Redefining the role of the rugby kit man

I remember the days when, if you wanted your clothes to show off your rugby-loving credentials, you had to turn up the collar on your old-school rugby shirt when you walked into the uni bar.

Now things are a bit different thanks to the growing availability of what might be termed 'rugby leisurewear'. Outfitters such as In the Scrum are producing versatile lines, although whether I succeed in carrying them off is another matter.

In the Scrum's range incorporates clothing for those of a French persuasion as well as supporters of the home nations, so it's worth checking out if you want to sport something a touch different this Six Nations.

Matt Scott on Scotland 6 Nations recall: I've Billy Twelvetrees to thank

Matt Scott was on Wednesday named in Scotland's 6 Nations squad, having been overlooked by Vern Cotter for the Autumn Internationals. Just a week-and-a-half ahead of the recall, Scott told me he'd have Gloucester team-mate Billy Twelvetrees to thank if he got the call... Here's that piece, first published in The Rugby Paper:

Matt Scott couldn’t be doing much more to stake his claim for a Scotland recall ahead of the Six Nations – and he says he has an Englishman to thank.

Dropped from Vern Cotter’s squad for the Autumn Tests, Scott has been working with fellow Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees on refining his game.

And it has reaped some immediate dividends.

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TEAM EFFORT: Matt Scott and Billy Twelvetrees bring down Leicester's Manu Tuilagi

Scott is tied for second with Bath winger Semesa Rokoduguni in the list of top Premiership finishers this season, with eight tries to his name. Only Wasps’ Christian Wade has dotted down more times in the league.

But it is in defence where Scott has been focusing most of his efforts since making the summer move from Edinburgh to Kingsholm, with Twelvetrees – himself overlooked by his country – proving an inspiration.

MATT SCOTT FACTFILE:
AGE: 26
POSITION: Centre
INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 36
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT: 10 March, 2012 versus Ireland
CLUBS: Edinburgh, Gloucester

"The feedback I got after I was dropped was about the defence – they felt there were a couple of other centres who were maybe more defensively sound than me,” said 26-year-old Scott, who scored twice in Gloucester’s seven-try thumping of Worcester last weekend. “They told me to keep working on it and that’s what I’ve been doing.

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HEAD TO HEAD: Scott and Twelvetrees in action against one another in the 2013 Six Nations

“I have been working with Billy and I love the way he has this energy and passion for defending. I’ve not come across anything like it before.

“He is a class player – an England international and a British Lion – and it’s lovely to be able to learn off him and these other guys.”

Scott has 36 caps, with his last appearance for Scotland coming in June against Japan.

“I’m absolutely desperate to get back in the mix for the Six Nations,” he said.

“I was absolutely gutted to miss out in the autumn. But centre is such a competitive position now in the Scotland squad, whereas in the past it maybe wasn’t.

“I need to improve all aspects of my game to get in the squad and if I can get up there where the coaches can watch me then I can hopefully show them why I’m worthy of a place again.”

“Scoring tries gets your name in the headlines but it’s about the whole performance and there are other aspects of my performance that need working on. Sometimes scoring tries glosses over that.”

SCOTT EARNS RECALL - SOCIAL MEDIA:

BREAKING | Here's YOUR @Scotlandteam squad for the forthcoming RBS @SixNationsRugby Championship! #OurDay pic.twitter.com/o0sOpjZXEL

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) January 18, 2017

Player News | @MattScott_10’s fine form in Cherry and White earns his a recall to the @Scotlandteam squad for #RBS6Nations pic.twitter.com/Ofu3nOxmGr

— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) January 18, 2017

Nick Abendanon: How England boss Stuart Lancaster tried to prevent my move from Bath Rugby to Clermont Auvergne

Former England full-back Nick Abendanon talks to me exclusively about how England head coach Stuart Lancaster and former club Bath staged a last-minute attempt to dissuade him from making his summer move to French Top 14 giants Clermont Auvergne.

Abendanon was last month nominated for European Player of the Year, and few would take issue with the assertion that he's the continent's in-form full-back. Yet, absurdly, he's off the radar during the 6 Nations.

