Live Blog European Champions Cup - semi-finals build-up
Showing posts with label Toulon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toulon. Show all posts
Monday, 13 April 2015
Friday, 10 April 2015
First Steffon Armitage, now Nick Abendanon... England boss Stuart Lancaster's exceptionally tricky World Cup problem
If an overseas-based player consistently delivers 'exceptional' performances, does that mean that England head coach Stuart Lancaster should pick him?
Since 2011, the RFU's stated policy on Englishmen plying their trade abroad is that they should only be selected for the national side in "exceptional circumstances".
And so far under Lancaster's reign, circumstances haven't been deemed sufficiently exceptional in order for the clause to the invoked. Although there have been plenty of raised eyebrows along the way.
But what exactly does "exceptional circumstances" mean?
An exceptional run of injuries at home? An exceptional loss of form by home-based players? Or exceptional form by overseas players?
The term is vague - and probably deliberately so, meaning that the RFU has some wiggle room.
The rampaging form of Toulon loose forward Delon Armitage has been testing the meaning of the term for some time. And now we have Nick Abendanon, who has been playing out of his skin for Clermont Auvergne since leaving Bath over the summer.
This blog is a long-standing champion of Abendanon's. And for all those who are suddenly making a big song and dance about him this week in the wake of a stunning performance against Northampton in the Champions Cup on Saturday, I humbly point you in the direction of this post and interview I did with him in February.
Tellingly, Abendanon has picked up three man-of-the-match awards against English teams on the biggest stage in European club rugby this season. He is performing on the big stage. And he is stating a pretty irresistible - sorry, exceptional - case to be called up for the biggest stage of them all: the Rugby World Cup.
For me, it's simple. In a World Cup year of all years, you absolutely have to have your in-form players playing for your country, whether they are playing their club rugby in England, France, Georgia or Venus. To fail to do that - particularly for a Cup on home soil - is daft at best, and a national betrayal at worst.
If Lancaster's still in any doubt, then here's a little clip that hopefully clinches the deal:
Since 2011, the RFU's stated policy on Englishmen plying their trade abroad is that they should only be selected for the national side in "exceptional circumstances".
And so far under Lancaster's reign, circumstances haven't been deemed sufficiently exceptional in order for the clause to the invoked. Although there have been plenty of raised eyebrows along the way.
But what exactly does "exceptional circumstances" mean?
An exceptional run of injuries at home? An exceptional loss of form by home-based players? Or exceptional form by overseas players?
The term is vague - and probably deliberately so, meaning that the RFU has some wiggle room.
The rampaging form of Toulon loose forward Delon Armitage has been testing the meaning of the term for some time. And now we have Nick Abendanon, who has been playing out of his skin for Clermont Auvergne since leaving Bath over the summer.
This blog is a long-standing champion of Abendanon's. And for all those who are suddenly making a big song and dance about him this week in the wake of a stunning performance against Northampton in the Champions Cup on Saturday, I humbly point you in the direction of this post and interview I did with him in February.
Tellingly, Abendanon has picked up three man-of-the-match awards against English teams on the biggest stage in European club rugby this season. He is performing on the big stage. And he is stating a pretty irresistible - sorry, exceptional - case to be called up for the biggest stage of them all: the Rugby World Cup.
For me, it's simple. In a World Cup year of all years, you absolutely have to have your in-form players playing for your country, whether they are playing their club rugby in England, France, Georgia or Venus. To fail to do that - particularly for a Cup on home soil - is daft at best, and a national betrayal at worst.
If Lancaster's still in any doubt, then here's a little clip that hopefully clinches the deal:
Monday, 7 October 2013
Playing in Heineken Cup gives us extra chop in the Premiership, says Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter
I spoke to Rob Baxter at the Aviva Premiership launch back in late August about his thoughts ahead of the Heineken Cup. With the Chiefs starting their European campaign on Sunday, here are the Exeter coach's views.
Drawing the Heineken Cup’s reigning champions two years on the bounce might dishearten some coaches. But Rob Baxter is warning Exeter’s Premiership rivals that playing against the very best that Europe has to offer will once again make his side a formidable proposition come the return of domestic league action.
The Chiefs won six of their final seven matches in the Premiership last season, an impressive finale that Baxter attributes to the hard lessons that Exeter learnt during their maiden Heineken campaign.
Last season, Exeter were twice beaten by 2012 Heineken champions Leinster and given a double thrashing by Clermont Auvergne. This season, 2013 winners Toulon await the Chiefs, along with Pro12 high-fliers Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Blues.
“I think a few people think that last season’s Heineken Cup hurt us in some way, but the reality is that last year was fantastic for us,” Baxter told me.
