Good Rugby Reads

Victor Meldrew

Nice article on the AB's coming to a a rugby outpost in Northern England
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11909889/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Darlington-the-latest-stop-on-this-tour-of-wonder.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11909889/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Darlington-the-latest-stop-on-this-tour-of-wonder.html</a>

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Victor Meldrew" data-cid="524351" data-time="1444121685">
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Nice article on the AB's coming to a a rugby outpost in Northern England
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11909889/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Darlington-the-latest-stop-on-this-tour-of-wonder.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11909889/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Darlington-the-latest-stop-on-this-tour-of-wonder.html</a>
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Nice article.
 
I did have a laugh at the sidebar of other 'opinion pieces' though. Three articles by Mick Cleary that go "Joseph and Youngs can be England's World Cup trump cards" ; "England have picked a XV to revive the hopes of a nation" then "The scale of England's defeat by Australia means Lancaster must go"

taniwharugby

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/72767042/malakai-fekitoas-journey-from-tonga-to-all-blacks-had-some-timing-issues'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/72767042/malakai-fekitoas-journey-from-tonga-to-all-blacks-had-some-timing-issues</a>
 
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
Malakai Fekitoa's journey from Tonga to All Blacks had some timing issues
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LIAM NAPIER IN DARLINGTON
Last updated 07:14, October 7 2015
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<div>PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES</div>
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Malakai Fekitoa has come a long way from his days playing with jandals on his hands.
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Malakai Fekitoa looks around the plush Rockliffe clubhouse where the All Blacks are based this week and can't quite believe how dramatically life has changed from his childhood in Tonga.
Like many Pacific Island kids, Fekitoa's youth was free and easy. Growing up on Tonga's sparsely populated Ha'apai islands, as the eighth of 15 children including an adopted brother, Fekitoa did as he pleased.
"When I was younger there was no breakfast or lunch. I was never hungry because I was used to it. We would run around, go swimming straight away or find coconuts," he said with his softly-spoken tone.
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<div><img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/interactives/2015/rwc/cards/img/MalakaiFekitoa-front.jpg" alt="MalakaiFekitoa-front.jpg"><div>Malakai Fekitoa</div>
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<div><img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/interactives/2015/rwc/cards/img/back.jpg" alt="back.jpg"><div>Malakai Fekitoa
<ul><li>Age: 23</li>
<li>Born: Tonga</li>
<li>Position: Centre</li>
<li>Super team: Highlanders</li>
<li>Test debut: v England, 2014</li>
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"My parents would always try and buy me jandals but I'd wear them on my hands instead of my feet. Every time I played touch and rugby when I was young I'd take the shoes and put them on my hands because I would run faster."
Fekitoa could easily be pulling on a red rather than black jersey this weekend for his country of birth. Instead, after shining for the Tongan sevens team as a teenager, he won a scholarship to Wesley College that turned his world upside down and set him on a different path. Learning English alone was a challenge.
For a humble guy who once frequently shared a household with more than 20 family members and survived on a diet of yams, kumara, coconut, soup and fish, he certainly appreciates his new surroundings that feature an Aston Martin parked out front.
<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby'><img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/interactives/2015/rwc/rwcRichardLiamTobyBK.jpg" alt="rwcRichardLiamTobyBK.jpg"></a></div>
Appreciates, too, the vast resources and expertise the All Blacks enjoy compared to a team like Tonga.
"It's interesting playing Tonga this weekend. I've been in that environment. I've been with a lot of those players that are playing now.
"I feel grateful to be here because I can tell the difference in the things we have, what hotels we stay in and everything we get as a team. Tonga is nowhere near what we have so that was a massive change for me."
The rare insight into the dynamic 23-year-old's childhood offers a snapshot of how different life is now, and how difficult some of the initial adjustments were to make.
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<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stuff.co.nz/about-stuff/advertising-feedback/?pos=storybody&adsize=300x250&area=onl.stuff.sport/rugby/allblacks'>Ad Feedback </a>
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Understandably, given his relaxed upbringing, time management wasn't a strength and that's probably one reason it wasn't until he joined the Highlanders that his explosive talents truly burst onto the national radar.
"They talk about me before, my attitude wasn't right when I was in Auckland. I was late a lot."
In the All Blacks environment, scheduling is notoriously stringent. 
"That's a massive difference for me, the time management. You always have something to do in this team. You always have to eat right; you always exercise. Your brain is always working and taking notes. That's a massive change for me in my life. From Tonga to here it's a huge change.
"Even though it says in the programme free-time, you've got to do stretching or look at clips from other teams. You've got to go see the physio or catch up with Bert [Gilbert Enoka] for mental skills. It's busy but in a good way."
Half of Fekitoa's family still live in Tonga. His father, Eni, died aged 48 of complications following a car crash. Fekitoa was 14 at the time and hadn't laced a boot.
His rise to the All Blacks, though, galvanised his family. He plans to bring his 10-year-old brother out to New Zealand in three or four years to guide him through the changes he experienced and takes particular joy from the pride of his mother.
"I've never seen her so happy. When I was young she was always unhappy with us. I can see her now always smile, laugh and tell stories about rugby. I've never heard her talk about rugby until now. I'm really happy with that. It kind of got us together as a family. We're closer now for me being here. Everyone gets up to watch the games now."
Fekitoa's World Cup has been a mixed bag. He was superb off the bench against Georgia, scoring one try and setting up another, but wasn't satisfied with his start at centre against Namibia.
"I wanted to do too much with our limited chances. I didn't feel right compared to how I usually perform. I was happy last week and I need to back myself more if I get another chance. I need to relax more instead of holding back and being in my shell and try to do everything right."
Sonny Bill Williams' battle with the flu may open the door for another chance off the bench this week. But, whether he takes the field or not against Tonga, his journey to this point is a reflection of just how far he has come. 
 - Stuff
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jegga

