A new broom…..

This week, England will cast aside the last vestiges of the Johnson era and hopefully select the backbone of a side to take us through to 2015 RWC.

There’s truly a frisson of excitement building amongst the press corps at Lancaster’s attitude to rugby- no nonsense, back to basics, value the shirts etc.

In some areas, the selection will be pretty easy- the front row picks itself; the halfbacks also, when all are fit. But elsewhere, the backrow, inside centre and second row will all inspire huge debate.

Lancaster has gone on record as saying he wants to play an expansive game. All very good to say that, but sadly, that style relies upon a linking 7, and that’s the one area England’s resources are very thin. For someone of my age, brought up on a series of absolutely world class opensides (Hill, Back, Winterbottom etc), it’s unthinkable that we have no-one to challenge the best of the world- the likes of Dusautoir, McCaw, Pocock, Brussouw and the wonderful Sam Warburton.

I believe he’ll go with a starting line up of Wood, Croft and perm one from Morgan and Robshaw. It’s a mix and match situation- play Morgan and you go in with an inexperienced 8 and no 7. Play Robshaw and you have two 6-and-a-halves and no 8. Croft can count himself lucky that his line-out is an integral part of England’s set piece, as his work around the park in recent games has been lacking in physicality. It’s makeshift to say the least, but I do think England will profit from the workrate of the Quins skipper and the robust work around the fringes of Saint Wood.

Elsewhere, with Manu Tuilagi injured, it’s a shoo-in that the Saracens club unit of Hodgson, Farrell and Barritt will form the spine of the midfield, although some may question if Hodgson’s style will be suited to a cold day in soggy Edinburgh. Trinder will bench and add pace to the outside channels when he comes on.

At lock, it’s a case of pick the best available. Tom Palmer, surely one of the most under-rated locks in world rugby, should partner one of Lawes or Attwood in the enforcers role, although Mauritz Botha, the big Saracen-cum-South African, will also press his claims. In the back three, it’s a case of Sharples or Quin’s Mike Brown, which will inform if Foden (also a candidate for the outside centre berth) starts on the wing or at full back. Ashton will of course resume his splashdowns on the other wing.

Looking at the above, England’s season will be defined not by results, but by ambition and the content within those results. The fans have an appetite to watch an attractive team ; if a few eggs are broken making a delicious omelette of pacey, expressive rugby, so be it. However, Murrayfield in February is a daunting prospect, and one hopes, in the desperation to play expansively when conditions perhaps dictate otherwise, Stuart Lancaster doesn’t end up with some of those eggs on his face.

England’s 6N’s.

As a child, my Grandmother always opened the backdoor 1 minute past midnight on New Year’s Day,  claiming it allowed the New Year to come into the house to get rid of the old and bring in the new! Whether or not that’s true is debatable, but I sincerely hope that those charged with selecting the national side are looking to do the same thing come the 6 Nations.

A lot of pundits and fans are looking for wholesale change; my own view is that whilst change is needed, it would be foolhardy to dispose of the cornerstones of the side that have the experience, reference points and ability to bring on newer additions to the team. However, there are positions that are serious issues for England  and, very worryingly, in those positions, there are very limited options.

For once, English rugby’s conveyor belt of world class back row forwards seems to have developed a serious technical fault. With due respect to the incumbent captain, haven’t produced a truly world class openside since Richard Hill (although he spent the majority of his career on the other side of the scrum it was 7 that was his favoured berth). Our centres are makeshift journeymen or overseas imports, and the engine room is in severe need of a service. Paradoxically other areas have great options-= the outside backs, fly half to name two.

Look forward, I believe that a number of criteria should be laid down for selection- firstly, availability through age for RWC 2015 is imperative. Secondly, try to play players in their club positions. Thirdly, pick a skipper who is certain of his place, and fourthly pick players to play a pre-determined gameplan, not fit the gameplan around the players.

