Barnes - Up for the Heineken Cup
Stuart Barnes is salivating at the prospect of a weekend on the Heineken... Cup.
I was writing a column for the Sunday Times, last Thursday. The subject was the French challenge in the forthcoming Heineken Cup. I was tapping away, when I reached the thought of Wasps versus Toulouse. The pulse beat a little quicker and the smile (for once) lit up the face before I could regain the traditional grumpy persona. That is what the Heineken Cup does for rugby lovers.
It is growing into a quite magnificent tournament with the colour, power and finesse of the French challenge, the professional determination and organisation (too much perhaps?) of the English, the potential of the Welsh, the enthusiasm of Treviso from Italy, the eternal Munster Odyssey that would have Odysseus himself wondering if he'll ever make his final destination and the quiet optimism of Scotland where Frank Hadden's presence as national coach and the much respected Todd Blackadder at Edinburgh have them hoping for better things north of the border.
Unfortunately for Edinburgh, they have drawn Wasps and Toulouse, not to mention the Scarlets. Qualification would be an amazing achievement; a few wins would be excellent while player development will be expected.
That is how the tournament functions, on many levels. The Italian teams need the oxygen of this high octane tournament to help their best learn to play at test match pace, while the clubs of England and France seek victory, however it comes.
The next fortnight will fascinate and hopefully throw up some challenges to international rugby's November calendar. Wales's win in France apart, the tripartite battles between Leicester, Wasps and Biarritz were as good as any international rugby in last season's domestic campaign. This time around Wasps and Toulouse are thrown in together, while Leicester has a nightmare of two French teams to beat if they are to escape their pool.
It all kicks off with Sale versus Munster Friday. The Cheshire team will head into Europe buoyed by a powerful performance against Wasps last Friday. The bookmakers will make them favourites but Munster has long been a team to ignore the bookies. Make a date with your screens this weekend. If your partner is no fan of the sport, spend some money on flowers, splash out on a meal, preferably next Monday night.
Now to this week's post.
End of the Lion
Stuart, in the Lions aftermath there are lots of comments flying about. At the same time there is a club v country row brewing in England. Is there a danger of clubs refusing to release players for the next Lions tour? I am beginning to wonder if the Lions concept is dead. England proved in the run up to the 2003 World Cup that individual northern hemisphere countries can beat the southern giants unaided. Was the failure so to do the original reason for the northern countries forming the Lions? In other words are we only left with a quaint Corinthian tradition? The biggest question has to be this: If the Lions had never been invented, would the suggestion find support in the current professional environment? The answer has to be 'No'. Andrew Gilks.
Stuart says: Andrew, you make a very valid point. There certainly would be no room for such a concept as a Lions tour had it not already existed. It is a wonderful tradition and all that but I wonder if the next generation of players will see it in quite the rose tinted glasses some of us older rugby people do, especially if clubs are putting pressure, however subtle or otherwse on them, not to go. It fits the international bill, half way between World Cups, but only maintains the inexorable demands of international requirements on the club game. If you are responsible for running a club, there comes a time to doubt even the best traditions..
All's not Welford Road
Dear Stuart, as a long-term member of the Leicester club, I had the misfortune to be at Welford Road on Friday for the game against Newcastle. The actions of some of the players surely have no place at any level in the game. Indeed, when it was reduced to the farce of uncontested scrums just before halftime, my family and I left in despair.
If the RFU are serious about tackling violence in the game, they will surely charge both Leicester and Newcastle with bringing the game into disrepute. Hefty fines together with deduction of ten points for each team might concentrate some minds. Indeed, the automatic sanction of losing five points for any player sent off for violent conduct in the future might prove a solution to an increasing problem.
As to the players, we shall soon see how seriously the clubs take the problem of violence in the game by the action they take; more slapped wrists I guess.
The most depressing issue for me is that I took my eleven year old grandson to the game as I am trying to encourage him to return to playing rugby when all of his mates are playing football. Thanks to the actions of certain members of the Leicester and Newcastle teams, I could have saved myself the bother. He would have seen better behaviour at a soccer match. Best Wishes, Bob Poynter.
Stuart says: Bob, I have seen dirtier matches but I take your point. This was no spectacle fit for an adult or 11 year old. However, I do not think we need become hysterical. Rugby is a physical game and there will occasionally be an overspill of violence.Julian White has few excuses for his actions that led to a sending off while Andy Perry may feel hard done by with Tony Spreadbury's decision but he escaped with a blow that concussed Graham Rowntree earlier. To send him off was possibly nervous officiating but perhaps also rough justice. Yet most games at Leicester have as much finesse as fighting usually and I would not write the sport off, off the back of one bad night. I see the Tigers have taken immediate action against White in a bid to limit the RFU punishment but with the prop out of the national squad, the book might still be hurled in his direction.
Roughing the kicker
Hi, Having just seen the horrible tackle from Ellis on Wilkinson, which luckily did not result in a terrible injury, I just wonder whether it is not time to change the rules? Would it not be beneficial, to both the players and the game, to introduce a rule to protect the kicker, similar like the rules in American football, to protect the quarterback? I am not just querying this because of the tackle in the Lei-Newc game, but I have seen several late challenges on the kicker lately. Kind regards, Aeilt Zemering.
Stuart says: Aeilt, I think Harry Ellis's tackle was borderline at worst. He only did what any good no.7 would do. Targetting key players is a part of the game as Pat Howard said after the match and the treatment dished out to Jonny Wilkinson was rough but not exceptional. Protecting kickers with offside blockers...come on Aeilt, this is rugby not American Football.
French fancies
I'm sure you'll get into it on Thursday night on the Rugby Club but I wonder if I could trouble you for a tip for the Heineken Cup this year. I think it is hard to look past the 'big three' from France again. Who do you fancy to win in Stuart and which side from the Home Nations do you fancy as dark horses? Paddy, Market Harborough.
Stuart says: Paddy, Indeed we will be tipping our Heineken fancies this Thursday so I will not jump the gun and give you my winner. However, if you read my Sunday Times column, you might guess that Toulouse, Biarritz and Stade are my pick of the French with Wasps the best British and Irish hope. I think Sale should have a good campaign and would be one of two dark horses outside the leading quartet along with Perpignan, who have a relatively easy group. If they win the pool and earn a home quarter and semi final in Catalonia, they will be no one's mugs.
Thanks for the mail and keep it coming. Enjoy week one of Europe
Stuart
