In defense of Alain Rolland

Open response comment to Nick Cain for his article criticising Alain Rolland.

Congratulations, your personal vendetta against Rolland is carefully concealed.

First, very kind of you to remind everyone about a game that Rolland refereed two years ago. Because he's had no other games in the meantime. Also good of you to remind everyone that he made the correct decision in sending Warburton off for a dangerous tackle. The only thing Wales have to blame for their exit is themselves.

You state: "Rolland being unable to detect which props were responsible for the collapsing that blighted the early scrum engagements," I'm going to make an assumption here, but this suggests that you think it was obvious which front rower was at fault?

Let's have a look shall we? At scrum 1, you've mentioned that "Jenkins (was) hinging and then collapsing," Which to me suggests you think Jenkins was at fault for the first scrum (which I think you are wrong, and I'll explain that later). You then fail to look at the rest of the scrums.

Scrum 1. 2 resets before a pen against SA, as you've mentioned. You fail to mention that this was against Tendai Mtwararira on the other side of the scrum, and not Malherbe. There was no TV view of that side of the scrum broadcast, so it's hard to comment.

BUT, I can comment on the Malherbe, Jenkins side, where the problems ended up. You claim that Jenkins was hinging, my viewing is that Malherbe was not driving straight. Imagine, two different interpretations to that same scrum. That must be an anomaly.

Scrum 2. End result: One reset before SA use the ball.
Here, There is no doubt in my mind that a) Jenkins didn't hinge, mostly because the scrums didn't collapse, and b) Malherbe was folding in under pressure when you look at his body position.

Because you haven't gone on with your opnions of the other scrums, but my understanding of what you've said is that you think because Jenkins was "at fault" for the first scrum, you think he must have been at fault for the next scrums? Correct me if I'm wrong. I've had to make assumptions here based on your lack of clarity.

Scrum 3. End result. Pen against Welsh front row for collapsing. i.e. Rolland has agreed with you about Jenkins hinging. I think Malherbe was already on the ground before the scrum collapsed.

How can two different people have two different interpretations of the same scrum when they've had time to review it? And yet, Rolland has had to make a split second decision without the benefit of being able to review it.

Because of half time, and the refusal of the BBC to show replays of scrums, there is only one more scrum that we can see on the Malherbe/ Jenkins side.

Scrum 6. Pen against Malherbe, Hard to tell if it was Malherbe was collapsing or Jenkins was hinging. Even on review.

And yet you find no problem in chastising Rolland for " going for the eeny-meeny-miney-mo option of giving alternate penalties."

Then you further criticise him for showing the willingness to end the collapsing scrums by warning the players, and following through with it.

The play and speed of the game improved no end when the scrums were uncontested.

Your suggestion that Rolland go into the game with pre-conceived research influencing his scrum decisions is ludicrous and against everything that is fair in sport. Not only that, but in this game, the first cap for Frans Malherbe, it was also impossible. How can you research someone who has never played at this level? These are humans, capable of off days, so how can you go into a game with preconceived ideas on who is the dominant scrum? The referee can do nothing else that adjudicate what is in front of him on the day. To suggest anything else is ignorant and stupid.

You then single out Rolland for not calling any crooked feed and early striking? Tell me, has any referee ever called an early strike in the last 10 years?

Your vendetta against Rolland is ridiculous, and your arguments are unfounded.

Ireland v Australia Preview: The Days Of Upsets Are Over

This is an alternate version to the one featured on the roar here

2013 will go down in rugby history as the year of the power swift. From the Lions winnings a series for the first time in 16 years and the disgraceful power grab attempt by the English and French clubs over the governance and financial control of European rugby.

This power shift is even evident in international rugby. The gap between nations is closing on the field. And rapidly. Tier 2 nations like Samoa, USA and Japan are making huge strides and are recording victories, or are about to, over their tier one rivals.

This gap is also true of Tier 1 nations. Aside from New Zealand, any team from 2nd or 3rd in the rankings, all the way down to Wales in 7th can beat each other and it wouldn’t be considered an upset. Each one of Wales, England, Ireland, Australia and France will feel that they are good enough to be named third best in the world, and that they are the best chance of beating South Africa and maybe upsetting New Zealand. 

