Back again
So it's been a month and what do I have to show for it, aside from a shitload of plaster and a pair of cruches useful for whacking people with - not a hell of a lot. The incident in question occurred when some fool managed to tackle me around the bootlaces whilst another lucky opponent tried to spin me to the ground. I have large knees and no muscles to pull so the ankle thought it best to break to avoid twisting my spine around my pelvis. Great fun to say the least. With hospital behind me (and boy are they glad to see the last of my behind) I am laid up on the couch making notes on the continued oval-balled drama occurring all around me, so without further procrastination, let's get to it.
In my enforced absence the world of rugby has miraculously continued to turn, thus shattering any belief I had that it revolved around me, and whilst turning several events of note took place. Firstly Gareth Jenkins being named the new Welsh coach by the people he could absolutely never ever ever work with. Now I know this was coming and I know the flip-flop was as inevitable as a George Foreman comeback but that didn't mean it ever had to take place. Sure he's Welsh and yes he is a coach, but one would have thought the criteria would have been a little more stringent than that. Looking at the England football team for instance they have opted for an experienced, and currently employed, Brazilian coach to teach them how to kick the round ball once the World Cup is over. But apparently it doesn't matter because Gareth Jenkins was the 'popular' choice. Hmmm now not wishing to be overly disparaging to my fellow countrymen and women but although Wales is a rugby mad culture and we do watch and or play it a lot, it doesn't mean the vast majority know much about it beyond the field. Having seen some the press comments, I'm inclined to extend this comment to most rugby writers aswell. For instance one read something along the lines of 'Coach of the most successful region by far'. Perhaps my dislike of Welsh politics is too apparent here but Llanelli Scarlets possess the current Welsh No 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and sub full-back, they also have at least two other backs with Welsh caps and a New Zealand international. Their pack can field eight Welsh internationals alone, including present Welsh No 8 and even an Irish No 6 with 50+ caps. With that in mind the Scarlets have lost 8 out of their last 12 Heineken Cup matches, lie seventh in the Celtic League and lost in the recent Powergen Cup Final to an underpar Wasps team. Yet this is supposedly the pedigree of a Welsh coach, a man who has only ever played and coached at one club unhindered for years and who looked completely out of his depth when coaching with the Lions last summer. Gareth Jenkins wasn't the best candidate, he was the only candidate and that's disturbing.
Congratulations to the Australia U-19's (baby roos? :)) who won the U-19 World Cup in Dubai recently, beating New Zealand in the final after having lost to them in the pool stages. Wales were unlucky enough to meet NZ in their first pool match and thus paved the way for the England team, they had thrashed on the way to a Grandslam, to join France as semi-final fodder.
My respect for Justin Marshall went down several notches on hearing he had asked to be released from his contract with Leeds, and subsequently was, because he didn't fancy playing Division 1 rugby. In complete contrast to his long time half-back partner and friend Andrew Mehrtens who played D1 rugby with Harlequins last season, Marshall decided he didn't want to honour his substantial contract and instead opted for the cushy Celtic League (don't let the two Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup semi-finals fool you) with the Ospreys. Now how many different ways can this transfer be wrong?
Firstly the Ospreys already have a NZ scrum-half, secondly the kind of wages and compensation package to take Marshall away from Leeds is apparently around the £200,000+ mark. How many young players, including U-19 and U-21 Grandslam winners could that have brought on and given a future to? Is one player worth almost one-eight of a region's wage bill when he is NOT Welsh? Should the WRU who fund the regions to a large degree not be putting their foot down and asking whether the regions are basing themselves on short-term success or for the good of Welsh rugby, because that's why they were formed, to allow all the top Welsh players competitive rugby and so they can be on show for the Welsh coach to pick from. Absolutely stupid and wasteful.