Thats a good read but I'm surprised there was no mention of this in there <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/9883933/Malakai-Fekitoa-running-down-every-obstacle'>http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/9883933/Malakai-Fekitoa-running-down-every-obstacle</a>

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">"My parents would always try and buy me jandals but I'd wear them on my hands instead of my feet. Every time I played touch and rugby when I was young I'd take the shoes and put them on my hands because I would run faster."
 
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No wonder he can have tits for hands on occasion, he needs to be wearing his hand jandals.

nostrildamus

huh? A readable and interesting stuff article? I need to send them an angry letter.

infidel

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2015/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=11524835'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2015/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=11524835</a>
 
I quite enjoyed this, including the punchline at the end of the article.

Victor Meldrew

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="524444" data-time="1444159411">
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Nice article.
 
I did have a laugh at the sidebar of other 'opinion pieces' though. Three articles by Mick Cleary that go "Joseph and Youngs can be England's World Cup trump cards" ; "England have picked a XV to revive the hopes of a nation" then "The scale of England's defeat by Australia means Lancaster must go"
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Cleary has become a click-bait journalist far too typical of Rugby writers in the UK. Sad, as he was one of the most readable and professional of the lot a few years back - his book om the 2005 Lions was superb.
 
Kitson in The Guardian is probably the best aroiund at the moment

MiketheSnow

I've been enjoying Paul Rees in the Guardian
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/04/joe-launchbury-england-rugby-world-cup-australia'>http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/04/joe-launchbury-england-rugby-world-cup-australia</a>

Victor Meldrew

Nice article about the AB's training at Newcastle Football Club's grounds and doing training sessions with local kids.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3265227/New-Zealand-train-thousands-kids-prepare-final-Rugby-World-Cup-group-clash-against-Tonga.html'>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3265227/New-Zealand-train-thousands-kids-prepare-final-Rugby-World-Cup-group-clash-against-Tonga.html</a>

taniwharugby

not a read, but a cool clip from Nonu.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''></a>

Tregaskis

Not sure where this should be posted, but a description by Murray Kinsella of the 42 website about St George's Sports Park. 
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.the42.ie/ireland-world-cup-st-georges-park-camp-2344200-Sep2015/'>http://www.the42.ie/ireland-world-cup-st-georges-park-camp-2344200-Sep2015/</a>
 
