A climate in which flair is seen as too risky bodes ill for England v France, and the game cannot afford another turkey Common ground is hard to find these days. Whether it be politics, the climate crisis or sport, there is generally a hardcore prepared to argue that, actually, black is white or down is up, even if overwhelming evidence exists to the contrary. The exception is rugby union, where creeping unease about the game as an uplifting spectacle is now virtually universal.Take the Autumn Nations Cup, conceived as a means of cheering everyone up in the absence of the usual November Test schedule. From the Covid cancellations to the stultifying defence-obsessed “action” it has largely had the opposite...
England’s No 7 showed flair with the ball in hand as Eddie Jones’s men mixed brawn and skill to overcome WalesBy day Parc y Scarlets doesn’t look much. And on an endless stretch of a dull grey day like Saturday, it looks even less, an empty, unprepossessing stadium tucked around the back of a deserted shopping centre, surrounded by baleful roundabouts.It felt a strange situation for a game like this and right up to kick-off everything about the occasion felt a little underwhelming. A lot of the Test rugby we have seen this autumn has been. Even those famous Welsh songs don’t sound half so rousing when they are being played over a public address to empty grandstands. And then...
Despite defeat to England in the Autumn Nations Cup, Wayne Pivac can be cheered by his side’s gutsy displayBefore kick-off, Wales would probably have settled for the final scoreline back in 1887, when England first played an international match in Llanelli. Given recent results, last week’s win over a limited Georgia excepted, even a 0-0 stalemate would have felt like relative progress and a respite from the gloomy muttering about the immediate future for Wayne Pivac’s squad.Instead the home side should, in some respects, feel quietly encouraged. By the end they were beaten, yes, but their defensive spirit and appetite for the fray against strong, confident opposition was definitely a cause for optimism. While the scrums were an issue, this...
The World Cup finalists suffocated Ireland but the challenge is to develop their attack to match a defence with few peersSeventeen years have now elapsed since England won their first – and so far only – Rugby World Cup on an unforgettable night in Sydney. All the social media flashbacks remind us of the “white orcs on steroids” who, universally popular or not, were definitely ahead of the game in their era. Every subsequent English team, unfairly or not, is fated to be measured up against them. Related: Jonny May's magical try makes you realise why you fell in love with game | Andy Bull Related: Eddie Jones credits Liverpool's role in Jonny May's wonder try for England Continue reading...
England wing had the length of the pitch in front of him but a sidestep past Chris Farrell set him on his way to a memorable try – if only there had been a crowd at Twickenham to see itOh, but Jonny May scored a lovely try, one of the best anyone has seen here in years. It was a full‑tilt sprint from one end of the pitch to the other, the sort you dream about scoring when you’re a little kid with a head full of wild ideas. It had everything except a crowd to cheer it.And what a shame, because it would have been a tonic for everyone who saw it. It was one of those moments that...