Lastly, before the steam coming out my ears strips the paint off the walls, we have our Heineken Cup final. Unlike the Arsenal vs Barcelona Champions League final though we have to watch the joys of Biarritz vs Munster. Biarritz have played appalling rugby just about all tournament and had they not had two prime home ties against weak and dumb English sides (read anyone other than Wasps or Leicester) in the quarter and semi-finals, then I'm of the mind they wouldn't be in it. However they are but I have little hope of them using the embarrassment of riches stuck in their amazing backline. On the other side Munster, a team beaten twice in finals and in more semi-finals than you can shake a pint of Killians at. I don't like them. Sorry I think their support is head and shoulders the best in the competition if not the world but their spoiling tactics, forward orientated play and kicking No 10 makes the paint falling off my walls more fun to watch. The amount of catch and drive they use should be banned and Ronan O'Gara's right foot should be surgically removed with a blunt kitchen knife - one toe at a time. I don't hold hopes of this one being anything other than an 'occasion'.
Well that's all tired me out, so it's lucky there's a whole weekend of rugby to soothe my aches and pains. Expect much more regular updates, it's good to be back ... I think ;)
In my enforced absence the world of rugby has miraculously continued to turn, thus shattering any belief I had that it revolved around me, and whilst turning several events of note took place. Firstly Gareth Jenkins being named the new Welsh coach by the people he could absolutely never ever ever work with. Now I know this was coming and I know the flip-flop was as inevitable as a George Foreman comeback but that didn't mean it ever had to take place. Sure he's Welsh and yes he is a coach, but one would have thought the criteria would have been a little more stringent than that. Looking at the England football team for instance they have opted for an experienced, and currently employed, Brazilian coach to teach them how to kick the round ball once the World Cup is over. But apparently it doesn't matter because Gareth Jenkins was the 'popular' choice. Hmmm now not wishing to be overly disparaging to my fellow countrymen and women but although Wales is a rugby mad culture and we do watch and or play it a lot, it doesn't mean the vast majority know much about it beyond the field. Having seen some the press comments, I'm inclined to extend this comment to most rugby writers aswell. For instance one read something along the lines of 'Coach of the most successful region by far'. Perhaps my dislike of Welsh politics is too apparent here but Llanelli Scarlets possess the current Welsh No 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and sub full-back, they also have at least two other backs with Welsh caps and a New Zealand international. Their pack can field eight Welsh internationals alone, including present Welsh No 8 and even an Irish No 6 with 50+ caps. With that in mind the Scarlets have lost 8 out of their last 12 Heineken Cup matches, lie seventh in the Celtic League and lost in the recent Powergen Cup Final to an underpar Wasps team. Yet this is supposedly the pedigree of a Welsh coach, a man who has only ever played and coached at one club unhindered for years and who looked completely out of his depth when coaching with the Lions last summer. Gareth Jenkins wasn't the best candidate, he was the only candidate and that's disturbing.
Congratulations to the Australia U-19's (baby roos? :)) who won the U-19 World Cup in Dubai recently, beating New Zealand in the final after having lost to them in the pool stages. Wales were unlucky enough to meet NZ in their first pool match and thus paved the way for the England team, they had thrashed on the way to a Grandslam, to join France as semi-final fodder.
My respect for Justin Marshall went down several notches on hearing he had asked to be released from his contract with Leeds, and subsequently was, because he didn't fancy playing Division 1 rugby. In complete contrast to his long time half-back partner and friend Andrew Mehrtens who played D1 rugby with Harlequins last season, Marshall decided he didn't want to honour his substantial contract and instead opted for the cushy Celtic League (don't let the two Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup semi-finals fool you) with the Ospreys. Now how many different ways can this transfer be wrong?
Firstly the Ospreys already have a NZ scrum-half, secondly the kind of wages and compensation package to take Marshall away from Leeds is apparently around the £200,000+ mark. How many young players, including U-19 and U-21 Grandslam winners could that have brought on and given a future to? Is one player worth almost one-eight of a region's wage bill when he is NOT Welsh? Should the WRU who fund the regions to a large degree not be putting their foot down and asking whether the regions are basing themselves on short-term success or for the good of Welsh rugby, because that's why they were formed, to allow all the top Welsh players competitive rugby and so they can be on show for the Welsh coach to pick from. Absolutely stupid and wasteful.