This is a GBP 105m pro sports training facility in England, a bit north of Birmingham (seems to be on the Trent River), which is the permanent training home of the England football team and all the other England national football squads. The Irish stayed there prior to their match at Wembley (long way away I know). Looks pretty amazing and the article says Ireland is building somehting similar. Does anyone know if NZ has anything remotely approaching the class of this facility? Would it ever be economic to build one?

voodoo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="524582" data-time="1444193479">
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No wonder he can have tits for hands on occasion, he needs to be wearing his hand jandals.
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Probably been done to death during my absence, but do you guys rate Fekitoa? I mean, clearly he has some skills, he is a dynamic runner, and has a very good work rate. But do you think he is a world class midfielder?
 
I really have reservations about him. I can't think of a single time where I have seen him draw and pass before contact. His instinct always seems to be to beat someone first, then pass if need be. Not to run the line that draws the extra defender and creates space for his outsides. Just doesn't strike me as a natural ball player.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="voodoo" data-cid="525382" data-time="1444386096">
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Probably been done to death during my absence, but do you guys rate Fekitoa? I mean, clearly he has some skills, he is a dynamic runner, and has a very good work rate. But do you think he is a world class midfielder?
 
I really have reservations about him. I can't think of a single time where I have seen him draw and pass before contact. His instinct always seems to be to beat someone first, then pass if need be. Not to run the line that draws the extra defender and creates space for his outsides. Just doesn't strike me as a natural ball player.
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That tends to be a skill players learn, Nonu couldn't distribute for shit when he was Fekitoas age. Its probably easier to get a guy with a step & gas & teach him how to run heads up & pass that it is to get a guy who runs heads up & teach him gas & to step.
 
The biggest issue he needs to work on is he's probably always been strong & fast right from 12 years old, so his instinct is to put on the gas & go around defenderrs on the outside, in in ternational rugby that just means you run your wing into touch. Again, looking at Nonu he runs VERY straight lines, which creates huge space outside him. I think thats something Fekitoa can learn. A centre that has the gas to burn guys outside & the step to prop off his outside foot & go inside is a fantastic asset. He reminds me a bit of a more solid Jonny Schuster.

reprobate

by no means the finished article, but his reading of the game, maintaining space outside and distribution have already improved noticeably. threw a nice skip pass in his last outing (as did sbw which we haven't seen much of before). neither is anywhere near approaching nonu in that facet, but in fekitoa you've got a whole lotta time and a whole lotta talent to work with.

red terror

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/features/columnists/nick-cain/24100/nick-cain-column-kiwi-coaches-rule-and-thats-good-for-game/'>Nick Cain column: Kiwi coaches rule â€“ and thatâ€™s good for game</a>
 
<img src="http://cdn.therugbypaper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wales-cartoon.jpg" alt="Wales-cartoon.jpg">

MiketheSnow

Timely piece from Eddie O'Sullivan
 
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<div>Eddie Oâ€™Sullivan</div>
<div>Last updated at 12:01AM, October 9 2015</div>
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â€œI donâ€™t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.â€ â€” Frida Kahlo
 
The Mexican artist, famous for her self-portraits, hardly had Stuart Lancaster in mind when she uttered those words. But Lancaster would surely identify the irony in them. The stress and pressure etched on his face last Saturday night, as Englandâ€™s World Cup dream slipped quietly below the waves, was a portrait in itself.
 
For a Tier 1 nation to exit the World Cup before the knockout stage is a catastrophic event. I know where Lancaster is right now; I was that soldier in 2007.
 
Back then Ireland were primed to achieve great things at the World Cup. In the previous year we had put Australia, South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Italy and England to the sword. Only losing out on a grand slam by the bounce of a ball against France. We were playing adventurous rugby, averaging three tries a game.
 
Brian Oâ€™Driscoll and Gordon Dâ€™Arcy were in their pomp and widely regarded as the best midfield pairing in the world. Ronan Oâ€™Gara and Peter Stringer were pulling the strings at half back. What could go wrong?
 
