Now the joke's on the English

By Zippy
September 4 2005

An amazing editorial in today’s Wales on Sunday from Simon Thomas, I’m not sure what he’s taken or what planet he’s on but to the fact this man is a pro journalist amazes me, for the story and comment read on

Now the joke’s on the English

Simon Thomas, Wales on Sunday, 4^th Sep 2005

THE times they are a changing. Welsh rugby's favourite pastime used to be looking across the border with a mix of sympathy and pity.

Before professionalism, English rugby was regarded as a joke, a sleeping giant that seemed incapable of stirring from its slumber.

Then the game went "open" and England became one of the dominant powers in world rugby. But two years after Martin Johnson lifted the World Cup in Sydney, English rugby is in turmoil. What a damn shame!

The English game is rudderless, lacks vision and is crumbling under its own self-importance.

English rugby is now doing a very good impression of Welsh rugby a few years ago.

The administration is a mess, there is another interminable club versus country row, the national side is in decline, the England coach is under pressure and money is being wasted on over the hill foreigners and rugby league stars. That's before we even get to the issues of poor coaching, poor player development and player burnout.

Believe me, English rugby is all about smoke and mirrors.

The Guinness Premiership may be the self-proclaimed "best domestic league in the world" but it also represents a sign of English rugby's weakness.

Why? Well, if English rugby is so strong and vibrant why do the clubs need to recruit 34 overseas players for this season alone?

Andrew Mehrtens, the former All Black fly-half, is earning a fortune playing for newly relegated Harlequins in English rugby's second Division! How bizarre is that. Mehrts must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Then, just as Welsh rugby has finally dumped its rugby league experiment, the English RFU splash out more than £1m for a 30-year-old rugby league player, Andy Farrell, who was forced to withdraw from his Saracens debut after stubbing his toe.

And that is before we even start talking about having only four Englishmen employed as head coaches in the Premiership.

Welcome to rugby's "United Nations" pension home. Welcome to English rugby.

Watching Andy Robinson, the English coach, lose his battle to protect his Lions from burnout warmed the cockles of this Welshmen's heart, this week.

The English clubs are killing the national side, treating their English stars like pieces of meat and refusing to give their youngsters a chance. It doesn't get much better than that and long may it continue.

England may have the finances and the player-base but they are wasting one and not utilising the other.

Wales, at last, has started to make sure they get value for money and develop their own talent.

Only the Scarlets seem to have a problem with that approach but they were soon reminded of their responsibilities, last week.

Welsh rugby appears to have finally had the self-confidence to shake off its inferiority complex when it comes to English rugby.

In the process, we have rediscovered the boldness and innovation that made Wales the leading light of European rugby.

Wales are Grand Slam winners, were the only home nation to come out of the recent Lions tour with any credit and are now regarded as one of the hottest tickets in world rugby.

All three superpowers - New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - have swapped their annual visit to Twickenham, to come to Millennium Stadium, this Autumn.

Before that, the four Welsh regions will lock horns with the English clubs in the Powergen Cup, and the English are already making excuses about prioritising their season.

Wales shouldn't thank them for throwing crumbs off the table our way but send them home with their tails between their legs, and every Welsh coach and chief executive should publicly harangue their English counterparts for their arrogance and lack of respect.

Some things SHOULD never change.

Zippy Comment

How on earth does Simon Thomas feel in a position to write this? The whole basis of the story is that the WRU have control over the Welsh players and are able to wrap them in cotton wool and keep them fresh for internationals and the English cannot, so that makes Wales far superior to England in all aspects of rugby.

The thing is Simon it doesn’t, at international level yes we are better placed to succeed but underneath the surface in Wales everything is far from rosy, look at this weekends grand opening of the Celtic League, 2 of the Welsh sides lost to poor opposition, the standard was appalling and the Ospreys match kicked off at a ridiculous time.

Whilst the Guinness Premiership opened with tens of thousands enjoying a double header at HQ with several other high profile games culminating in the massive West Country derby today.

Come the Heineken Cup the Welsh sides will go in as underdogs whilst the top English sides will be amongst the favourites.

Come next years 6nations England will put out a 15 that will compete and that 15 will be based on who has performed well in this unforgiving league whilst the Welsh will be based on who didn’t fall asleep during the Celtic League.

And don’t get me started on the Welsh Premiership and the lack of pro teams in Bridgend, the Valleys and the North.

Don’t get ahead of yourself Simon, you know what happened to the man who built his house on sand!