So, from the RWC side, I’d suggest the following should be the cornerstones: Foden, Ashton in the outside backs, Manu in the centres, Flood, Youngs, Wigglesworth and Simpson at half back, Corbisiero, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Croft, Haskell and Wood in the pack. There’s a few others but that’s your core.

In terms of the youngsters, we must fast track the likes of Farrell, George Ford, Kvesic, Kitchener, Attwood, Alex Grey, Marler and others. From the slightly more experienced men, Robshaw must be given an opportunity to bring his club from and leadership into the international stage, and Gloucester favourites Attwood and Sharps should be given their chance too

So, if I were picking my side for February I’d like it to look something like this:

Foden
Ashton
Tuilagi
Farrell
Sharples

Flood
Youngs

Corbisiero
Hartley
Cole

Attwood
Lawes

Croft
Robshaw ©
Grey (or Haskell depending on availability).

Not the worst side, but the one thing that it does lack is an obvious choice as captain. Tom Wood could be that man but at the moment, no-one knows where in the back row he should be playing or if he’s quite good enough.

Only time will tell, but I do hope that what we don’t see is the continued selection of those past their prime and those that fail to bring their club form into international rugby.

With change comes opportunity.

The word ‘sustainability’ is one of the most used and least understood words in modern business. Most think it’s a mixture of tree-hugging and CSR statements which is as far from the truth as you can get. Sustainability is building something for tomorrow’s generation that can realistically be maintained, and at the bottom line of that thinking is economic sustainability- the ability to create long-term reliable revenue. It’s called the ‘Triple Bottom Line Model’ Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability’ and it’s no co-incidence that Economic is the first word of those three, as without sound economic management, there is no money to pay for anything else.

It’s safe to say the RFU and England Rugby are not at the top of their game right now. Rumblings within the sport suggest that the leaky RFU ship, tossed on a maelstrom of accusation and discredit, are about to face an even greater challenge, with the rumours in the marketplace that sponsors now voicing their dissatisfaction at the general health of their investment.

There’s an old adage that you can’t market yourself out of a situation you’ve ‘behaved’ yourself into. You can’t change what’s already been done.

However, I urge all to think deeply and realise that the opportunity that has been created by the issues surrounding the Union is absolutely huge.

Change, in its broadest sense, needs a catalyst and that catalyst is now there; the palpable dissatisfaction of all can now manifest itself in an appetite for action and betterment and that is great news.

Sponsors need a return on investment. They need, above all to see sustainable long term value and partnership. They cannot be taken for granted and,listening to the political commentators on the sport, that spirit of partnership is currently at large.

The RFU need to take value to their sponsors, stakeholders and members. They need to answer the question ‘What’s in it for me?’. Indeed they’d be well advised to REDUCE the widespread number of sponsors (currently around 30) and focus on getting better revenue and offering more effective commercial opportunity to a fewer, but more committed partnership base. In modern business idiom, this is called the 80/20 rule- suggesting, correctly, that the majority of businesses get 80% of their funding from the top 20% of their clientele. This model breeds trust, confidence, understanding and commonality of goal, all things that will benefit the game. And believe me, if they do this, they’ll find they have sponsors for 30 years not 30 minutes.

Let’s also start giving, not taking, to the grassroots clubs. Give them value and inclusion and stop asking for reams of meaningless statistics to spin in a positive but self-serving light. Let that positivity come from tangible action, not numbers. Build sponsorship opportunities that allow the clubs to engage and benefit, and thus grow the game at the bottom of the pyramid, where it is needed most.

One of the issues here is time and how long it takes to do this. Well, I believe that that is nothing but an obstacle the naysayers create. With commitment, leadership and robust action, time is a friend and can be used to benefit.

Only masterly inactivity and endless review will stand in the way of moving forward. The need is for action, not naval gazing and I hope that those entrusted with sustaining the revenue streams of the game are empowered to act, because without that empowerment, the good ship RFU will sail from storm to storm until finally it sinks.

World Cup Success?

How do you value the impact of a Rugby World Cup?