In Ireland, expectations of World Cup glory were at fever pitch.
 
But we met with the same end as England by not getting past the pool stage, albeit again in a â€œgroup of deathâ€ containing France, the host nation, and Argentina, losing our final match to the Pumas 30-15. Both those sides went on to reach the semi-finals.
 
The problem was that we had led the Irish public up the garden path, promising a party, only to turn out the lights when we got there. The anger and indignation was unprecedented. As a nation, Ireland was in the middle of the greatest economic boom in our history. The public were awash with disposable income and felt entitled to a party. The recrimination that followed was harsh and relentless.
 
Before the World Cup, I, like Lancaster, had signed a long-term contract, in my case going past the 2011 World Cup. After our early exit at the 2007 tournament, that was just gasoline on the fire.
Back then the Irish RFU took a similar approach to the one that the English governing body has just advanced. No kneejerk reactions, there would be a full review and lessons would be learnt. On the back of that review, I was told that I still had the confidence of the players and to proceed with caution.
 
We dragged ourselves battered and bruised into the Six Nations of 2008, the players mentally scarred by the events four months earlier. I knew that nothing short of a grand slam would save me. I was being referred to as â€œdead man walkingâ€ by all and sundry. What followed was Irelandâ€™s poorest Six Nations of my tenure. We won two games against Italy and Scotland. At that point, falling on my sword was not the most difficult decision of my career.
 
There is no hiding place for Lancaster and England now. An event of the magnitude of a World Cup shines a very bright light into every corner. That England are also the hosts just exacerbates the crisis.
 
It is important for Lancaster to accept the cacophony of criticism will continue for the next few months. Expecting things to blow over any time soon would be extremely naive. There will be huge pressure after England decamp for Lancaster to resign. But it would be wise for everybody involved to measure twice and cut once in this situation. It may be worth considering, even with modern technology, maybe Rome still cannot be built in a day. And if Lancaster were to stay on as head coach, it would not be unprecedented.
 
Graham Henry survived the onslaught of the New Zealand public after the All Blacks exited the 2007 World Cup at the quarter-final stage. Four years later, Henry led New Zealand to success at their home World Cup and it is fair to assume that New Zealand has now forgiven him for 2007.
 
England have a similar record in this regard. When Martin Johnson held the William Webb Ellis Cup aloft in 2003, nobody remembered Jannie de Beer booting them out of the 1999 World Cup with five dropped goals.
 
During the blood-letting that followed there were many who called for the head of Clive Woodward. But common sense prevailed and when England arrived in Australia in 2003 they were grand-slam winners and had defeated all the Sanzar teams in the previous 12 months. They were the best rugby team in the world. The difficult decisions to afford Henry and Woodward second chances proved to be inspired.
 
A few months ago when they extended Lancasterâ€™s contract to 2020, the mandarins in the RFU must have believed that their head coach was the man with the plan. How does losing to Wales and Australia change everything?
 
Well eventually, as we all know, it comes down to results. It doesnâ€™t matter too much how you achieve them as long as they appear. In professional sport the antidote to failure is change . . . or to be seen to change . . . or change of some description . . . even for the sake of it.
 
But if the RFU believes Lancaster is its man it must be brave in its decision-making. As brave as it was in 1999.
 
Should Lancaster, like Woodward and Henry before him, get the opportunity to paint his own reality again, he will be a wiser man and the self-portrait that emerges may well be more jubilant the next time around.
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/rugbyunion/article4580371.ece'>http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/rugbyunion/article4580371.ece</a>

KiwiPie

On the All Blacks and Newcastle
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11923359/New-Zealand-vs-Tonga-St-James-Park-wooed-by-All-Blacks.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11923359/New-Zealand-vs-Tonga-St-James-Park-wooed-by-All-Blacks.html</a>

MiketheSnow

Angus Morrison take a bow

Morrison: An open letter to the RFU and those diehard England fans

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OPINION: An open letter to the RFU: Dear gentlemen,
 
Terribly bad luck on your early exit from your own World Cup, old beans. It's a shame. You brought something a bit different to the party with your 1980s style of play and that intoxicating mix of over-confidence and under-performance.
 
