Well folks, here we go!

The bumpy, rollercoaster ride to our world cup defence starts here. That it should have started three years ago is a moot point. It wasn’t, and England currently find themselves in a bit of a predicament. The All Blacks are in town, looking big, hungry and menacing. They are also looking like a side intent on stealing our crown, and four other sides are looking like the ones most likely to stop them. So how did it come to this?

Well, firstly Clive Woodward stayed in the job a year too long, picking the same old faces and trying to milk the adulation for all it was worth. By the time he saw that the writing was on the wall and quit, English rugby had already wasted a whole year of potential development whilst it sat still and patted itself on the back. Still, never mind. There was still three years to go until the next world cup, right? Plenty of time to plan for France 2007.

Except, that didn’t happen either. Woodward’s No.2, Andy Robinson, was duly appointed to recreate the glorious road to World Cup victory. Alas, nobody had told him that the rugby world was moving on, and that it would take a radical overhaul of England’s playing personnel, gameplan, and domestic season structure in order to prevail. The layout of the season is something we cannot pin on Robinson. He has found himself stuck in the middle of one mother of a playground spat between the clubs and the RFU. Rob Andrew’s appointment as English Rugby Supremo should relieve much of this pressure from Robinson’s shoulders, but has come too late to make a blind bit of difference to 2007.

So, what could be done? Well, for starters we have a new coaching set-up. Robinson rather fortunately keeps his job, but out go Messers Lydon, Larder and Alred, and in come defence coach Mike Ford, forwards coach John Wells, and attack coach Brian Ashton. A good start. The summer tour to Australia was perhaps too early to judge the new arrivals fairly, but make no mistake, they must hit the ground running from now on, starting with an improved performance against New Zealand this Sunday.

An improvement on what? Well, an improvement on the negative, safety first approach England has employed in recent seasons. Too often they have failed to commit the appropriate numbers to the breakdown, preferring instead to let forwards stand back around the fringes, ready to tackle should we get turned over. Okay, but what about actually doing something with the ball? As you can imagine, the possession that was generated was painfully slow, allowing defences to reorganise. Still, this problem can potentially be overcome by slick passing and handling, by a midfield running intelligent lines, proper use of decoy runners, all creating space for the speedsters out wide to exploit. Instead, we had bosh merchants like Mike Tindall darkening the three quarters with their presence, so that any slow, laboured ball that was produced was more often than not simply taken straight back into contact. And so the process was repeated. Meanwhile, the Tri-Nations teams and even half the Six Nations sides were learning to move the ball quickly away from contact, offload out of the tackle, let forwards do their job and leave the backs to get on with theirs.

But have England learned? The selection for this match, whilst not exactly radical, certainly suggests that the new coaches have had an input. No major changes in the forwards, and I guess we won’t get to learn whether they have mended their ways until kick off. However, a few new caps in the backs suggest the message has hit home – and then a few more selections suggest it hasn’t. Into the number 9 shirt comes a scrum half with a lovely long pass. One who actually goes digging for the ball and whips it out as quickly as possible. In short, one who knows the basic requirement of a scrum half is to provide his 10 with as much time and space as he can. Shaun Perry’s form for Bristol has demanded elevation to the senior ranks for some time now, and Gloucester’s Pete Richards makes way. Admittedly, Perry’s first cap would have come sooner but for an injury keeping him at home over the summer. Better late than never, as far as Charlie Hodgson is concerned. Our playmaker-in-chief has lived off scraps since taking over from Jonny Wilkinson, and the frustration he was feeling began boiling over into thinly veiled comments in the press. His main bugbear, namely the lack of a creative 12, has also been addressed. Quite what Robinson was doing persisting with Tindall at inside centre last season is something we shall probably never know the answer to, but at least youth and form now gets an opportunity in the shape of 20 year old Anthony Allen, Tindall’s Gloucester team-mate. A risk? Of course it is. Allen has only played 23 senior games for the Cherry and Whites, and now finds himself thrust into the spotlight against undoubtedly the best team in the world. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Allen’s early season performances show an abundance of exuberance and attacking instinct, exactly what England have been missing of late, and there is no doubt the kid will offer something more than the ‘crash or drift’ fare we have been used to. Partnering Allen in the centre is Jamie Noon, Mr Reliable. Never one to set the world alight, and possibly not a player we shall win the world cup with, but he has never let England down either. Keeping club-mate Matthew Tait’s seat warm he may be, but there are certainly much worse options at 13. Ma’a Nonu’s inclusion in the Kiwi midfield represents an opportunity for England with ball in hand, although our defence must be spot on. Andy Goode on the bench shows just how desperately England need youngsters like Lamb, Flood and Cipriani to come through the ranks.