Well, certainly anyone fortunate enough to have visited New Zealand over the last 6 weeks have raved about the organisation, marketing and excitement of the 2011 tournament. Indeed the whole country embraced the competition with a national fervour not seen since South Africa in 1995. And rightly, after almost 8 years of rugby dominance, the host nation took the spoils (although not without a rather tense climax, where the French did everything they could to spoil the national party!)

For those not so fortunate to go, the impact has been slightly less. The natural timings of the games, combined with something best described as lip service coverage from the broadcaster in the UK, made the competition slightly anti-social. However the feast of rugby was undeniable- proper attritional test rugby most of the time, combined with a few upsets and no less surprises.

It’s a shame that the tournament was blighted from an English perspective with a series of off-field events (followed by a series of on-field non-events!) but it’s a truism to say that in the micro-environment of a RWC, England will attract more press scrutiny than most, and Johnson will no doubt rue the lack of a specialist professional crisis manager within his press corps. Similarly other controversy clouded the latter stages- the Warburton sending off (which was, without doubt, the correct decision from Rolland- but begged the open question where the IRB interpretations correct?), the gum-shield fiasco and a few more.

Most rugby fans would agree that one area where the IRB are wholly wrong is their stringent regulations involving the responses to the Haka. The fine against France’s magnificent and spine tingling response the the All Blacks final war-cry was farcical. The stadium was electric; truly goosebump stuff as Dusautoir and Les Bleus stole the Kiwi thunder with a respectful, yet aggressive and purposefully orchestrated reply. This wasn’t just rugby, it was national pride and, after the game itself, possibly the most exciting moment of the World Cup.

The IRB rebuke of France, whilst again correct in the letter of the law, went totally against the spirit of the game. The marketing men would be furious too- it’s moments like this that they crave and events like this sell the game world-wide; video clips of the French arrowhead will be replayed years from now and, most importantly, that response set the agenda for the game itself. No quarter asked, no quarter given. I hope that the response edict will be revisited- potentially suggesting that a side may respond as they wish, within certain territorial boundaries (say 10 for the NZ, half way for the receiving side). As Stuart Barnes and Will Greenwood reflected on the Rugby Club, it’s wholly unfair to allow a side to issue a challenge and refuse the other team the right of reply. Let’s hope that the IRB show good sense and do what is right for the game and the fans, and in all probability and irony, what the All Blacks themselves would want

.

In other areas, the developing nations showed their commitment and improvement. No cricket scores this time and the emergence of a truly world class No 8 in the Georgian tugboat, Mamuka Gorgodze, who was the equal of back row superstars Read and Parisse in every respect. It is a shame, however, that the authorities have not yet implemented a second tier plate arrangement. I truly believe it’s the right way forward, and whilst cost and calendar issues will always create an obstacle, it’s not insurmountable and the betterment of the sport usurps that agenda in my view.

So all in all, a roaring success? Yes, with a couple of reservations. Did the best side win? Undoubtedly, although perhaps on the night they were outplayed. Is rugby better for the competition? With some minor debate, yes.

Well done to all in New Zealand. Now, bring on 2015!

There’s an old adage in cricket- never pick an attack where you can change the bowlers but not the type of bowling. It’s a pretty self evident statement that in any sport variety is the key in attack.

So, you can imagine my surprise and dismay this week when England’s 30 warriors for RWC 2011 are announced, and in the back line we’ve picked 4 bludgeons and a patent lack of rapiers.

Whilst I realise Riki Flutey’s form is questionable, that James Simpson-Daniel’s defence is something less than robust, and that Charlie Sharples is as raw as the skin on his head, I find it hard to countenance that Johnson and his cohorts have selected plenty of guys that can try and go through defences, but few that have the ability to go around them, or beat men one on one.

I am not sure what the issue is- do we simply not breed players of this ilk? Or is rugby changing to remove them from the game? Certainly the best attacks have a blend of skill and bludgeon; contrasts of power and guile, just as the best bowling attacks do.

