Rugby

Rugby.
A sport.
A lifestyle.
A stereotype.

Technically 2 major stereotypes of players, thus of most fans.
1. The Forward

• Level-headed
• Unimaginative
• Simple
• Implacable
• Big

2. The Back

• Flighty
• Inventive
• Clever
• Light-footed
• Small

Obviously there are exceptions to this, 2 most notable to myself are Matt Banahan and Lee Mears. Matt Banahan is the Bath left wing, who is basically a forward, and Lee Mears is the Bath Hooker, though could comfortably play scrum half.

Then there are those who define the moulds. I shall take two players from playing history Jeremy Guscott, an iconic inside centre and ever the back, and Martin Johnson, the man mountain, captain of England's 2003 greats.

The more astute of you may have now caught onto where this may well be going.

As I said earlier the players are generally fans, and Martin Johnson is now the England Manager and responsible for the worst series of results since the world cup. He was brought in because English rugby was in dire straights and the then chairman of the RFU refused to bring back Woodward. So step into the ring our immovable talisman. Martin Johnson. With no managerial experience we all thought that he would still bring us out of the doldrums, myself included.

Since then he has led us from mediocrity to ignominy with little to bring us hope... Until now?

NO!

Martin Johnson is almost what the forward stereotype was based on. He has a plan and will stop at nothing to achieve it. He wants to repeat the 2003 World Cup. The evidence? Well Simon Shaw and Mike Tindall are in the team. True they are in good form, wrong they are the best in England. Mike Tindall is part of the English style of rugby that only Leicester can maintain. Leicester still play the pack dominant and tactical kicking game. That is how Martin Johnson has played all his professional life, England and Leicester. It is how he still wants to play, even when the premiership has moved along. It is why Ryan Lamb of London Irish, and Nick Evans of Harlequins will never get a look in under his management. They do not build their game on the tactical kicking like Jonny Wilkinson, Toby Flood, Charlie Hodgson and Andy Goode.

Last Saturday we got a taste of what Johnson thinks is the way forward, where the inside centre is second string at club level to his team mate Olly Barkley, who was on the tour and was not even picked for the "Third Test". Olly Barkley is the form inside centre of the Premiership, guiding Bath to a near miraculous comeback, only failing to beat Leicester twice (probably only encouraging Johnson). The semi-final bath lost at the line-out, where Bath just could not win their own ball. A fact that Johnson probably glazed over.

The England pack are far from the dominance that the Leicester pack commands.

This has the knock-on effect of harming a tactical kicking game. The solid platform that is essential for a kicking based game plan. This however is not the biggest problem, as we saw a fortnight ago when England were shamed by a vastly understrength Australian team. The tactical kicking game, with the most solid of foundations can be broken by poor kicking.

The main reason we should not start believing in an English renaissance IS the kicking game. Though it is the chase where we lose every time. A fundamental rule I had hammered into my head when I was old enough for kicking to be allowed was this:

"A good kick and a bad chase is infinitely worse than a bad kick and a good chase."

 

England, or perhaps Martin Johnson and his coaching staff, must never have learnt this, thought it was a myth or simply have forgotten it. We will never challenge a full strength Australia, let alone the better teams of New Zealand and South Africa, if we cannot do this. The Southern Hemisphere sides thrive in broken play. If a kick is not inch perfect we will be punished and we cannot hope that a 3rd string front row, and second string backline are sent out against us all the time.

Until Johnson addresses this issue, or leaves. England will not be 1st or 2nd in any competition.