Which brings us to this weekend's game; Ireland v Australia. Ireland are ranked 6th in the world, to Australia's 4th. Recent history between the teams is close, with 2 wins to each side in the last 5 games and a draw. Australia haven't beaten Ireland in Dublin since 2005, with Gordon D'Arcy, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Tatafu Polotau-Nau the only survivors with a chance of playing at the weekend. 

The most recent game, a 15-6 win to Ireland in the RWC 2011 counted as an upset, but would a victory for Ireland this weekend also be treating as an upset?

I would argue it isn't. Australia's record in Dublin isn't great, and their 2013 record is dreadful. Ewen McKenzie has brought a bit of spark back into the Wallabies with 18 tries in their last 4 games, although if you take out the two 7 try drubbings, they've only scored 13 tries in their 10 other games in 2013.

Ireland's record in 2013 isn't great either, with a dismal 6 Nations all the way back in February/ March ending Declan Kidney's reign. A lot of time has passed since then, and the leaders amongst the Irish squad were in Australia, where Sean O'Brien, Paul O'Connell, Jonny Sexton, Conor Murray, Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip all played a part in a victorious Lions test series; while Peter O'Mahony, Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Paddy Jackson, Mike Ross, Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy played parts in Ireland's tour of the US and Canada. Joe Schmidt has brought a freshness to the squad, and there as an air of calmness as they went about their business against Samoa, with no hang-ups on form, or worries about the pressures to win.

If the papers are to be believed, Ireland will target the Wallaby lineout and scrum, and the battle of the breakdown will be fierce. For years Ireland haven't had a "genuine openside" and have instead used the breakdown talents of Cian Healy, Rory Best, Paul O'Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Brian O'Driscoll. Michael Hooper will have a lot on his plate.

Australian media expects Ireland to use the "choke" tackle that served them well in 2011 to go after the Wallabies in the scrum time and again. While this will no doubt be a tactic, I suspect that they will use another alternative style of tackling to get as many offloads as possible. Ireland have been trying the chop tackle technique against Samoa; so much so that attentive listeners to the referees microphone on Saturday could hear shouts encouraging them to tackle low so the next man in could get over the ball quickly. This helped to win 12 turnovers in open play, and a few other penalties for holding on.

Australia will look to play an expansive game with everything going through Genia and Cooper. Ireland’s defence will need a massive improvement if we’re to get anything out of it. Ireland need to avoid the stray kicking from last week, and try to limit Israel Folau’s involvement in the game. He showed in the first Lions test what he can do when given limited opportunities.

The weather is set for cloudy with a good chance for rain, which sets up an intriguing test match. While Ireland wouldn't lose too much confidence with a loss, a win would signify the power shifting from the Australians. Bring on the Aussies.

The case for sticking with Jack McGrath

The overwhelming expectation is that Joe Schmidt will name his strongest side available when the team is announced on Thursday and the big guns in Cian Healy, Paul O'Connell, Sean O'Brien and Johnny Sexton will come straight back into the XV.

While O'Brien will come straight back in for the injured Henry, and neither Toner, McCarthy or Jackson pulled up trees demanding selection to prevent the totems of O'Connell and Sexton coming back; a man of the match display from Jack McGrath should have Joe Schmidt pausing before he thrusts Cian Healy straight into the no.1 jersey.

Jack McGrath is enjoying his time in the Ireland camp.
Credit: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

At 24 years of age, McGrath is showing enough promise to suggest that loosehead prop is becoming a position of quality depth. Anything that can be done to develop McGrath as best as possible would be a huge benefit to Ireland.

Take for example, this weekend. The Australians aren't renowned as strong scrummagers, but they still have that star attraction that makes it exciting for any new internationals to play against. The confidence that McGrath would get from playing against them would be massive. Add to that the faith shown in him by Schmidt to make the call to select him ahead of Healy would be a real boost to him, and in the long term, Ireland too.

And if ever there was a time to do it; against a vulnerable giant of the game who happen to be weak in his position, the week after showing that he is able for this standard with a man of the match performance.

If this was the world cup final and you needed to select your best team, go with Healy all day long. But since it isn't, you don't lose much by selecting McGrath, and the benefits, especially long term, would be massive.