There is little point in picking average big guys just because of their gym performances. Matt Banahan has looked utterly bereft of the standard need to unlock international defences in his short sojourn into international rugby, and whilst I understand the experience and defensive skill Mike Tindall brings, I cannot for the life of me understand why route 1 Banahan could possibly be more of a threat to the All Blacks than Flutey’s skills or Sharples’ pace. In short, it’s a case of safety first, and in a squad of 30, it’s sad to see not one gamble on selection.

I am sure England will beat poor sides, and I am equally positive that they’ll do that by duffing them up. What I cannot see in the England midfield is one player capable of an outside break one on one against the best defences. And, in my opinion, you’re not going to win a world cup by brute force alone.

Speak soon
James

Last week, England back row star Richard Hill gave us the overview of the flanker’s role in the modern era. This week, Richard looks at how you can improve your game and the various qualities needed to be successful in the back row.

Playing in the back row is all about work rate and winning the ball. As I mentioned last week, few other positions have the ability to positively effect a game, purely as you should be always where the ball is, giving you a chance to compete, challenge or carry.

I believe there are 5 key qualities required:

• High work rate- you should be one of the fittest players on the pitch
• Effective- be disruptive and destructive, creative and dynamic
• Intelligence- give options, run lines
• Support play- be available
• Team work- organise and secure.

Let‚s look at some simple game scenarios:

The attacking scrum:

Listen and be acutely aware where you could be required immediately to support/secure/recycle possession or your role in 2nd phase.

However, your primary role here is to ensure that you scrummage, otherwise your ear will forever be chewed off by props telling you of your responsibility to winning the ball! Commit to your role of pushing your prop in the required direction by driving him and ultimately scrum forward. As a flanker, you may need to channel the ball back to the eight and need to maintain your balance to do so. If your prop is in difficulty, you will have to remain down until the ball is out. Be aware of what‚s happening and adapt. When the ball comes out into the first phase play, you now move to where the breakdown is likely to be or react to the situation as it plays out in front of you, and as a team mate recognises an attacking opportunity or, as will happen at times, a mistake.

At that first phase move, your role is simple- get to the ball. That might be a breakdown, it might be kick chasing, but essentially you are there to be available‚. If you’re the first there, make sure the ball is secured in ruck or maul; if you‚re the second or third to arrive at the ruck, decide what is more use to your team-  if the ball’s secured, work around the fringes to become a carrier or distributor.

As the phase play continues, again, decide if you need to win, support, or carry. Whatever you do, be there to offer an option and make a difference.

The defensive left hand scrum:

This relies a lot upon communication. My personal preference is the following procedure. Basically as a blindside, you need to be the guardian of that narrow channel. Nothing must get past you. You should be the first tackler off, using the 16th man to defend (the touchline) and allowing the 8 to pick up anything coming inside. If your prop is in difficulty or the loose head prop goes forward, then this may vary as you’re forced to stay and scrummage- this then needs communication with your 8 for him to step out slightly wider and cover the narrow, with you covering the inside hole. If you’re open, then you are now working closely with the 9 dependent on whether he stays tight or wide to the scrum. You must then adopt the opposite decision, either filling inside shoulder or 9, or work hard to fill the inside hole of 10. Then everything you need to do is about pressuring that 9/10/12 channel, and forcing them to do what you want to do- if you pressure on the 10/12 side, then the 8 should again pick up anything switching back in. If you want to get the opposition to drift across, then you’ll run a tighter, straighter 9/10 channel to pressure. It all depends on how you want to defend and what options you want the attacking side to take.

In both attack and defence, it’s also common place for one of the back row to cover a kick to touch. For example- you know your 9 has called the box kick off first phase- one of the back row needs to drop back to cover the return kick. Equally, in defence, if the open flanker is getting up hard in the face of the 10/12‚s, then a relief kick is on the cards- be aware and make sure one of the back row is covering that kick to touch.

Support play:

The key here is to have a clear understanding of the team strategy. As noted before, in first phase, know the game plan and know where that breakdown is going to occur. Understand the phase calls and be there to support. There’s a degree of trust required here as you’ll need to be pre-emptive in terms of attacking lines if and when you get the ball, execute well- you should be able to beat a man one on one, or to ensure continuity. Whatever happens when you get the ball, understand there‚s no such thing as bad ball until you make it that- it’s all about your decision making.

