Bismarck to Bryan: 'Apparently Owen Farrell played better than you this year bru'
This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with England, Australia and the Lions, and one of the finest caption competition winners yet...
Finally, after a November spent crying into many a pint after two so near and so far results, England came alive. Could even the most steadfast and blissfully ignorant of fans have seen that coming?
The 80 minutes that did for a New Zealand team utterly looking like the one extra Test was one too many from a long year were a lesson to all in steely execution of game-plan, unswerving focus on technique and a perceptible improvement in homework.
England defended so well, you would have sworn the AB calls had been leaked and learned until they could be recited ad verbatim. Lightning line speed, tough tackling - England missed only one tackle in the entire first half - intelligent use of the referee's idiosyncracies, the English put it all together. Imbued with a little more skill and finesse, they might have had 50.
Not one of the All Blacks has considered using illness, fatigue or George Clancy as an excuse (penalising Kieran Read for getting a hand on the ball during a mid-air collision? Uuh...), an attitude befitting the world's best team. They know they were well-beaten.
But perhaps this has been coming more than people think. It's well-documented that the English were a couple of bad decisions away from the beating of both South Africa and Australia - that a couple fewer slippery hands would have done for the latter long before the decision not to go for posts late in the game. This time the decisions were spot on all the way through.
Eerily, the whole way England have worked and worked, snapped and heels and finally come up trumps against one of the SH giants is reminiscent of the onset of the successful part of the Woodward era, with detail adhered to in every aspect of the game and its preparation, and the execution of the grand plan. The plans are different, but the attitude and spirit are a perfect match.
Given the way France have swept most before them this November, this year's Six Nations looks set to be one of those Anglo-French tussles. Then we have a Lions tour and then two more years.
Plenty of time then for a comparatively green team to gain its experience and learn more and more, plenty of time for a team rediscovering its identity to gear up for its own World Cup. We'll know for sure after the Six Nations, but England are right on track for 2015.
Also on track are Australia. Written off in so many quarters and humiliated at times against France, Robbie Deans' side has managed to turn November into a resounding success. Narrow victories over and England side on the up and a full-strength Wales side are never to be sniffed at.
Deans has endured a gruelling year. He's survived an injury crisis, a crisis of confidence, a period of unashamed success and crowing from the old enemy that has left Wallaby fans in despair at times, and a mini-rebellion from within the squad.
But he has emerged from all that with a successful November and a squad now looking deeper and more at ease with itself than for some time.
2013 is set to be a very special year for the Wallabies. The last time the Lions came a-calling, it was Australia's golden generation that had clinched one World Cup and went close to retaining that two years later.
This time it's a team now well down the road of rebuilding, one that has developed a terrific inner strength and siege mentality, one that clearly sticks together in times of hardship. It's also well-stocked with talent - even the scrum is less shaky these days.
Bring that Lions tour on!
Over to those Lions: we'd wager there are a few more names set to leap onto the hypothetical team sheets in all four home nations over the coming few days.
Four weeks ago, the Lions were mostly Welsh, perhaps a quartet of Irish, another of English and maybe even a Scot or two.
Now? Well... English players like Joe Launchbury are worth adding to the consideration, as are the Irish entertainers who broke the mould - and the tryline - against Argentina such as Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy.
Add the competition for places there onto England's resurgence and France's free-flowing form and you've got a Six Nations to make the mouth water!
Finally, it was touched on earlier in the week by a colleague, so we won't go on about how Owen Farrell ought to be about 20 places further down the list for IRB Player of the Year.
But among such travesties, humour can be made.
Such as the accompanying picture of Bryan Habana's 'reaction' to Farrell's nomination...
Loose Pass compiled by Richard Anderson
Comments
ExiledBull says...
Is not well documented that England have not beaten SA in 11 games, you create your own luck.
I'm new to this so just trying to stimulate discussion...
Posted 12:45 08th December 2012
bokbevok says...
@apv1, really they were your decisions, boks and oz can argue a few bad decision by ref could of put game out of your reach.
Boks game countless scu line outs not called, bad call at scrum time boks penalised
When pom prop boring in( Pom commentators said that)
Given that crap line out, scrum not that good, couldn't,t get over the advantage line how on earth were you ever going to Win that game.