Read my article in The Rugby Paper.

listen to ‘Nick Abendanon discusses the co-ordinated effort by England and Bath to keep him playing in the Premiership’ on audioBoom

Danny Cipriani: England boss Stuart Lancaster explains fly-half decision ahead of Six Nations

Few can begrudge Danny Cipriani his recall to the England squad for the 6 Nations. Here, England head coach Stuart Lancaster explains his reasons for picking the Sale fly-half:

listen to ‘Lancaster on Cipriani recall’ on audioBoom

BOO, HISS. What's acceptable behaviour from rugby supporters?

The sporting arena has long been regarded as a furnace in which moral virtue can be knocked into shape. The ancient Greeks feted their Olympic heroes as ideals of human fortitude, while the 20th century French philosopher Albert Camus put it in a somewhat different way. “All that I know most surely about morality and obligations I owe to football,” he said, in between deep inhalations on filthily strong Gallic cigarettes.

Rugby is a sport that prides itself on values – traditional values of respect for the opposition, fair play and respect for the ref. Amid the value-free atmosphere that seems to pervade much of football, rugby is often celebrated as a healthy tonic.

Admirably, many professional clubs run their own community departments which seek to spread the word about the inclusive, friendly nature of rugby. But such acts of rugby evangelism have been undermined by recent events – some of them perpetrated by fans rather than players.

Rugby has long lost the moral high ground. We might not have had a top-flight manager head-butting an opposition player who was trying to retrieve the ball, but we’ve recently had gouging and spitting incidents aplenty, not to mention Manu Tuilagi’s series of full-blooded punches on Chris Ashton.

In recent weeks, we’ve had France number eight Louis Picamoles’ derisory gestures to referee Alain Rolland following his yellow-carding against Wales. (What would Camus have said?). Picamoles gave Rolland a sarcastic round of applause and thumbs-up when he was sin-binned.

It’s to the huge credit of France coach Phillipe Saint-Andre that he axed Picamoles from the French Six Nations squad as a result. Defending his decision, Saint-Andre said that he would not accept dissent to the referee.

Quite right too, but when I suggested such a thing on Twitter before Saint-Andre handed down his ban, you would have thought I’d called for Picamoles’ beheading. It was alleged that I was over-reacting.

I was surprised at the reaction. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

Last Friday at The Rec, a not inconsiderable number of Bath fans booed the Saracens players as the visitors applauded their travelling supporters.

Okay, Saracens were defensively abrasive and had played the entire match – particularly the second half – on the very edge of what the laws allow. and gone beyond them on occasion. But this response from a chunk of the home crowd was pathetic, boorish and eye-rollingly one-eyed.

Having established a first-half lead, Sarries killed the game off by smothering Bath with the equivalent of one long chokehold. It wasn’t what the home side wanted to see and it wasn’t superficially attractive, but it was extremely effective.

Saracens were aggressive and streetwise, and the way they clinically extracted the away win had its own beauty about it.

To boo them was embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as publicly undermining your own fly-half, which was what happened to Stephen Donald last season, who was subjected to various ironic cheers and jeers.

If Camus had seen Friday night’s activities, I’m sure he would have taken another thoughtful drag on his ciggie.

England expect Tom Wood to be fit for 6 Nations opener with France despite injury scare

England say flanker Tom Wood will still be in contention for their 6 Nations opener with France, despite being sent for scans following a training ground clash of heads.

Wood has not trained with the Red Rose squad since the injury scare on Tuesday, which was caused by a clash with backrow colleague Tom Johnson. However, England yesterday said that, prior to the accident, Wood had been scheduled to take Thursday and Friday off in any event.

The initial concerns were that Wood could have broken a cheekbone, but tests revealed the Northampton Saints star, who skippered England on last summer’s tour of South America, had suffered no broken bones and was not concussed.

England will monitor Wood as he returns to camp this evening but confirmed yesterday that they expect him to be in contention for selection for ‘Le Crunch’ at the Stade de France on Saturday.