I had low expectations of an England side armed with Newcastle’s former anchor of a back line, Wilkinson, Flood and the awful Tait. You cannot help feel their middle class public school backgrounds read better than alternatives.
Tait is an example of all that is wrong with English rugby and sport – the triumph of flashy perceived talent over achievement. A seemingly limited player with a talent for flashy runs who has a bewildering 33 caps at age 24. No evidence of improvement or having worked on his weaknesses. Some would point to his behind the back pass as evidence of quality rather than a flashy act of a chancer. What his run showed is that he rarely straightens which even I who have never played centre know you do to create space outside. He would appear the kind of player who has been anointed and from a more mundane background would never get a look in.
At least Wilkinson is fit and his kicking range has improved. Flood is a decent player for Leicester at times but an inside centre? In his dreams?
Amazingly an awful Wales could have won with only a break away try adding the cream on top for England. How they were 3 points down 6 minutes from the end with 2 missed penalties, no ball, losing line outs and a moron getting a 10 minute sin binning that contributed to 2 tries is a measure of how awful England were.
This game was at least moderately exciting briefly. The Italy Ireland game was worse than the 7 losing horses I backed frankly. It was a dire example of Northern Hemisphere teams inability to deal with any kind of expectation pressure – why they have held winning leads in World Cups for less than 30 seconds…. As Justin Marshall said the All Blacks would have shown them the proper respect by treating them as worthy opponents and putting 70 plus points on them!
The 6 Nations normally has poor games 1st weekend as Rugby is a sport that relies on team cohesion. I would not read too much into anyone’s performance and those that got a win at least have the points.
Nonetheless some years even after all 5 weeks its main excitement is from close games between 2 teams who lack the ruthlessness to put the other team away – see last year’s after you fest that left Ireland as Grand Slammers and Wales 4th.
Sadly this tournament is seen as an end by many.
