school and academy friends in a show of support for Tigers. It’s one of those images that makes me well-up, I know other clubs have it too, but to see someone literally come from the terrace to the first team in a year is the Roy of the Rovers stuff that can still happen. Well, it can if you’re a 17 stone back with 5 brothers’ to have played for the Tigers. It seems so long ago that Manu was facing deportation, but it was only the start of this season, what a good job the right decision was made.
I’m not going to dwell on this one for too long. Yes, it’s a bit Dewi Morris. Yes, his defensive positioning compared to Wyles and Clarke can be weak. But, Manu is a force of nature, and I want him in my team.
Inside Centre – No 12
A contrast in styles at Inside Centre, Irishman James Downey offers Saints a bigger physical threat than the other sides. At 6ft 4 Inch, and 16 and a half stone, Downey is a classic example of how rugby has progressed physically in the last 15 years from when Jonah Lomu was freakishly big. At the other end of the scale is Anthony Allen. Allen punches well above his weight, and at over 14 stone and just under 6ft, he is hardly a lightweight, but this is one match-up Saints will target. Tigers will also fancy it, as Allen has shown a great ability to slide through gaps while the attention is on his boisterous centre partner.
The other English option is Saracens’ Brad Barritt, famously stood up for by everyone’s favourite Doctor when overlooked for last year’s England tours, Dr. Venter laid in to the England coaching staff, asking how at 6ft 1inch Barritt could be said to ‘come up just short’! Not for the first time, a shame no-one in the Saracens back room staff took him to one side and explained the nuances of the English language. Barritt has the skills to have played Super 15 rugby at Fly Half (in his previous life as a South African), and is a key member of Saracens uber-disciplined phase attacking play and mean defence. Alongside Alex Goode, he offers quality and assurance as an alternative first receiver to young Farrell and ensures Saracens are rarely flustered. For me though, the jewel in the crown of Premiership inside centres is Gloucester’s Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolo. The Cherry and White’s player of the year combines power and pace with a fantastic running style, holding the ball in two hands and keeping all options open. I select Sapolo for my Allstars and Allen for my England team, with Barritt coming up just short...
Fly Half – No 10
One of the most impressive aspects of Saracens’ season is how they’ve assimilated young Owen Farrell in to the team without losing matches. Some may say he’s already making a better fist of the union code than his old man did. He played superbly and kicked well in their victory at Welford Road. Despite featuring highly in the ‘bad passes’ stats table, I can’t think of a match where he’s looked out of his depth. Sometimes, the press and in particular the Sky Rugby Club panel are keen to anoint future England 10’s, this lad’s got a great chance, but there’s a lot of competition.
Much as there is for the Saints’ no. 10 shirt. Going in to the season, it was conceivable that any of Joe Ford (who had played a lot for Leeds the previous year), Shane Geraghty, or Stephen Myler, could become Mallinder’s first choice. As it was, Myler took the jersey early on and has been in pole position ever since. Some question his kicking at the posts, but I remember well him kicking Saints to victory on his first visit to Welford Road. He’s a solid player, and as good as several to have won the Heineken Cup. Both Myler and Farrell are fine players, but I believe the other playoff protagonists are stronger.
Nicky Robinson has his critics on Shedweb and elsewhere, for poor goal kicking and patchy form. At his best, he is top drawer, his teams outperform expectations. When playing for Cardiff Blues he had a great match-up alongside Jamie Roberts against Flood and Mauger, with his Welsh international colleague taking most of the plaudits in a team where they both had a major influence. At their best, Robinson and Flood are like carbon copies of each other, all gangly limbs and loose running, but with an eye for a gap and a killer pass, and when those long limbs connect, the ball goes a country mile. Perhaps it’s just as an Englishman and a Tigers’ fan, but I believe Flood’s top-end performance is greater than Robinson’s, he has greater strength, longer range and superior vision and that is why he’s earned far more international caps than the Welshman. However, on current form, Flood is not at his top-end. In the last two seasons, Tigers have been a mirror of our mercurial half-backs. When they’re on their mettle we’re a liquid attacking force. When they are struggling, the team doesn’t function. Perhaps last week I’d have made a different choice, but for this week, my All-star 10 is Robinson, and England 10 is Flood.
Scrum Half – No 9
Scrum half is another position where Sarries have a strong matchday squad. There’s a wafer thin gap between Neil De Kock and Richard Wigglesworth, the competition between them is a positive aspect of Saracens play. Both are accomplished box kickers, with Wigglesworth having a further string to his bow as part-time flyhalf, notably, his best performances to date were in Sale’s charge to Premiership glory. Speaking of glory, Rory Lawson is the grandson of legendary Scottish commentator Bill Mclaren, and they’ll certainly be singing and dancing in the streets of Gloucester should the 30 year old be part of a squad that adds to their LV cup win. Lawson is a competent international scrum half, which makes him a damn good club one.
