The World Cup is Here

So Rugby World Cup 2011 has finally kicked off down in the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’- New Zealand. It’s been four years since South Africa became World Champions in Paris and the rugby world has changed a lot since then. Most notably in the way in which the game is being played, gone are the endless ping pong kicking contests and defensive rugby. The top teams, Australia and New Zealand in particular, are embracing a more expansive game plan. For this reason I believe that this renewal of the tournament promises to be exciting and engaging. This is not to say that the game has no problems, issues over scrumaging and the contest at the breakdown continue to be a bugbear for fans and players. The IRB needs to rectify these issues if the game is going to continue to expand and develop in the future.

Anyone who watched this morning’s game will be aware that New Zealand looked scintillating at times yet it has to be said they stuttered through the second half as Tonga showed that they are no pushovers. The most startling aspect of the New Zealand performance this morning was how few bodies they were committing at ruck time, they were therefore able to fan out and keep a strong defensive line. A team with more tactical nous than the Tongans possibly would have been able to take advantage of this ruck policy. If the Tongans had a fly half who could kick the ball in behind the New Zealand defence then perhaps they could have gotten a few more scores. New Zealand looked comfortable with ball in hand yet were unable to make their class count. In years gone by New Zealand teams would have racked up a big score and dished out a 60+ drubbing. It’s too soon to criticise this team but did the pressure get to them a bit? Several of their players had stunning matches however. Sonny Bill Williams looked great, though I’m still of the impression that he is a one trick pony and that one trick, his single handed offload out of the tackle, may not work against big defences where he is sure to be double teamed. Expect Nonu and Smith to start in the centres when the big boys come out to play. Richard Kahui was excellent as was Israel Dagg and they will put pressure on Cory Jane and Mils Muliaina for starting spots. All in all it was a performance which merited pass marks and New Zealand will get better.

World Cup cotton wool policy

South Africa have kept more than 20 first choice players at home for their tri-nations games against Australia and New Zealand. While the rested players’ mammies may be delighted, that their “little” boys are being kept out of harm’s way - the rest of the rugby viewing public is furious.

The springboks were convincingly beaten in both games, including a record 40 – 7 defeat against the All Blacks. The official reason given for the mass withdrawal is injury, however the union have admitted that the players are together in a facility in Rustenberg, rehabilitating themselves before the world cup. Many sinister observers see this injury epidemic as a farce and believe the players are there to rest up before their defence of the Webb-Ellis trophy.

This policy will keep athletes fresh and reduce the number of injuries before the world cup begins. However the team will lose match fitness and the majority of their warm up games. Therefore the side will arrive at the world cup in desperate need of game time and with reduced morale.

Ireland and New Zealand promoted a similar policy before RWC 2007, in both cases it was blamed for their poor displays and respective early exits. New Zealand rested their top players for the first seven weeks of the Super 14 season and Ireland travelled for a tour of Argentina with a second string squad.

Obviously there is medical evidence that it works, teams pay fitness coaches and medical experts large salaries to assess these policies. Nonetheless it is a high risk strategy for a coach: because even if it has the desired effect of starting the competition fitter and fresher, any poor performances will be blamed on a lack of competitive games, prior to the tournament. Players earn all the plaudits for good performance, but coaches get most of the flak when things go wrong. Eddie O’Sullivan bore the brunt of a disastrous world cup, while Ronan O’Gara’s poor displays slipped the collective memory.

Scotland also excused five of their squad: Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Richie Gray, Alastair Kellock and John Barclay from club duties, at the start of April. It is no coincidence that their director of performance, Graham Lowe, held the position with the All Blacks, in 2007.  

Scotland are fortunate: in that they have nothing to lose – they are the Connacht of international rugby, no matter how many times they under-perform, they retain the “plucky” tag.

South Africa and Pieter de Villiers do not have such a luxury: if they don’t have a strong world cup - that means winning the competition or losing narrowly to New Zealand, they will not be forgiven. The coach will be sacked and wholesale changes will occur.

However despite the fury that resting players evokes, there is undeniable evidence that it works. The Irish team has won a grand slam, its first since 1948, and been competitive in the majority of six nations campaigns, since the union gained the right to rest players, whenever it was deemed necessary. Brian O’Driscoll would never have survived the knocks he has received without the player welfare programme and ironically Johnny Wilkinson has kept himself fresh by being constantly injured (his rest periods may have been imposed by mother nature, but he is still competing at the top level).

But try telling that to a sports fan – he will simply jump upon the prevailing theory at the time and he always manages to shout loudest. So when the world cup is done and if South Africa, as expected by the bookmakers, do not win the trophy, allow this sports junky his fifteen minutes about resting players and its pitfalls. Calmly ask him if he laid South Africa before the competition and then smugly mention the Irish model.

M.C.