November players to watch: Report Card

1. Mark Bennett

Did not play against Japan. Unlikely to feature against either South Africa or Australia as a result, but the experience of his first call up will aid his development, and his time will come sooner rather than later.

2. Santiago Cordero

Cordero came on in the 31st minute for his first international cap. It wasn't a great game, and England had taken their foot off the pedal by the time he came on. He looked tidy, and didn't make any defensive errors. This little run was the highlight of his game, and a glimpse of what's to come.

3. Camille Lopez

Was an unused sub against New Zealand, will look to get gametime in their games against Tonga or South Africa.

4. Jack McGrath

While the man of the match award was a little generous, take nothing away from McGrath. A performance which announced to anyone watching that he has a future at this level, McGrath was a big part of a dominant scrum, while also featuring heavily at the breakdown and contributing 12 tackles in his hour on the pitch. At any other time in the last 15 years, McGrath would be a shoo in regular international, which just emphasises the freak nature of Cian Healy's ability. Schmidt will use the competition between the pair to get the best out of them and I expect them to dovetail nicely.

5. Charles Piutau

New Zealand's find of November already. Piutau is making a strong case to be included in BNZ's strongest lineup. He is likely to be rested for the trip to Twickenham as Hansen tries to avoid playing rookies three games in a row, but Piutau has a big future ahead of him. His pace and intelligent offload were the difference in Paris. His best position is fullback, and there are calls for him to move into the outside centre position for the Blues, but for now, let's just watch him being given license to devastate anyone who stands in his way.

6. Marland Yarde

Yarde produced a good display against Australia, with an impressive run up the sideline setting up Chris Robshaw's try that swung the balance of the game. An unfortunate hip injury saved Lancaster a tough choice by allowing Ashton to be retained, and Yarde could find it hard to get back into the team on his return.

Schmidt happens

We are constantly reminded that Joe Schmidt demands accuracy from his teams. Which is why it's refreshing to hear Schmidt's post match interview deliver a 100% accurate appraisal of the game he had just witnessed.

This new dawn of Irish rugby will demand accuracy from our players, but I think we should take this opportunity to improve the accuracy of the expectation placed on our teams. Too many times in the past a 31 point victory, regardless of opposition, sparks wild ideas and fanciful expectations in the eyes of the supporters.

If we have 100% faith in Joe Schmidt, we need to listen when he tells us that yes we were good, but we need to be a whole lot better if we want to win next week. 

There were many positives from that game, not least the margin of victory against a previously higher ranked side, but there are also many things that better sides, (or sides we want to be beating regularly), would expose.

Breakdown

The Breakdown was one of the few positives in the first half, with Peter O'Mahony especially leading the way, and Jack McGrath enjoying a fine debut. Rory Best continued his good work after the break, and while ESPN haven't attributed any turnovers to him, I have him down as the main cause of at least three. Ireland started to get isolated in the second half, in what was one of the few poor points in the second half.

Backline Play

Overall, the backline play was more threatening than Ireland in recent years, but it wasn't without its faults. Too often, the ball was shoveled wide and aimlessly grubbered up the line surrendering possession cheaply. This is something that Leinster used to do under Schmidt, and O'Driscoll seems guilty of it again. I don't understand the appeal of it, as it gives the opposition the ball is good field position with no chance of recovering the ball.

Paddy Jackson is standing at least 15 - 20m back from the scrum.

Jackson stood very far back in this game, and despite this, Ireland looked good with ball in hand, on the few occasions that they didn't kick it away.

Heads Up Rugby

Brian O'Driscoll fails to spot the space outside him, and pops inside for McFadden.

Joe Schmidt encourages intelligent "heads up" rugby. He wants his players to play what is in front of them and take advantage. There were a few occasions were this occurred, and a few occasions where better options were ignored. The scrumhalves changed the direction of attack intelligent, with Murray in the first half switching to the side where Ireland had an overlap, and Reddan switching so Ireland could exploit the space for McFadden's try. There was also an example of D'Arcy cutting back inside with extra men outside him, and O'Driscoll popping it back inside, when there was a lot of space for the men outside him to run into.