Finally, the East-midlands rivals have the England incumbent, and less year’s ‘England squad bolter’ in the charismatic Ben Youngs, and in the Green and Yellow corner, England Saxons’ Lee Dickson. Youngs has recently been too sloppy. Like his half back colleague though, the flashes of magic are still present, and the other teams will fear the Tigers pairing. Dickson is on fire, his performance in the Heineken Semi was superb, and Saints truly look a much worse team without him. In terms of overall quality and long-term class, I think the England selectors again have it right. But current form leads me to for a second time split my choice, with the All-stars berth going to the on-fire Dickson, but not convincingly enough to take the England shirt too.
Loosehead Prop – No 1
My word, there is some talent available at prop. In other positions, a player of Nick Wood’s quality would have a real chance of making my team, but solid as the Cherries’ Saxon prop is, just look at the other three…
Matt Stevens is clearly a controversial figure. A popular player at Bath, it was a big shock to the rugby world when he was caught. He embodies many facets of the game that in other players are seen as big problems with modern rugby, the celebrity reality programmes (which he still goes on, recently appearing on ITV1 with Keith Lemon), a South-African import with a British passport, a player that leaves his long term club for another. But then, he smiles, or winks, or something. This guy must have the greatest personality in rugby, there is barely a bad word directed towards him, and I’m not going to start now. As a massive fan of the way he plays, I must admit to disappointment in what happened at Bath, but the way he excelled at Brazillian Jujitsu during his ban, and came back as good as before, shows there is depth to his character. His ability to play both sides of the scrum will surely see him back in the international fold sooner rather than later.
Marcus Ayerza is another favourite player of mine. So consistently good, and until his bust-up with Jo Marler a few weeks ago, so well disciplined. His hands are like an outside centre, and since joining Tigers as essentially an unknown prospect (all be it an Argentine under 21 international), he has consistently excelled. A big reason for our success.
Finally though we come to another physical monster, the signature of Soane Tonga’uiha was the subject of an almighty tussle between Saints and Sarries. With harsh words spoken on all sides, there’s no love lost. The powerhouse prop has scored significantly more tries, made more breaks and carried for more metres than his rivals. All this while Saints achieve almost as many penalty tries as Tigers, making him a strong player in the tight too. Handling Tonga’uiha is the first task for all sides facing Saints, and he is my All-star.
Hooker – No 2
Hooker is one of those positions where I don’t feel the teams are even. Tigers have the great club servant and incredible scribe that is George Chuter, Gloucester have the experienced Scottish international, Scott Lawson, and both men are good in the tight of the scrum. Chuter’s all-round skills have always impressed and he has peaked for the playoffs in the last two years, but his line-out has gone recently and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hawkins was selected.
This position is all about the clash between Dylan Hartley and Schalk Brits. Brits is a subject of great debate. His worshippers see him as the ultimate total rugby player. His detractors question his work in the tight. Similarly, questions have been asked of Hartley’s line-out and his habit of standing up in most scrums. But despite the reservations, I think Saints and Sarries have the better players.
Of those two, Brits is the more adventurous in open play. As likely to be found on the wing or at full back as in and around the fringes, you never quite know if he’s going to play it straight or drift through a gap like Austin Healey. But, we’re picking a hooker. Dylan Hartley is coming close to the complete hooker, big and abrasive; he commands the fringes of the ruck in defence and attack. He wins his battles and rallies his troops. He gets my vote.
Tighthead Prop – No 3
Alongside Fly-Halves, Tight head props reportedly get paid the highest wages, looking at this bunch of world class talent; it’s easy to see why. Saints have been involved in another transfer tussle, this time as the aggressive purchasing club (I’ve not noticed the fury from their fans that was directed towards Sarries during the Tonga’whia affair…) trying and succeeding in prising Paul Doran-Jones away from Gloucester for next season. This season though James Haskell’s big film buddy will be starring in Red and White, against the Men in Black. His fight with Stevens could have a big bearing on their respective World Cup chances. Brian Mujati is the Saints’ incumbent tighthead, and they really will be picking from a position of strength once they have those two. Mujati started the season behind Euan Murray in the pecking order, but was always going to get chances with the Scots’ refusal to play on Sunday’s and within months Murray had left. Mujati is a fearsome scrummager and ball carrier. Ex-Gloucester player Carlos Nieto will feature on the Saracens’ tight head, and the experienced Italian will fancy his chances against Wood. The Glaws front-row need to be on a meat diet this week as if they can gain parity then it really will be game on at Vicarage Road.