Dream on
Posted 22:53 05th December 2012
ABlack says...
well said OzinLondon....The pommy and aussie press dont actually play the game, but they do get very carried away. If Aus or Poms win 10+ games in a row against SH competition thrown in tothise 10 wins, then they have something to crow about....
when is that going to happen?
Posted 19:53 04th December 2012
kybone says...
OzinLondon- Calm down Sheila!!
Posted 17:40 04th December 2012
APV1 says...
@ OzinLondon - you see? That wasn't too difficult was it?
Posted 17:36 04th December 2012
OzinLondon says...
"....a couple of bad decisions away from the beating of both South Africa and Australia"
Yep, because even though England had failed to score a try against SA in 80 minutes of rugby... they DEFINITELY would have scored a try had they kicked to the corner.
And even though, had England kicked their first kickable penalty, Australia would have kicked off and the game would have therefore taken a completely different path that no one can possible predict... we can all say that England DEFINITELY would have won.
In fact... stuff it... let's just change the results. England 4 from 4 for the Autumn. Well done!!!
Posted 14:23 04th December 2012
APV1 says...
@ leebok - England played 4 games, 3 of which were against teams ranked higher than them. And we won 2, one of whom was against the best in the world.
You beat us, who were ranked lower than SA. Who did you beat that were ranked higher? Oh that's right no-one.
I do agree with this bit though:
"It's well-documented that the English were a couple of bad decisions away from the beating of both South Africa and Australia"
@ Startledwombat - we had one once, 1976 I think it was.
;-)
Posted 11:38 04th December 2012
Startledwombat says...
Lots of strenuous disagreement in the comments. The most controversial point however has not yet been addressed.
Melkdave referred to 'summer'.
You guys really have summer up there? [grin]
Posted 06:43 04th December 2012
jonesy2 says...
oh this is very amusing. im actually glad and want to pommy media and the like to continue to be delusional. even the most one eyed nutjob in melkdave knows the reality of it. how is australia's results a resounding success? the worlds second best lost to france and only just beat england then the same again with an UNDER strength wales.
APV1 -- the only "luck" australia need is for deans to be sacked and mckenzie to take over for next year. if so the lions will have no chance, deans is a fine coach and would probably make teams like england, ireland, scotland, italy much better but as long as he is coaching the wallabies the lions should almost be favourites
Posted 04:52 04th December 2012
JayStarr says...
@ leebok: LOL - took the words right out of my mouth.
Posted 19:33 03rd December 2012
Isograford says...
I think if the All Blacks had played England at the start of the tour they would have won fairly easily. While Englands chest may puff they might want to take into account all the things in their favour the other day before they get ahead of themselves. There's been plenty of false dawns for them since 2003.
I know the NZRU tacked the English test on the end for money, and they really need to ask themselves, now that they've added travel to Argentina to the yearly schedule, how far they're going to run their players into the ground for cash.
Apparently Conrad Smith, who was one who had complained of tiredness after the Welsh test, is doing the smart thing and skipping the end of year tour in 2013. I wonder how many others want to, and should, as well.
Posted 18:01 03rd December 2012
kybone says...
I have to say Melkdave, that you could have done with spending a bit more time thinking over that Lions selection- No Adam Jones, AW Jones, S Ferris, J Heaslip, M Phillips, T Faletau, D Lydiate, T Bowe, R Kearney or J Roberts!
leebok-'One win and now youre the world champions. '- You said it not us!
I don't know by what measure the Oz tour is deemed a success. I suppose if you're happy with playing crap and scraping to narrow victories, and the odd heavy defeat, then yea, its been brilliant!
Posted 17:58 03rd December 2012
NHsaints says...
@skinnyprop & mayhem true not quite full strength but England were missing: Lawes, Foden, Hartley, Corbisiero, Morgan, Ashton, JJ and Wood at the start of (or during) the autumn and we still managed 2/4, where's the Welsh excuse for losing 4/4? There just isn't one... anyway more importantly something became very apparent after the New Zealand game then rewatching the SA game; England will die a death in terms of attacking rugby if you take their momentum away at the lineout...Etzebeth did it all day for SA and that was the real reason they won, not just the freak try.
Posted 17:12 03rd December 2012
leebok says...