Defensive line

O'Driscoll and D'Arcy leave a huge gap between them. More analysis here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.546734405413087.1073741830.407631259323403&type=3

By and large it was good for Ireland, they didn't commit too many numbers to defensive breakdowns, unless they sensed an opportunity for the turnover, and when they committed numbers, they usually came away with the ball. Their linespeed was good, but their tackling wasn't up to scratch, with 18 missed tackles overall. That's just not good enough for international standard. Samoa were also able to make use of overlaps to gain big yards, and the normally reliable centre partnership of D'Arcy and O'Driscoll were caught out twice, first when O'Driscoll shot up to no success, and second when he failed to come inside before Leiua sprinted through the gap created between the old partnership.

Mike Ross

This was the first glimpse that Mike Ross was back to his old self. The scrum went really well, and a large part of that is, as always, down to the tighthead. He finally seems to have adjusted well to the new scrum sequence, and lead the drive on a number of strong scrums.

Forwards

Speaking of scrums, the scrum was fantastic at the weekend, and there was a real sense of a collective effort as Ireland timed their second shove extremely well time after time. John Plumtree has brought the pack on in the short time he has had with them, and this was most evident in the brilliant maul in the first half that set up Peter O'Mahony's opening try.

Old heads

The biggest cheer of the afternoon was when Paul O'Connell came on. The big man didn't disappoint as he stole two lineouts, and hinted that he's getting back to his gargantuan form. O'Driscoll had a mixed bag, with a few bad reads in defense, but he looked more threatening then I've seen him in attack, and the wonderful skill in the build up to O'Brien's try shows that his speed of thought is still there. D'Arcy was able to rescue an overlap for McFadden, and had a turnover at the breakdown, but had a few too many errors with ball in hand and in defense, with 3 missed tackles.

Bench Impact

The bench had a big impact as was expected. Eoin Reddan in particular upped the pace of the game, and highlighted how Conor Murray didn't have a fantastic game. O'Connell stole two lineouts as mentioned, and O'Brien scored a try and created turnovers. Just as Reddan noticeably speed things up, there was an increase in attacking threat when Ian Madigan came on. That's not to take away from Paddy Jackson, who was very tidy, alert in his play, and a return of 6 from 8 was very good.

The only bench players who didn't show up as well were the front row, where the scrum seemed to return to a balance as opposed to the dominance Ireland showed with Jack McGrath and Mike Ross on the pitch.

New blood

This game showed that Ireland have a number of new players that are capable of stepping up, with the likes of Jackson, McGrath, Toner and Dave Kearney now no longer filling Irish fans with fear with the regulars cry ill. There is a lot of depth developing which will help Ireland, and Schmidt will use this.

New leaders

This game was not just a new dawn for Irish rugby under Joe Schmidt, but also the first time we saw Peter O'Mahony bring the leadership he shows in a Munster jersey onto the national stage. He looks very comfortable at this level, and lead the way at the breakdown with two fantastic turnovers in the first half, carried well, and was seen berating his teammates for not giving him sufficient support after his lovely break. If he continues like this, it would be hard to look past him as captain once O'Connell hangs up his boots.

Restarts

Restarts were a mixed bag, as we seemed to be all at sea when receiving kick-offs, and ready to recover any kick-offs we made. A quick restart from Jackson after Pisi brought it back to 11-6 showed Ireland were always looking to play what was in front of them. Restarts will be very important against Australia, as New Zealand showed how they can be exposed both in receiving and taking the kick-offs. That being said, Australia finally looked to have fixed their recent problem from receiving restarts, with Joe Tomane's try direct from an Italian restart.

Going Forward

A few points of concern from the Kidney era are already gone, with Ireland able to finish strongly, and use their bench effectively. A problem with Kidney's reign was that big performances were all too often in isolation, and generally only once a series.

There was plenty of positives in this game, and many things to work on as Schmidt has already mentioned, and the big difference everyone wants to see is the consistency of performance.

In my eyes, Schmidt has already had a good November series, but with two tough games ahead, expectations should remain in check, and two losses shouldn't dampen things too much either.

Quietly confident about some good times ahead.

Samoans to watch out for

The Samoans have named their team to face Ireland this Saturday, and here's what you need to know about the threats they face. The suggestion that this is an understrength Samoan team is a bit much. It's the strongest Samoan team that Ireland have ever faced.