Perhaps the most groan-inducing selection in this England side occurs in the back three. The injury to Josh Lewsey on Heineken Cup duty paves the way not only for Iain Balshaw, but also Ben Cohen. Balshaw’s form and fitness have not been consistent since his eye-catching days of 2001, when an on-fire England gave him the space and ball he needed to use his silky running skills to good effect. Cohen’s form dipped just after the last world cup (or just before, some would say), and has shown little or no sign of returning to what it once was. However, as England fans we have grown accustomed to players being selected on past, and not present, performances. Have these two just been victims of England’s inability to move the ball wide with the fluency that other sides manage? Let us hope so. Joining these two lottery winners in the back three is another lucky boy, albeit for different reasons. Mark Cueto’s untimely injury means a first cap for Paul Sackey, the Wasps flyer. Sackey’s ability with ball in hand and eye for the tryline are not in doubt. However, a perceived defensive weakness and unreliable handling leave most England fans, including those from Wasps, a little nervous as Sacks goes up against the much vaunted Kiwi back three. Van Gisbergen covers from the bench, providing quick feet and backup goalkicking to offset his lack of pace.

And so to the big boys. The pack. Traditionally England’s great strength, but recently also a great weakness. The coaching team has been pointing to the amount of possession won, and proclaiming all is well from 1 to 8. To say this is to miss the point completely. Simply winning ball is not in itself enough. It must be clean, quick ball that the backs can use to good advantage, and this is where our forwards have been failing. A lack of numbers in the breakdown; forwards hanging around in the backs; all this has meant no time or space for our back line to work in. Has this been addressed? Well, with the exception of hooker, the personnel remain largely the same. Andrew Sheridan continues his front row education against arguably the best prop in the world, Carl Hayman. Once Sherri learns how to use his undoubted physical attributes to good effect (and equally, how to stop his opposite number using it against him) he shall surely be one of the world’s foremost props. His days as a loose forward and lock make him more effective in open play than most. And despite the drivel coming from the Kiwi fans, Sheridan has certainly done okay against Big Bad Carl on their previous meetings. Julian White shall be effective in the tight. A solid scrummager, he rarely offers anything around the park. The dismantling of his opponent at scrum time (not easy against Woodcock) and a few tackles around the fringes shall represent a good days’ work for the Midland Plodder, whilst Stu Turner watches on from the sidelines in readiness. George Chuter’s inclusion finally puts Steve Thompson out of his misery (and us out of ours), and constitutes a just reward for some fine early season form. Replacement Lee Mears offers mobility, feistiness, and a rather cute ability to get himself isolated and turnover possession.

In the second row, Kay and Grewcock bring all their experience to bear on a Kiwi lineout that has stuttered of late, whilst Danny-boy also brings to the table his aggressive ball carrying. Running out in the black No.4 shirt will be Chris Jack. His status as a shoe-in for most observers’ World XV having taken a knock during the Tri-Nations, our Locks should be smelling blood in the water. Followers of the Air New Zealand Cup have probably been expecting to see Waikato’s Keith Robinson. Aggressive almost to the point of obscenity, and with no little skill to boot, a match up between him and Grewcock could not be more appropriate on Fireworks night. The front two rows are definitely an area in which England should not feel intimidated. Chris Jones off the bench would provide speed and lineout expertise, but also a lack of bulk.