I’ve tried to avoid going through positions and claiming Tigers’ have the best unless I’m completely sure, but the two tightheads available to Cockerill are just top quality all round rugby players, big characters and superb scrummagers. “Castro” and Cole; First choice international players. Vying for the Tigers’ start. So, I don’t think it’s controversial to say we have two options better than the other’s choices. Which to pick? I change my mind throughout the season, but at the moment, it’s Castro time!
Locks – No’s 4 and 5
Picking two locks from the huge array available this weekend is tough. Saints’ combination of Lawes and Day is fairly likely to start, but who will the others pick? Brown, Attwood, Hamilton, James? Deacon, Skivington, Mafi, Slater? Botha, Smith, Borthwick? With so many players and the back row still to come, I’m conscious that I’ve gone on a bit (Reader: “Yeah, we’ve noticed!), so I won’t write about each player.
The players I’d consider for my England team are Courtney Lawes, Steve Borthwick, Louis Deacon, Dave Attwood and Moritz Botha (yes he is, look it up). I think those same players are the options for the Allstar team, though there’s a part of me that’s very tempted with Steve Mafi. He’s another huge talent unearthed by the Tigers’ scouting team and has improved physically so much this season. But he’s still a year behind Courtney Lawes, (well almost a year, Feb 1989 vs Dec 1989 birth months), both in experience and physical development. The long arms of Courtney Lawes can snaffle ball, grasp opponents, and generally provide a nuisance to the opposition. He’s one of those young players that Martin Johnson consistently ignores, if he lived in an enlightened country like Australia he’d have 8 caps by now… (for those that can’t detect sarcasm, he was picked by Johnno at 20 years of age and now has 8 caps despite picking up an injury during that period, can someone tell Dewi Morris…). Dave Attwood has arguably been the player to miss out most due to the rise of Lawes, picking up just the one cap so far. Attwood hasn’t had the greatest of seasons and will possibly not even make the Gloucester side.
Louis Deacon has had a solid season, possibly his best ever at international level, but his niggling back injury means he’s not played enough in the second half of the season to make the starting cut, the interesting thing will be to see if he makes the Tigers team. Finally, Saracens’ trio of locks (I suppose Hugh Vyvyan plays a fair amount at lock too, but I’m not picking him), have all had excellent seasons. Borthwick, the much maligned former England captain is still a classy operator, Smith is developing well, but it’s Mouritz Botha that stands out for me. This isn’t a player that came over for a big contract, he’s worked his way through the English system. He joined Bedford Athletic in 2006, before playing for Bedford Blues and being picked up by Saracens after a Mobbs Memorial match between the Baa-Baa’s and the East Midlands.
The combination of Lawes and Botha would be impressively balanced for both my All-stars and for England.
Blindside Flanker – No 6
Blindside flanker could have been a battle between England EPS members Tom’s Wood and Croft, but Wood is currently injured (and I’d probably have cheated and moved him to openside) As it is, Croft’s rivals for my fantasy team, are Clark, Strokosch, and Brown. Clark has had a good season, but is very much a second choice player. Strokosch is a big burly proper flanker and Brown is a tackling machine. But it’s another clear choice for me, Tom Croft has irritating faults, he doesn’t mix it every week like he did in the Lions shirt, he sometimes hangs out and when he can’t outpace the opposition he can blow chances, but normally, he does outpace them, and the really world class aspect of his game is his line out play, with Croft in the team both England and Tigers are noticeably better in the air.
Number 8 – No 8
At Number 8 is Julian White… next.
No, not really. The options are all strong, ball carrying, robust players. Roger Wilson, possibly Saints’ most underrated player, is a resolute Ulsterman, a rarity in not returning home in these days of Irish fiscal dominance. (Partly funded by the lovely way the Dublin-based ERC split the money from the Heineken Cup). Luke Narraway is probably the least physical of the Number 8’s, and for my money isn’t completely secure in his position ahead of Brett Deacon. Jordan Crane has had his worst ever season for injuries, he may be back on Saturday, but it would be a big decision from Cockerill to start him.
So I think the number 8 decision comes down to a straight head to head. Saracens’ Ernst Joubert vs Tigers’ Thomas Waldrom, whichever of these players can dominate and impose their game will go a long way to achieving semi and final success. It’s an incredibly tight decision, and it’s in the tight where I think I will be influenced. Waldrom is a superb picker of a gap and stepper, with deft hands, he sets up Tigers’ pacy players with Youngs and Allen often off his shoulder. But our breakdown work has been weaker this year, and that’s partly down to Waldrom not rucking as well as Crane. He doesn’t hit as many rucks and he doesn’t hit them as hard. Joubert is capable of the flashy stuff, as his tries in last year’s finals show, but the nitty gritty is where he thrives, driving that Saracens pack on to another tight win. He’s the man you want in the trenches.