Lastly, before the steam coming out my ears strips the paint off the walls, we have our Heineken Cup final. Unlike the Arsenal vs Barcelona Champions League final though we have to watch the joys of Biarritz vs Munster. Biarritz have played appalling rugby just about all tournament and had they not had two prime home ties against weak and dumb English sides (read anyone other than Wasps or Leicester) in the quarter and semi-finals, then I'm of the mind they wouldn't be in it. However they are but I have little hope of them using the embarrassment of riches stuck in their amazing backline. On the other side Munster, a team beaten twice in finals and in more semi-finals than you can shake a pint of Killians at. I don't like them. Sorry I think their support is head and shoulders the best in the competition if not the world but their spoiling tactics, forward orientated play and kicking No 10 makes the paint falling off my walls more fun to watch. The amount of catch and drive they use should be banned and Ronan O'Gara's right foot should be surgically removed with a blunt kitchen knife - one toe at a time. I don't hold hopes of this one being anything other than an 'occasion'.
Well that's all tired me out, so it's lucky there's a whole weekend of rugby to soothe my aches and pains. Expect much more regular updates, it's good to be back ... I think ;)
posted by Owen at
10:32 PM
5 Comments:
Well I may not agree with your views on Jenkins (*) but you have it spot on with Marshall Welsh rugby doesnt need him and the money could be spent far wiser I agree that a small mix of non national players help development but not at any price and not someone whos loyalty is in question
*Scarlets performance against Wasps was probably Jenkins most inept coaching performance
By
Welshglb, at 1:46 PM
Hi, having read your latest entry, welcome to blogging :) by the way, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree - best British coach? Indeed.
I think Marshall and possibly Jono Gibbs if the Ospreys have their way, is the culmination of a poor recruitment policy that proves the regions still haven't adapted to what professional rugby means, especially on the monetary side, in conjunction with youth development. I think Cardiff are the most guilty of being short-sighted and creating a graveyard for talented young welsh players, someone with sense in the WRU (if such a fabled creature exists) must sort this issue out. There doesn't seem to be a plan in place. Why a region is not created to house all our up and coming young players, under the Welsh youth coaches preferably, to give them experience and playing time is beyond me. Sad state of affairs.
Best
Owen
By
Owen, at 4:24 PM
Firstly, I'll agree with you about O'Gara. Send the bastard to the south Island of New Zealand and see if can actually play any sort of rugby except for teh 'kick and hope' game that he has perfected in his gutless, 'I can't take a tackle,' girly-boy approach to rugby. Give him a team without a lock and see if he can run the opposition defence and open up the holes as a true ten should. The guy is a joke at best and the Leinster/Munster game showed that.
As for the U19's, we call tehm teh Wallaroo's, a respected animal in Australia, but we don't know whether they'll unionise, or form a great league. No matter what happened in Dubai, we need to get up with it and allow contact in the scrums before these kids turn thirty.
Now for a condemnation of myself. I think I've finally realised that the real problems with Australia's scrums were not the props, as I've whined to the world to believe, but in fact a couple of weak locks that had nothing going for them except Jones' favour. Put Kanaar and Vickerman behind Blake, Henderson and Paul, Smith and McMeniman on the outside with Fava at the back and we actually have a decent forward line. Hot at thirteen, the only problem is ten. Get fit Larkham and Australia has its third, yes third, world cup.
(Writing this as the Force win their first game.)
By
Anonymous, at 7:00 PM
Anonymous was me, Benny Lappin.
By
Anonymous, at 7:01 PM
Have you ever had to book your mobile vehicle technician into a garage and found that the date and time is not to your convenience? Have you ever had to leave your car at the garage for a long period of time and either had to arrange with a family member to collect you and then take you back there to collect your vehicle or had to use public transport to get back home because the garage does not have a courtesy car for your use? Have you ever been in the situation where the repairs are urgent on your vehicle and your normal garage cannot fit you in for days so you end up telephoning garage after garage in an attempt to book your car in? mobile vehicle technician http://www.onecallmotorcare.co.uk/Simon/index.shtml
By
hoorhuslu, at 11:34 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home