Samoa (v Ireland):

15. F Autagavaia;

14. A Leiua,

13. G Pisi,

12. J Leota,

11. B Vaalu;

10. T Pisi,

9. K Fotuali’i (capt);

1. S Taulafo,

2. W Ole Avei,

3. L Mulipola;

4. F Lemalu,

5. T Paulo;

6. O Treviranus,

7. J Lam,

8. T Tuifua.

Replacements:

16. T Paulo,

17. V Afatia,

18. J Johnston,

19. I Tekori,

20. A Faosiliva,

21. J Sua,

22. I Tuifua,

23. F Otto.

Kahn Fotuali'i

Fotuali'i is the player most Irish fans recognise from his time at the Ospreys. Having developed in the ITM Cup like most Samoan players, Fotuali'i was the Crusaders starting scrumhalf for the 2010 season, causing many to believe he was about to receive a call up to the New Zealand side. However, at the end of the season, he chose to represent Samoa, and he left New Zealand to move to Swansea. He has since established himself as one of the best scrumhalves in the world, with last November's win against Wales one of the highlights of his career.

His recent move to Northampton hasn't been as successful, and he's been second choice behind Lee Dickson so far, which means he might be a little rusty come Saturday.

Nevertheless, his battle with Conor Murray will be one that Murray needs to win in order for Ireland to establish their dominance.

Alpati Leiua

One of three sets of brothers in the Samoan squad, Leiua made his Samoan debut this June. The 25 year old is a strong fast winger, that will cause Fergus McFadden all sorts of problems. 2013 has been a great year for him so far, as he took advantage of the injury to Cory Jane to cement his place on the wing for the Hurricanes, before strong performances for Wellington saw them reach of the final of the ITM Cup.

Johnny Leota

Sometimes, watching a video gives you everything you need to know about a player, and youtube user Nic Lush, has several videos on the aspects of Johnny Leota's game. The playlist of seven videos is below, showcasing his breakdown ability, his passing and offloads, his ability to break the line, his tries, his huge tackling and his kicking ability.

Tusi Pisi & George Pisi

The Pisi brothers are missing their brother Ken, who plays for Northampton with George, but both start on Saturday. The selection of George at outside centre offsets the loss of Gavin Williams, and potentially makes Samoa stronger for it. The match up between himself and Brian O'Driscoll will be a pre-cursor to the back to back Heineken Cup games between Northampton and Leinster in December. George has been fantastic for Northampton and was even named in the team of the season last year.

His brother Tusi is a typical Polynesian magician at outhalf. He has an impressive CV, with Crusaders, Hurricanes, Toulon and Suntory in Japan among the clubs he's played for, while he was in the Pacific Islands team that played in the old Lansdowne Road in 2006.

To give you a hint of the magic up Pisi's sleeve, this article from 2004 describes it well.

We play modified touch and when he's up against Rico Gear, Hosea Gear, Anthony Tuitavake, Nick Evans he's the slickest mover of them all.

Sakaria Taulafo

Admitedly, I don't know much about the Stade Francais loosehead, and I was expected Mulipola at loosehead and James Johnston at tighthead, but when the authority on French rugby, Murray Kinsella says he's good, that's enough for me.

@shaneoleary1 had to start. Filo Paulo has been a rock for them, so Tekori to be used in 2nd half. Taulafo also a key man for them (2/2).

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 7, 2013

Logovi'i Mulipola

Tigers prop has made huge strides in the last year since he signed for Richard Cockerill's men.
Cockerill said at the time of signing him:

"He has raw talent and arrived a couple of stone heavier than he is now.
"He can play at tight head and loose head, and props who can play on both sides of the scrum, can carry the ball well and are big men, are very hard to find.
"He is very raw but he will get better with us. He weighs almost 130kgs (20 stones) and that is his streamlined weight.
"He is a couple of stones heavier than Dan Cole and Castro."