Openside Flanker – No 7
Finally, Openside flanker sees for my money a dearth of world class options compared to the practitioners seen over the years. None of the teams have a player in the class of Richard Hill or Neil Back. There are still some pretty impressive options though. Tigers’ will most likely pick energetic kiwi all-rounder Craig Newby, his stint in the centres at Heineken Cup level during last year’s injury crisis will put see him go down in Tigers folklore, but isn’t enough to challenge for my team. I see the challengers as Saint’s Phil Dowson, Qera and Hazell from Gloucester and from Sarries, Andy Saull and Jacques Burger.
Dowson is an internet hero; you can’t go near an England forum without pleas for him to be selected for the White Rose, usually at no.8, despite him rarely playing there for Saints. He’s a whole hearted player, and for me is comfortably ahead of Hazell and Saull, so he makes my English qualified team.
But, for the Allstars, it’s a straight battle between the elusive Akupusi Qera and the formidable Jacques Burger. Qera is one of my favourite players in the world, and it’s very hard to pick Namibian Steel over Fijian Flair, but having missed much of the season through injury, I don’t feel Qera is on top form, whereas Burger provides the solidity and balance my back row needs after opting for Croft at 6.
So after all that (phew), my teams are:
Allstars:
15: Goode (Sarries), 14: Ashton (Saints), 13: M. Tuilagi (Tigers), 12: Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (Glaws), 11: A. Tuilagi (Tigers), 10: Robinson (Glaws), 9: Dickson (Saints), 1: Tonga’huia (Saints), 2: Hartley (Saints), 3: Castrogiovanni (Tigers), 4: Botha (Sarries), 5: Lawes (Saints), 6: Croft (Tigers), 7: Burger (Sarries), 8: Joubert (Sarries)
Subs: 16: Ayerza (Tigers) 17: Brits (Sarries) 18: Cole (Tigers) 19: Deacon (Tigers) 20: Qera (Glaws) 21: Youngs (Tigers) 22: Flood (Tigers) 23: Foden (Saints)
First XV by club: Tigers = 4, Saints = 5, Sarries = 4, Glaws = 2
Squad by club: Tigers = 9, Saints = 6, Sarries = 5, Glaws = 3
English qualified England team for the World Cup from the Top 4:
15: Foden (Saints), 14: Ashton (Saints), 13: M. Tuilagi (Tigers), 12: Allen (Tigers), 11: Simpson-Daniel (Glaws), 10: Flood (Tigers), 9: Youngs (Tigers), 1: Stevens (Sarries), 2: Hartley (Saints), 3: Cole (Tigers), 4: Botha (Sarries), 5: Lawes (Saints), 6: Croft (Tigers), 7: Dowson (Saints), 8: Waldrom (Tigers)
Subs: 16: Wood (Glaws), 17: Chuter (Tigers), 18: Doran-Jones (Glaws), 19: Deacon (Tigers), 20: Crane (Tigers), 21: Dickson (Saints), 22: Goode (Sarries), 23: Sharples (Glaws)
First XV by club: Tigers = 7, Saints = 5, Sarries = 2, Glaws = 1
Squad by club: Tigers = 10, Saints = 6, Sarries = 3, Glaws = 4
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:29:19:57:05 by Stephen Bath.
the two obvious teams that I'd select -
no one at all, coz we should have playoffs
and a team of julian whites
But I'm grateful there are smarter fans than I to write this well
As the government steals all and sundry from me and mine I do not think, well, it's good for the country and the banks.
I am passionate about my rugby [ka ora ka mate, it is said] and my resentment of insidious and callous suited-abuse of it [disenfranchisement, it is said] will not be assuaged by putting the 'other side'.
That said, your point of view is well expressed and I too thank you for it.
The pay-offs have a revenue generation value that is well established now, but it does devalue the bread and butter of 'weekly' league games when finishing top is not the be all and end all. I have suggested a format which could correct that to a point, keep the pay-offs and attract new sponsorship: from yesterday - ''but maybe the pay-offs should offer an equivalent financial return for their winners, and their remit should extend to financially worthwhile participation by the whole Plumpyship so they can actually earn their share of the proceeds and benefit from additional gate money [4 leagues of 3 + quarters, semis and final] ... could replace the LV+ Cup completely, and command another sponsor?'' .. I'm not sure there is a perfect answer, but there is room for improvement.