Yes, the front five is looking alright, but what of the guys just behind them? The back row taking to the field shall be the same as took on New Zealand last season, with a few positional switches. Lewis Moody’s fine performance against Cardiff at the weekend finally nails down his place in the starting XV, although in truth his inclusion was never really in doubt. A great favourite of Robinson, he shall need to be at his fizzing best against Messers Thorne (an underrated player), McCaw and Masoe. Oh, and please watch the penalty count. Pat Sanderson deservedly keeps his place in the loose forwards, but can consider himself unlucky to lose the captaincy after a sterling effort in Australia over the summer. Selected at No.8, he shall surely eventually find himself at blindside, as opposed to his natural position of 7 (another Robinson masterstroke). However, this season he has been plying his club trade mostly in the No.6 shirt, so at least he should be in the groove. Martin Corry reclaims his starting place and the skipper’s armband. Justified? Well, his form has been up and down in the early season exchanges, and he has failed to develop the all-important ‘follow–him-over-the-trench-wall’ aura as a leader enjoyed by predecessors Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio. Indeed, he may well have found himself out in the cold for this match had it not been for James Forrester’s unfortunate injury on club duty. But if you are looking for an honest player, one who will put his body on the line, tackle his heart out, and carry for the hard yards, then you can do worse than Cozza. His lack of pace can be offset by the speed of his back row colleagues, so his inclusion must be to bust over the gain line and give the rest of his pack a target. If he fails, Magnus Lund will be itching to come on and show just what an out-and-out openside can do.

So there is the team. A good-looking front five, a back row playing out of position, a quality half back pairing, an unknown centre combination, and a ‘same-old-same-old’ back three (with the exception of debutante Sackey). What can we expect from them? Unfortunately, as with all developing teams, nobody really knows for sure. Will the new caps shine or freeze? Will the old guard finally rediscover their form of old? Which New Zealand team will show up on the day? Too many unknowns, so instead, what can we hope for from them?

Well, despite the Twickenham factor, a victory for England is possibly asking too much at this stage. New Zealand are quite simply too far ahead in their development. Indeed, an England win would possibly prove counter-productive in our World Cup planning, in that it would mask all the work that is yet to be done. What we need to see is evidence that the new coaching triumvirate is beginning to stamp their will on the England gameplan. The cute little offloads synonymous with Ashton-coached sides would be nice, but they will probably come with time. Let’s not try to force it too early. For now, what I’d like to see is a return to the basics. I want to see the front five sticking it to the opposition, solid scrummaging, secure lineouts, tackling and carrying. I want the back row to arrive at the breakdown quickly and DRIVE OVER the ball. Free it up. I want a quick service from 9 to 10, and a midfield running enough angles to keep the Kiwis guessing and give Hodgson the chance to finally prove what many of us already suspect – that he is the best fly half in the Northern Hemisphere. I also want an aggressive defensive approach. South Africa have, in recent years, shown that an in-yer-face defence can disrupt the Kiwis and bring success. Nicky Evans must be targeted from the off (in a legal way, you understand), and given no time to settle in to the match. Sounds simple? Maybe, maybe not. This is New Zealand, and a defeat by 10 points, give or take, is on the cards. But an improved attitude, and light at the end of the tunnel, is what England need after three years of darkness. Sure, the ribbing and arrogance from the Kiwi players and supporters (thinly disguised as banter) would be hard to stomach for a while. But let’s look at the bigger picture. Despite everything since the 22nd of November 2003, I’m not ready to give up on our World Cup defence just yet. England have probably never swung quite as low as they are right now, but when you reach rock bottom, the only way is up. Our boys are hungry again. So am I. Come on, admit it – you are too, right?

The road to the world cup starts here, and against all odds, it could yet be a glorious journey.

Good luck, lads.



England: Sheridan – Chuter – White – Kay – Grewcock – Corry © - Moody – Sanderson – Perry – Hodgson – Cohen – Allen – Noon – Sackey – Balshaw

Reps: Mears – Turner – Jones – Lund – Richards – Goode – Van Gisbergen



New Zealand: Woodcock – Mealamu – Hayman – Jack – Robinson – Thorne – McCaw © - Masoe – Kelleher – Evans – Rokocoko – Mauger – Nonu – Gear – Muliaina

Reps: Hore – Afoa – Dermody – So’oialo – Ellis – Carter - Sivivatu

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