Read more: http://legacy.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Samoan-prop-Logovi-Mulipola-lands-deal-Leicester/story-14389178-detail/story.html#ixzz2k0f1Hvm1

Last May an injury to Argentina's Marcus Ayerza gave Mulipola the chance, when Cockerill chose to pick Mulipola over Castrogiovanni, albeit on his less-favoured loosehead side, which he has taken and has kept Ayerza out since. This Saturday he'll switch to his favoured tighthead side, and will be a massive challenge for Jack McGrath on his debut.

Ofisa Treviranus

Alpati Leiua's brother, has previously played for Connacht and now plays for London Irish, is Treviranus of the few survivors from the side that narrowly lost 20-10 to Ireland in 2010.

Jack Lam

Lam may have only made his Samoan debut this June, but make no mistake, his Super Rugby experience means he's no newcomer to big games. A cousin of Connacht's Pat Lam, Jack is most likely to be the biggest thorn in Ireland's side. Chris Henry will have his hand full at the breakdown, and Lam is likely to disrupt Ireland any chance he can, while smashing players in the tackle, and driving Samoa forward. The 25 year old hasn't had the best of seasons with injury, but he will be a spearhead for Samoa for years to come.

Players to watch this November: Irish Provinces

Despite the excitement of the upcoming internationals, there are still some Rabo Pro 12 games this month. Here are some players that are worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.

1. Dave McSharry

I know technically because Connacht only have one player in the Irish squad not much has changed, except now, they are entitled to feel like they can pick up points. Plus, Dave McSharry is back after a long time out with injury that ruined his chances of making the summer tour. Hopefully back with a vengenance, Connacht have missed McSharry's hard running from the inside centre, and need the go forward momentum that he generates.

2. Darragh Leader

If you haven't seen it already then watch Leader's massive 60m kick to win the game for the Connacht second string. Leader has progressed very well from the Under 20s last summer, and the young three-quarters gets an opportunity at outside centre now that Robbie Henshaw has been summoned by Joe Schmidt. A big test for him, if it goes well then Henshaw might not get his jersey when November ends.

3. Dave Kilcoyne

The first player in here that needs a big November to prove to Joe Schmidt and newly found doubters that last season wasn't a fluke. Kilcoyne has struggled this year, whether due to the new scrum laws or a case of second season syndrome, but maybe having the chance to perform without the intense spotlight during November will help him get back to basics.

4. Ian Nagle

Ian Nagle is in need of a big November more than most. Long pronounced as another Munster warrior that would take up the helm from Paul O'Connell, it's been 5 years since and Nagle has found it difficult to break the first team. His contract is up at the end of the year, and he needs to force his way into the reckoning to get a chance to prove he hasn't wasted his talent.

5. Ronan O'Mahony

There are a few good young backs for Munster coming through, and with injuries and Keith Earls's call up, O'Mahony has a chance to earn some brownie points and try to cement his place in the 23 before van den Heever arrives. A quality finisher who gets lots of tries, Munster need his scoring ability.

6. Luke McGrath

Luke McGrath setting up a try on his debut v Ospreys. Photo: sportsnewsireland

Admitedly, one of my "favourites". With both Eoin Reddan and Isaac Boss away on Irish duty, and both of them coming to the end of their careers, here is a big opportunity for McGrath to showcase his talent in an attempt to finish this season with some valuable experience. McGrath will be looking to add to his impressive preseason but he'll have stiff competition from John Cooney, but McGrath is one of the players that I'm most excited to see this November.

7. Jack O'Connell

Leinster have started to produce a number of quality looseheads in recent years, and if rumours are to be believed, Jack O'Connell is set to follow in Cian Healy and Jack McGrath's footsteps sooner rather than later. Ironically it's the call up of Healy and McGrath that gives O'Connell his chance, and he'll be looking to make the most of it starting tonight from the bench against the Dragons.

8. James McKinney

A potential challenger to Paddy Jackson's monopoly of the Ulster 10 jersey, I think McKinney has what it takes. Recently returned from a stint in the championship, McKinney's game management is excellent, and his goalkicking is very impressive. After some impressive performances this November, Jackson will be looking over his shoulder nervously.

9. Chris Farrell

As mentioned in a previous article, Chris Farrell is one of the most highly thought of, of the current emerging young backs in Ulster. With Luke Marshall in Irish camp, Farrell should get some great experience and go on to challenge Marshall and Olding for a centre spot in the near future.