Tackling:

Physical fitness in every respect is the key to becoming the tackling machine your side wants from you!

I had a simple mantra when tackling- “Perform the very best technical tackle you are able to” The definition of the best technical tackle differs according to the game conditions- let’s examine a few of the options:

• low tackles- to me the most important tackle to master and the one that will be most used in your rugby career. Perfect this and then move on to other techniques. Executed with good technique, powerful leg drive with support from team mates you will be able to dominate the gainline. Back up on feet to recycle self back in to play
• the big hit- generally higher up on the body, with the intent of driving the man back. You‚ll be looking for the second man in to take the ball as you make the hit. Power, leg drive and timing are keys here.
• wrap tackle- a tackle designed to take both man and ball to ground. Be careful under the new laws as this is rendered less effective now as you‚ll need to roll away the moment you hit the ground. Again, the second man in is key here and needs to drive over the tackled player to secure.
• tap tackle- the last resort- but sometimes necessary!

Be aware of the need to maintain a defensive line- most attacking breaks happening when the defence dog-leg their own defensive line (i.e. step out of the line and create a hole behind). As a flanker, you‚ll become a defensive leader and you will also look to direct the front five forwards to make close quarter tackles inside you, allowing you to work across and maintain a defensive presence in the open channels.

Second man in- this is a key part of the flanker‚s role- in every situation you’ll be looking to win the ball and be as disruptive as possible. Getting a low centre of gravity and driving low to high is important. Hit the ruck at pace but with control too. Look for the ball. Look to win it, dislodge it with foot or, at worst, prevent others from winning it (slowing it down).

I hope the above gives you a little insight into the back rower’s functions and duties. It is literally impossible to cover everything as, as I have said before, the flanker is the consummate rugby all-rounder and needs al the skills.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly:

In closing, I’m often asked who were the best I played against and there’s 3 or 4 that always spring to mind:

George Smith- brilliant at ruck time, and so powerful over the ball and difficult to shift. He had a very low centre of gravity – in the Lions series 2001, there was a conscious team decision to remove him before he was able to influence the ball or player. Fortunately it worked, but it does underline what I said about using intelligence to win as well as power.

Andre Ventre- powerful and very hard. I always knew I‚d been in a game when I played against this huge Springbok.

Marty Holah- often forgotten as McCaw‚s back up, but a fierce competitor and another that created me a lot of issues. Very physical and powerful in the breakdown.

Richie McCaw- really one of the modern masters of back row play and a player who plays just on the line of the law. His absolute skill is ‘being effective’. He won’t waste an ounce of energy doing anything that does not have a direct influence on play.

Well, that’s it from me. I‚d like to thank all at Ruckingball for having me and I wish you, the young or emerging player, the very best of luck. Rugby has been a huge part of my life and I would not have changed a moment of it. I hope it gives you as much pleasure as it has me and I trust you’ll glean a little from my words above

Richard Hill won 71 caps for England and 5 for the British Lions. With Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio he formed one of the most feared back rows in modern international rugby. In 2004, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament put a premature end to Hill’s England career, although he won one more test cap for the Lions in NZ in 2005, and went on to appear for Saracens until his retirement in 2008, with a total of 275 first team appearances. He now works at Saracens mentoring the next generation of young talent, combining this with his role on the RFU Council. He has recently launched the RFU’s Wine Club, taking a self-confessed and blogged journey from wine novice to sommelier! Visit http://www.rfuwineclub.com/wine/richard_hill.html for more details or follow Richard’s  views on twitter @rhillrugby

The Flanker’s Role- Richard Hill.

