The Return of Basketball Rugby

Worrrying news from Australia the rugby union over there has said the super 14 sides based in Australia must play a more expansive style of rugby. The reason falling attendances. The conclusion that playing a more expansive style of rugby will attract more crowds is ridiculous.

Sport is in a worldwide recession, even Manchester United are not selling out anymore. Manchester United has sold out for twenty years. Maybe this is the reason for falling attendances in Australia. The rugby union insisting on a more expansive style is dangerous firstly for Australian rugby union as the players forget how to do the physical things well, witness the Australian scrum in the 2003 world cup. Secondly the world game may suffer as the Australians will no doubt insist on the dilution of the scrum and the lineout to make the game more expansive.

If the rest of the world is looked at the game is in rude health with attendances up all over the world and expanding into places such as Georgia. The problem Australia has is that super 14 rugby is trying to spread to non rugby areas such as Melbourne. Once the novelty wears off no wonder attendances fall. A pacific nations super 14 side would have made much more sense. When has sense ever been used by the administrators of rugby?

The England Captaincy Conundrum

Steve Borthwick has been named the England rugby captain for the upcoming six nations. This causes problems to many people in the game. The reason why people are upset is because he is being compared to his coach. Martin Johnson was a great leader of the greatest England rugby team. Steve Borthwick is not leading a great team. The current England team is so lacking in other leaders around the field that his frailties as leader are being exposed. 

The other question regarding Steve Borthwick is whether he is worth his place in the side. He was drafted into the side originally as a lineout specialist but the England lineout has hardly set the world on fire. The South African line out is the gold standard in the world, with the Irish probably the best in the Northern hemisphere. He is not a great ball carrier or overly demonstrative. In other words he is not the mercurial Simon Shaw, the evergreen athletic Wasps second row. In a perfect world England would have had Phil Vickery leading the side long term but a neck injury has halted his England prospects. I Believe that Lewis Moody should be leading the side. He is the best back row in England who has a style of play the inspires all around him and this is what England needs more than anything else inspiration.

The English and the Heineken Cup

The only English side in the later rounds of the European Cup is Northampton. The question is why?

The Leicester coach has said the salary cap is the problem. This is because he says the salary cap prevents squad size. I disagree the English sides have generally been poor. This goes back to an ongoing theme I have in this blog. Poor skill levels.

The English premiership sides are currently playing a brand of rugby so boring and safe that skill levels are suffering. The Irish, Welsh and Scottish sides have not the depth of players but play without fear die to lack of relegation. The French sides have always played with style conducive to skilful back play. English club sides play with a physical brutality this is not always ideal for skilful forward and back play.

What's the solution? Certainly getting rid of the salary cap would allow English clubs to strengthen their squads. However inequality would reign. The financial situation would mirror the English premier football league. Clubs would go broke and the same clubs would win all the time. I am convinced investement in the coaching infrastructure would be enough. Less emphasis on the physical and more on the mental and skill levels.

Six Nation predictions

The reason the six nations on a previous blog are as follows. The Irish will win as they have the most settled side with quality confident players although the pack is starting to age. The Welsh are stuffed full of attacking potential. This, combined with the movement towards freeing the ball in the break down will drive the Welsh to second place. The third place might go the Scots as they have an attacking side and had a good Autumn series. The conundrum is in the English camp, a poor Autumn series beset by injuries leads to uncertain six nations. The French are in a similar situation, despite a win against the All Blacks the French look lost again. Despite the improvements Italy will finish last. 

The House of Cards is crumbling.

The sky is blue, the earth is round and the Pope is Catholic. Football clubs in England are going bust. Hopefully this will Portsmouth Are the start of the elite to fall. Manchester united have issued a bonds offer.

The danger of this is that football clubs are now no longer the preseve of the fans but the playthings of the uber rich. What happens when the rich man gets bored. Usually the fans suffer.

Six Nations Time

The six nations starts soon my prediction for the final positions.

1. Ireland
2. Wales
3. Scotland
4. France
5. England
6. Italy.

Justification for that prediction to follow soon.

Local Pride

Watching lower league rugby this Christmas break has given me food for thought. The English premiership has good players. The problem is that the players are trying so hard that injuries pile up. The more injuries that pile up the more other players are needed. This leading to more journeyman players coming from abroad.

What is the problem with this? The more journeyman players that arrive the more local rugby clubs suffer. Players no longer feel affiliated with their home town club. Local derbies no longer have their bite. Players play out of desperation regarding their next contract. This leads to safety first kicking rugby which nobody wants. Solutions?