McCaw and Rees: Marvellous duel

The step up in class is a quantum one but that is not the whole problem. The side have been devoid of quick thinking and imagination for most of the last five years.

Quotes of the week

New Zealand v England
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It was not the defeat that should disappoint England fans -- after all no side has won at Eden Park since 1994 (remember that French try "from the ends of the earth?") -- but the nature of the English performance.

New Zealand expected a physical challenge and for twenty minutes that was what a typically powerful English pack delivered, but once the All Blacks upped the pace this team had little to offer other than endeavour.

Again, players who perform so well for their team, underperform in white. The step up in class is a quantum one but that is not the whole problem. The side have been devoid of quick thinking and imagination for most of the last five years.

England look muscle bound and brain light and this has to be a preparation issue as much as a players problem. Martin Johnson needs the wit and invention of an experienced attack coach and he needs Brian Smith (whoops, sorry London Irish), no deal done yet, so I hear.

As for the Six Nations champions, Wales will be disappointed with the result but that was a much better performance against a World champion side that threatened to overwhelm them with some coruscating stuff in the first twenty minutes.

Inspired by a brave captain and a brilliant wing, it was a fine fightback and even though the South Africans went away in the end, Wales can return home with a few positives which England might well settle for at present.

Their positives so far include Tom Rees who had something approaching the game of his career to battle out an honourable personal draw in his duel with the marvellous Richie McCaw.

James Haskell did well without ever being on the front foot where his strengths come into play and Luke Narraway did a more than decent job as well. Behind the scrum Topsy Ojo could not have done any more while Danny Care's cameo from the bench makes him a contender for the starting position that should have been his last week.

I am yet to see the Ireland and Scotland games but clearly Ireland did not disgrace itself while Scotland broke the Old World's duck south of the Equator with victory in Argentina. The Pumas are shorn of a few stars but any win in Argentina is a good one. Scotland One, The Southern Hemisphere Five...to the mail.

Rules are rules

Stuart, Obviously NZ deserved to win today and also last week, just. BUT when is someone going to highlight and address the scourge of forward passes in their try scoring. I first noticed this really back in the Lions tour when so many pundits waxed lyrical about the super try where Umaga passed out to I think Rococoko. The pass was five yards forward and no one picked it up.

You'd be hard pressed to find a try from open play when NZ don't commit some sort of forward pass.

One of the tries against england on Saturday had a forward pass and the main try last week also the same.

Now I'm not saying that they wouldn't have scored if the pass hadn't been forward and I'm not saying their play isn't dazzling BUT it is soured for me by forward passes. Why don't the commentators pick up what is so obvious on the TV? Why isn't technology used to highlight the problem?

Rules are rules and they should be enforced. Heaven knows it difficult to interpret and get right decisions in so many areas in rugby but that excuse cannot apply to the forward pass.

Incidentally is it me or do I detect play acting also entering the game of rugby now as well.
Cheers
Simon Benn

STUART REPLIES: Simon, New Zealand get the odd break with referees but sometimes the decision goes against them too. None of their try scoring passes were as blatantly forward as a certain one I remember in the France v All Blacks World Cup quarter final. Obviously in an ideal world those referees and we commentators would spot every infringement but alas, all of us are humans and anyway, these things go round in circles. Enjoy the game and don't let the blips spoil it for you...with the exception of play acting. I am with you here Simon, it really irritates me as well.

Brown has fullback blues

Hi Stuart, Over the last few months I see you have had Mike Brown at fullback in your England sides. Having seen him a few times this season and watching him again today against the All Blacks, its reinforced my view that he is not, and never will be an international fullback. Today he was exposed a couple of times in defence due to his poor positioning and distinct lack of pace. He often lost England a lot of ground by being unable to step away from a tackle (from a prop a couple of times) after collecting a kick, and when in attack, instead of going for the gap or dropping the shoulder and attempting to drive forward, stopped dead and got munched. I had myself thinking we would be better with Phil Vickery at fullback, as he surely has more pace! After seeing the performance of Rob Kearney last week against the NZ and this week in Australia, he has shown that Brown is not an international player. Surely with the likes of Foden, Abendonen, Morgan, Haughton, and Tait, and the injured Josh Lewsey (I'd even say Balshaw!), there are many better options than Brown around in the English game?
George Tyrrell, Hampshire

STUART REPLIES: George, Mike Brown could yet develop into an adequate international full back, not great but adequate. Do you really think Phil Vickery would have got any nearer Sivivatu? Having said that, adequate is not good enough and if Danny Cipriani does recover England will need a full back with the pace and angles to exploit an England attack that may actually have some potency. Rob Andrew described Brown as 'efficient and consistent' in the build up to the first test and I reckon Rob was about spot on although it was hardly a smart piece of motivational rhetoric. I cannot say I disagree with you, more firepower is required at the back. By the way, Rob Kearney is a very impressive young player is he not? Get Luke Fitzgerald up and running and Ireland may yet rekindle their back play of a few years back. Maybe youth can reignite the warm but spluttering fires of Brian O' Driscoll.

Looking to the Lions

Stuart, What areas do you think Ian McGeechan will be concerned about ahead of the Lions tour to South Africa next year. I must admit to have been pretty impressed by the boks even though they still seem to be lacking a bit of spark. I think that will come in time as they are also rebuilding and could be developing into one of the best bok sides ever.
Michael, Bristol

STUART REPLIES: Lacking a bit of spark? Michael, from my hotel room in Auckland I thought they were dazzling for twenty minutes, too damned smart for their own good as they overdid the flash stuff and failed to put Wales away (Wales were pretty decent themselves for much of the game and will take plenty from the game.) As for areas of concern? Blimey, three world class lock forwards, an unbelievable balance of pace and power in the back row when Burger gets back on the field, a potent centre in Jean De Villiers not to mention the controlling influence of the best scrum half on the planet when Fourie Du Preez is fit....oh and vengeance will feature on the South African horizon after the hit and run victory series win in 1997. Let's just say it's good that Ian McGeechan enjoys a challenge.

Thanks for the mail....I am straight off to a non rugby retreat for a few weeks after the second test so I'll be off for a short break. Enjoy the weekend and the summer -- or winter if you are reading from south of the Equator. Thanks to you all for writing reading and making this interaction possible. I have had a great time,

Cheers,

Stuart