For the next two weeks, our guest blogger is Saracens, England and British Lions’ flanker Richard Hill. These days, in every sport, the word ‘great’ appears to be bandied about like confetti. But Hill is truly regarded as many as a genuine great of our sport, and one of the finest exponents of back row play the game has witnessed. With a career spanning 15 years at one Premiership club, and a key player in winning Grand Slams, World Cups and Lions’ series, Hill’s technical accuracy, work ethic and intelligent support are hallmarks of his game. Today we discuss the requirements of the flanker’s role, and next week, part 2 of this article focuses on tackling, techniques and tips.

The Flankers’ Core Role:

It’s often said that the flanker is the most versatile player in rugby, blending the solid handling and tackling skills of a centre with the strength of a prop, and the scrummaging and line out work of a lock. It’s a position I wouldn’t swap with any other as you have the absolute ability to affect a game, purely and simply as you are, or should be, always where the ball is.

In order to be effective, I believe there are 7 key qualities required in the wing forwards role:

• Huge work rate
• Intelligent disruption and destruction
• Primary tackler/high tackle count
• Supporting others
• Ball carrying
• Offensive defence- ‘big hitting’
• Tight play- line out and scrummage
• 
  

You may not get all of these qualities in one single player, but certainly, across a well balanced back row unit, all of the elements I’ve listed are absolutely necessary.

Open, blind or 8?

When I started playing, the back row was probably more clearly defined in terms of the individual positions. Most sides played with a blindside flanker and an openside flanker. A few (French particularly) played ‘left and right’. Common wisdom held that the openside was generally the faster smaller support player and the blindside was the taller, more physical player and the 8 somewhere in between. One of those would be a primary line out option.

It’s certainly my view that modern demands have changed this and now more and more sides tend to select the back row as 3 footballing forwards who each have a contrasting blend of the requisite skills. The very best combinations have a fetcher, a link man, a flyer, a tackle enforcer, a ruck nuisence, a close quarter carrier. It’s best to have at least 2 solid line out options and the work rate of all 3 must be amongst the best of the field of play. The actual positions are not as important as the skills and role fulfilment.

As an example, England currently have exactly this in what I believe they consider is their first choice back row- Moody, the flyer with a huge tackle count, Croft the linker, a line out specialist, with Easter providing the close quarter power and calming influence at base of scrum.  All three are not conventional 8’s, 7’s or 6’s, but together, they offer a pretty competitive blend of skills, and all three are viable line out options. Others that challenge the norm are Luke Watson, an intensely mobile 8, but comparatively tiny at 5’ 11”, and Tom Wood, a 6’ 4’ openside.

Teamwork

When England first played a back row of Lawrence Dallaglio, Neil Back and myself as a unit (I think it’s as far back as the second half of the first All Black test in ‘97- when we all had hair!) it raised a few eyebrows. 2 opensides and a blindside? The truth was Clive Woodward recognised he wanted all 3 of us to start, and believed we had the best blend of skills available, so we learned to adapt into our perceived positions. Until that test I’d played all my international rugby in a pure 7 role. After that test, I moved around 8 and 6 until settling at 6 a year or so later. Whilst we still played 8, open and blind, our roles were skill based, more so than positionally based and we became a ‘team within a team’.

Key to this adaptation, was understanding each others’ game and trusting those contrasting skills. We would openly and honestly communicate with each other and in training we would critique each other on very fine details- such as contact area of shoulder in tackle- where, when, how high? We took our understanding and communication very seriously, even to the last time we packed down for the last scrum in our 49th Test as a unit, and still, each of us intuitively called our roles out, despite knowing each others’ games better than we knew our own families! We would develop our skills and challenge each other; as an instance, I became a line out option fairly late in my career (specifically on the 2001 Lions tour), but we wanted to develop it, as it gave us another skill to offer.

From a training and playing perspective, I’d suggest any aspiring backrower not to get hung up on the number on your back, but be clearer in your own mind of the skills you bring to your team, the way you work as a unit with your immediate colleagues, and what other skills you can develop. Be honest and clear in assessing this, practice game skills, practice game situations, and practice hard.

Fitness and Training

Never underestimate the fitness requirements of the modern wing forward. If we take my opening comments about being rugby’s all-rounder, then it follows you need EVERY aspect of fitness.