It's well-documented that the English were a couple of bad decisions away from the beating of both South Africa and Australia
Oh please. Typical English press. One win and now youre the world champions. Give it a rest. England are 2/2 in November. Springboks 3/0.
Posted 17:04 03rd December 2012
SkinnyProp says...
Full strength Welsh side? I think you'll find the following 1st teamers were missing through injury:
George North
Adam Jones
AWJ
Ian Evans
Dan Lydiate
That's half a scrum!
Posted 16:37 03rd December 2012
whatisthis says...
@ melkdave
talk about red rose tinted glasses. 12 of 15 starters english, 23 of your 37 strong squad english. that being said I would probably do the same with the irish.
Posted 16:26 03rd December 2012
LondonWasp says...
if we play poorly in our first game of the 6N (scotland) the NZ victory will be for nothing. if all goes smoothly, then the NZ game was a massive platform to which we can strive for consistancy and improved ability.
this 6N will be the best in ages- I cannot predict anything! every1 has a point 2 prove
Wales- since winning the 6N, they have been quite dissapointing to not have won anything, im pretty sure they will bounce back to form for the 6N- particularly EngvWales- slaying the dragon in Wales is always difficult
Ireland- always a bit of a dark horse, as the Argentina game proved. Didn't do nearly as well as they could have in last 6N, but i never rule out the irish- O'driscoll will be playing this time round- 'nuff said
Scotland- last years wooden spoon is more than enough motivation to improve and surprise the other teams. new manager new slate new year.As an englishman, one can never underestimate the scots- the first match will be a baptism of fire for us English
Italy- i've always loved the little Italians. they are now a side that you cannot brush aside easily anymore, particularly when Italy are playing at home. I always hope they can pull a shocker and beat a major team!
France- flavour of the month. easily the most impressive NH side in the tests. French Grand Slam anyone? having said that, France are so unpredictable - hot one match cold the next- depends which French side turns up on the day...
England- surprised most when they bagged 2nd place in last years 6N with a very green bannana team. English autumn games were a mixed bag- some good stuff flawed by the inability to do the simple stuff (passing and catching), meaning narrow losses to both OZ and SA- both games could have been won (which meant it was very infuriating to watch) and then THAT game recently. england need to be consistant and strive to improve- this 6N is a great oppotunity to do so..
Posted 14:48 03rd December 2012
3in4 says...
About the next Six Nations being an "Anglo-French tussle": both of those teams have to come to the Aviva. So let's not count chickens just yet.
Posted 11:50 03rd December 2012
OzinLondon says...
We'll know more about England in 4 months time. The tag of favourites has not sat well with them since 2003. They smashed Aus 2 year ago in similar fashion... and then reverted.
Unfortunately the Australian and English teams and press seem to like the merry-go-round. One win and the press goes overboard ("world beaters")... the players believe the hype... they don't live up to it... they lose... the press goes overboard ("rubbish")... the players have a point to prove... they play well and defy expectation.... the press goes over board ("world beaters").... ad nauseam.
If either team can maintain consistency over the next few years they can challenge for the top spot... until then I don't see one-off wins challenging NZ in the long term...
You can bet NZ have learnt a lesson that won't be forgotten for some time.
Posted 11:50 03rd December 2012
APV1 says...
It seems the only group of people trying to stir the Referee and / or illness and / or the length of season pot, is the journalists. They seem desperate to make a story when there isn't one.
If Richie McCaw says that fatigue and illness were not an issue, who are you to accuse him of being disengenuous? This is the man who most agree is one of the best rugby players ever to run onto a pitch, one of the best captains ever to have led a team (in any sport), and one of the finest, most honourable men we would all want to meet. So why do you suggest otherwise?
The Lions tour is looking like another cracker. Oz were lucky to beat both England and Wales, but that's the way these things go. We all need a bit of luck and Oz have been woefully short recently. Perhaps it was their turn for Lady Luck to smile and it will be the Lions' next year...
I'm pleased that the Lions' team selection has just got harder too. When all players, from all nations, are available (let's hope those out at the moment recover from injury and back to form soon), Gatland's job will be a nightmare. Although, it's a nice problem to have - most positions having some great competition for the starting jersey, as well as just a place on the plane.
Fantastic caption too. Shame for Habana that McCaw's going to win it though...
;-)
Posted 11:45 03rd December 2012