In the meantime, win the thing, Tigers!
*********************************************************
Chew this!
Beneath the rule of mens' oppressive state
The pen is likelier than the sward. Behold
The arch-enchanter's wand! - itself a nothing!
But taking saucery from the masters-hand,
To paralyse the Caesars, strike the fence,
Stride the loud earth breathless! Take away the fog.
Sheep, aspire to be unique.
The government stealing money, aka the taxation system, well perhaps you should think about the good things tax pays for! Surely the only debate in taxation is the level of tax not whether it is a good thing per se. But that's drifting OT.
I've read the 'bread and butter' argument several times, and i partly agree with it, the games it devalues are the top of the table clashes, rather than every match e.g. Away at Sarries where we rested our England players when we could have done so at home to Leeds. But Sarries won those games and still didn't top the league. It's the bonus point system that devalues wins and losses, more so than the playoffs.
Alternatives to the current system is an interesting area, and probably worthy of an article in itself.
Very interesting reading your thoughts and the comments you are getting from others.
One question though, what's a try bonus point!!
We are trying!!
Can't argue much with anny of your selections.
...
"Blindside flanker could have been a battle between England EPS members Tom’s Wood and Croft, but Wood is currently injured (and I’d probably have cheated and moved him to openside)"
If he was fit he'd have made the bench of the all-stars and started for the English.
Rich:
Yes, the playoffs lessen (slightly) the importance of some fixtures, e.g Sarries away this year and that's something that annoys and frustrates me about the current system. I thought i'd covered that point all be it briefly.
But, there are frustrations in a straight league too, especially that you can beat your direct rivals but over the course of the season gain less points than them.
As many have said, a trophy for league toppers would be nice.
...
I think the only unequivocal best side in any sport are those masterful sides that dominate all competitions they enter.
What we have at present manages to fail to prove either.
...
The PRL shot my dog - I'm miffed in the extreme and want it back - it may have had a dog's life but it aint better off dead
The government stealing money, aka the taxation system, well perhaps you should think about the good things tax pays for! Surely the only debate in taxation is the level of tax not whether it is a good thing per se.
Not aka the tax system, not the direct tax system anyway, but by indirect taxes, pension age changes, tuition fees and many, many more devices, some yet to be revealed, which will hit all outside the grand lodge, especially the most vulnerable in society; there's wood and there's trees - and I will refrain from commenting on your advice of what I perhaps should think
It's the bonus point system that devalues wins and losses, more so than the playoffs. Alternatives to the current system is an interesting area, and probably worthy of an article in itself.
The bonus point system is intended to increase endeavour, and probably entertainment, when a result seems settled, thereby improving the game. I might argue in favour of the french system of try bonuses whereby one is awarded only if one team scores three tries more than the opposition, since there's a tendency for Plumpyship teams to go to sleep after their fourth try. Does it devalue wins? Hmm, possibly theoretically, but worth it ... whereas the pay-offs most certainly devalues the whole league and should be reformed forthwith
*********************************************************
Chew this!
Beneath the rule of mens' oppressive state
The pen is likelier than the sward. Behold
The arch-enchanter's wand! - itself a nothing!
But taking saucery from the masters-hand,
To paralyse the Caesars, strike the fence,
Stride the loud earth breathless! Take away the fog.
Sheep, aspire to be unique.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:13:17:09:28 by Clique-o-clast.
Quote:Duncan Keene
Allstars:
15: Goode (Sarries), 14: Ashton (Saints), 13: M. Tuilagi (Tigers), 12: Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (Glaws), 11: A. Tuilagi (Tigers), 10: Robinson (Glaws), 9: Dickson (Saints), 1: Tonga’huia (Saints), 2: Hartley (Saints), 3: Castrogiovanni (Tigers), 4: Botha (Sarries), 5: Lawes (Saints), 6: Croft (Tigers), 7: Burger (Sarries), 8: Joubert (Sarries)
Subs: 16: Ayerza (Tigers) 17: Brits (Sarries) 18: Cole (Tigers) 19: Deacon (Tigers) 20: Qera (Glaws) 21: Youngs (Tigers) 22: Flood (Tigers) 23: Foden (Saints)
Good team. The only changes I would probably make would see Dickson and Youngs swap, ditto Brits and Hartley, with Borthwick replacing the too oft-injured Deacon on the bench and Tom Woods ahead of the somewhat overrated Qera.
Had Nicky been a better placekicker I would also have switched Foden and Goode; Allen and Mujati are probably the two most unfortunate to miss out.
Thanks for an in depth, interesting read Duncan.