Generally speaking there are 3 areas of measuring fitness:

1. Power (Strength and Speed)
2. Endurance
3. Flexibility
   

Each and every one of those are key to your position. As an instance, people often forget that whilst you may have immense upper body strength and the ability to rip a ball in tackle or jackal, without the flexibility to balance and apply your power from some unstable positions, you cannot be effective

In addition to a balanced weight and endurance schedule, I also advocate training to agreed match conditions; as an example, if training handling skills, reduce the contact levels to 50% but complete everything. Then vary this will a full 100% tackle session, focusing on power and accuracy- again 100 % completion is the aim for both offence and defence.

Next week, I’m going to focus on practical knowledge: the Flanker’s Role in Defence and Attack, and talk about defensive techniques and positional play.

Cheers,

Hilly.

Richard Hill won 71 caps for England and 5 for the British Lions. With Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio he formed one of the most feared back rows in modern international rugby. In 2004, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament put a premature end to Hill’s England career, although he won one more test cap for the Lions in NZ in 2005, and went on to appear for Saracens until his retirement in 2008, with a total of 275 first team appearances. He now works at Saracens mentoring the next generation of young talent, combining this with his role on the RFU Council. He has recently launched the RFU’s Wine Club, taking a self-confessed and blogged journey from wine novice to sommelier! Visit http://www.rfuwineclub.com/wine/richard_hill.html for more details or follow Richard’s  views on twitter @rhillrugby

Morning all,

In addition to writing words and doing things here at Ruckingball, I co-own a TV Casting and Talent business in the West End. My role there really tends to be behind the scenes and dealing with the business stuff. It’s rare that I’d ever venture to put myself forward for a part (I’m terrified of the camera and the camera is not my friend in any way at all).

However, those that know me are aware that my passion for all things sporting (cricket in particular!) knows no bounds, and you can imagine what happened when Sky Sports sent in the brief for their new test Cricket Idents.

A cricketer playing shots and strokes? To be featured in the title sequence? “That’ll be my good self’ I said! Last night, as I watched the opening day of the Sri Lanka Test I screamed across the lounge in delight “It’s me! It’s me!” I bellowed, as an animated figure smashed another cover drive to the boundary!

I really enjoyed the day immensely, especially as the other featured artists were my good mates Richard Stemp (ex England and Yorkshire spinner) Dave Burton (Middlesex fast bowler) and Dave Pashley, (not only the Staffordshire wicketkeeper, but voted the best dressed man in Manchester by GQ in 1999! or was that 1979?). We went to the famous Centroid studios (our blogger Jamie Roberts knows this house of pain well I believe), we were trussed up in lazer light suits and got paid to play cricket for a day…manna from heaven.

So, whenever you see a right handed batter in the Sky Test sequence, that’ll be me.

However, you’ll note that the sequence is an animation based upon my movement and you can’t see my ugly mug. I’m glad. I said the camera doesn’t like me!!

James.

Manu Tuilagi and the RFU

Reading the RFU report, and the ridiculous mitigation levels thrown at young Manu, combined with the hitherto unprecedented level of RFU meddling to secure Manu’s resident’s visa, one has to wonder just what lengths the RFU will go to to keep Manu available for the RWC.

From the RFU report “Mr Wheeler said that the Player comes from a Samoan family with a culture of honesty, discipline and hard work. He is a committed, physical and very skilful rugby player, but has a very good record with no offences recorded against him. He has played for England at U16, U18 and Saxons level and has been selected for the U20 7s tournament in Glasgow and for this year’s Churchill Cup. He is clearly a very good prospect for the future at Leicester and with England. He added that this was the biggest game of his career – a local derby and the semi-final of the Aviva Premiership – and he certainly over reacted.”

One wonders, when reading the glowing eulogy and mitigation of Manu, should Jeff Blackett also, when describing his character, mentioned that he  was guilty of a criminal offence by knowingly and deliberately breaking Visa regulations?