I thought you might like to know where you went wrong and how you can avoid a repeat in Japan in 2019. Indeed, how you can be one of the title favourites. It's quite simple, really.
 
1. Sack Stuart Lancaster. Immediately. If he hasn't fallen on his sword after a mighty win against the Uruguay Amateur XV overnight, throw him on it. Then jump up and down on him. He has done a sterling job in turning 2011's dwarf-tossers (you can actually delete the "dwarf" part) into polite, well-behaved young men. But they're still ordinary at rugby. And blaming his "inexperienced squad" is ridiculous. He picked the bloody squad! That's like me blaming the smooth road for my speeding ticket (which doesn't work, by the way). Sack Andy Farrell while you're at it. Nepotistic twerp. And Mike Catt. Just for the hell of it.
 
2. Find a No 7. Any No 7. Find the third-best opensider in New Zealand or Australia, pay him Â£100,000 a year (which is about $NZ45 million) to play in the UK for the next three years and then select him on residency. Job done. Or change the rules and select overseas-based players such as Steffon Armitage, who can get to at least one ruck before the fulltime whistle. Michael Cheika changed the rules to get Matt Giteau back in, and that's not exactly backfiring on him.
 
3. Sack your back row. Australia ripped you a new one last weekend because they had two No 7s out there. You had none. Tom Wood, Ben Morgan and Chris Robshaw looked like three arthritic sloths jogging through a knee-deep field of peanut butter. Robshaw made NO turnovers. My mother made as many turnovers as he did against the Wallabies, and she wasn't even in the country. And she's, like, 70-something. Robshaw was as much use as Anne Frank's big-band record collection.
 
4. Take the captaincy off Robshaw. It makes it so much easier to not select him.
 
5. Sack anyone who had anything to do with Brad Barritt's selection. A coach putting Barritt in the midfield is not trying to win the game. He's simply trying not to lose it. Which pretty much sums up English rugby at all levels. Ditto Owen Farrell. He kills a game faster than Rob Andrew.
 
6. Send Sam Burgess back to Bath to learn how to play union. Selecting him in the squad may have sold a few tickets early on but it's not going to help sales in the knockout stages. Because he's watching it on the telly.
 
7. Stop selecting players with the surname Youngs. It's not working.
 
8. Find all the England fans who left Twickenham when there were 10 minutes left in the Australia game and ban them for life.
 
9. Get rid of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. It's embarrassing. The world is laughing at you. And fans only know the words to the first two lines.
 
10. Slap Mike Brown. Hard.
 
11. Get Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi back in ASAP. They've got the discipline and intelligence of a three-year-old with ADHD (or whatever naughty children are being "diagnosed" with these days), but at least they can play rugby at the highest level.
 
12. Ignore Clive Woodward. On everything. His coaching credentials were emasculated in 2005 when his 500-strong Lions team were smashed by an All Blacks side who didn't have to get out of second gear.
 
Lastly, hire a foreign coach. Someone who can do the above without getting all emotional and British about it.
 
Kind regards,
Someone who followed John Hart's All Blacks in 1999 and â€“ until last weekend â€“ didn't think anyone could cock up a World Cup campaign quite so spectacularly.
 - Sunday Star Times
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/72813885/Morrison-An-open-letter-to-the-RFU-and-those-diehard-England-fans'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/72813885/Morrison-An-open-letter-to-the-RFU-and-those-diehard-England-fans</a>

LagerLout

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
 
3. Sack your back row. Australia ripped you a new one last weekend because they had two No 7s out there. You had none. Tom Wood, Ben Morgan and Chris Robshaw looked like three arthritic sloths jogging through a knee-deep field of peanut butter. Robshaw made NO turnovers. My mother made as many turnovers as he did against the Wallabies, and she wasn't even in the country. And she's, like, 70-something. Robshaw was as much use as Anne Frank's big-band record collection.</blockquote>
 
ROFLMAO

The Silver Fern

Good Rugby Reads