Certainly I find this case very interesting and I feel rather sorry for Whitehaven Flanker Callum Jennings, who is still banned for 78 months despite everyone involved in the game in question saying his crime was nothing more than a regulation hand off that went rather horribly wrong.

On Saturday, Oct 24, last year Alan Hedworth was playing against Whitehaven when he moved  in to tackle Callum Jennings, who was bearing down on him with the ball.  Moments later, he felt a searing pain in his left eyeball.

Hedworth underwent a three-hour operation at the Cumberland Infirmary in  Carlisle, but surgeons could not save the sight in his injured eye. Cumbria  Police looked into the matter before it was passed on to the Rugby Football  Union’s disciplinary processes.

The case was heard on March 16. It was alleged that Hedworth’s injuries were  caused by “an unlawful hand-off in that it had been made with an  outstretched hand, or extended finger or fingers”.

That claim has been keenly disputed, Jennings insisting that he had used the  flat of his palm for the hand-off (which is allowed). There was no denying  the consequences, as detailed in the report of the hearing.

“He [Hedworth] felt a blow to his left eye and a ‘pop’. He became aware  of fluid leaking out of his left eye and a searing pain.”

The disciplinary panel was told that Hedworth also sustained a 1½ inch cut  below his left eyelid that required six to eight stitches. Witnesses spoke  of “a gush of liquid. . . flying out from his face. . . which was due  to. . . the eyeball bursting”.

Jennings’s defence is that if he had used his fingers at full pace he would  have broken them. Hedworth acknowledges that the player had not intended to  blind him, but can not agree it was an accident. The panel concurred,  finding Jennings guilty of “recklessness”.

An appeal hearing against the 78-week suspension handed down to Jennings is to  be heard in Coventry. Whitehaven have organised several fund-raising events  to employ a barrister to represent Jennings.

I feel for Jennings, although regarding his unintended victim, there but for the grace of God go us.It’s a risk we all take when we play the game- just ask Matt Hampson, a wonderful guy who, despite his crippling injury, doesn’t regret playing the game in any way at all. I also would stress I have nothing but the utmost sympathy for Alan Hedworth.

This is the thin end of the wedge- what next? A prop suspended for scrummaging too hard? A fly half suspended for kicking the ball too hard into the face of an oncoming flanker?

Really, the authorities should get their act together and support all players equally and fairly, regardless of latent agenda.

I really hope the RFU come to their senses regarding Callum Jennings and treat him with a little bit of understanding

Rant over.

James.

The importance of managing your body.

So here am I, shored up with a small bicep tear brought on totally by my own fault.

Firstly, I have to thank all of the ruckingball management for their concern, especially Martin Corry, who exclaimed “Call that a torn bicep? Why, when I did mine it was 100 times worse…it was yellow, red, purple and blue…size of a golf ball …etc…….etc…”

I can only surmise that if I had a black cat, Cozza would have one that was blacker!

Secondly, I wanted to use this as a salutary lesson to myself and all on here to manage your body properly. I played in 2 games in 4 days, then went into a 3rd and, in honesty, I did not warm up properly nor, after the first two games did I warm down properly.

One of the things I have noticed is that as I have gotten older, I need to manage my body. Anyone that’s played sort at a decent level will understand that certain major injuries never go away, they just need management and care. In my case I have a shoulder dislocation on the same arm that I tore the bicep on and I should have realised it needs stretching and warming up. I also suffer from Achilles issues and a couple of other niggles. I know that to play I need to work hard on keeping those niggles at bay!

So my message is this; warming up and warming down are key, as is injury management. Always take those parts of your game as seriously as ball skills and the like and don’t underestimate the management of old injuries. Swimming, stretching and ice are the keys in my case, and I’m sure Lisa and Matt would agree that they’re key parts of any recovery regime.

We all want to play sport for as long as we can, but we need to let our bodies recover.

Don’t do what I did and have to have a month off (and, worst of all, listen to the likes of Corry and Byrne rolling in mirth at my latest mishap!)

Cheers
James.