“We had a tough group and we played every game to try and win and we learnt a heck of a lot, and I think that was reflected in the run of games we had at the end of the season.
“We were one of the form teams of the Premiership at the end of the season. We won six out of seven games and one of those games was a three-point loss to Leicester.
“That’s not a bad run of form and I believe a lot of that was down to the lessons we learnt from playing in the Heineken Cup – physically and mentally – and getting used to that kind of intensity.
“That’s why I want to be in the Heineken Cup again. Not because I’m sitting here saying I want us to win it, but because I want us as a team to keep getting better, and you keep getting better as a team by being in the best competitions.”
Baxter admits qualification to the Heineken Cup’s knock-out stages is a tall order, but believes the battle-hardening experience is invaluable.
“People have spoken about progression from the Heineken Cup, but the reality is we’ve still got Toulon – the current champions – just as we had Leinster last year,” said the Exeter head coach, whose side kick off their Heineken Pool 2 campaign on Sunday by hosting the Blues.
“Cardiff seem very buoyant on their new pitch and Glasgow were one of the form teams in the Pro12 last season.
“It’s not necessarily about where we finish but about how we perform and the attitude we show.
“I’m not too worried about the Heineken Cup as regards what it brings us in rewards as an individual competition. What’s important is that we go after every game flat out like we did last year.”
Drawing the Heineken Cup’s reigning champions two years on the bounce might dishearten some coaches. But Rob Baxter is warning Exeter’s Premiership rivals that playing against the very best that Europe has to offer will once again make his side a formidable proposition come the return of domestic league action.
The Chiefs won six of their final seven matches in the Premiership last season, an impressive finale that Baxter attributes to the hard lessons that Exeter learnt during their maiden Heineken campaign.
Last season, Exeter were twice beaten by 2012 Heineken champions Leinster and given a double thrashing by Clermont Auvergne. This season, 2013 winners Toulon await the Chiefs, along with Pro12 high-fliers Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Blues.
“I think a few people think that last season’s Heineken Cup hurt us in some way, but the reality is that last year was fantastic for us,” Baxter told me.
“We had a tough group and we played every game to try and win and we learnt a heck of a lot, and I think that was reflected in the run of games we had at the end of the season.
“We were one of the form teams of the Premiership at the end of the season. We won six out of seven games and one of those games was a three-point loss to Leicester.
“That’s not a bad run of form and I believe a lot of that was down to the lessons we learnt from playing in the Heineken Cup – physically and mentally – and getting used to that kind of intensity.
“That’s why I want to be in the Heineken Cup again. Not because I’m sitting here saying I want us to win it, but because I want us as a team to keep getting better, and you keep getting better as a team by being in the best competitions.”
Baxter admits qualification to the Heineken Cup’s knock-out stages is a tall order, but believes the battle-hardening experience is invaluable.
“People have spoken about progression from the Heineken Cup, but the reality is we’ve still got Toulon – the current champions – just as we had Leinster last year,” said the Exeter head coach, whose side kick off their Heineken Pool 2 campaign on Sunday by hosting the Blues.
“Cardiff seem very buoyant on their new pitch and Glasgow were one of the form teams in the Pro12 last season.
“It’s not necessarily about where we finish but about how we perform and the attitude we show.
“I’m not too worried about the Heineken Cup as regards what it brings us in rewards as an individual competition. What’s important is that we go after every game flat out like we did last year.”
Monday, 3 June 2013
Summer musings: Part I
The domestic season may be over and I may have fled to that famed rugby hot-spot Mallorca in search of some post-season inspiration, but the tireless hack still has to knock out a column or two. So here are a couple of recent efforts: my thoughts on what the Delon Armitage and Brian Moore tete a tete on social media says about the way rugby is reported in these days of the 24/7 Twitter melee, and why Wasps versus Bath will be a particularly spicy morsel on next season's Aviva Premiership menu.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Would you take a punt on Gavin Henson?
Rather like Mrs Thatcher, Gavin Henson spectacularly divides opinion. He may never have broken any miners’ strikes, but when on song he has never had a problem in breaking down opposition backlines.
And while the Iron Lady was famously not for turning, the question for every Gav-watcher is whether the former Wales international has managed to perform a sharp U-turn in his off-field behaviour.
On too many occasions over the past decade, Henson has chased the headlines – or perhaps the headline writers have chased him. By throwing himself into reality TV shows, the Welshman has courted tabloid attention and allowed his focus on fulfilling his prodigious rugby talent to waver. And his behaviour at a number of previous clubs has proved that he can be the loosest of cannons.
Speaking after an incident in a nightclub two years ago that necessitated both a suspension and a club inquiry, Mourad Boudjellal, the president of Toulon, probably spoke for a number of rugby bosses when he said: “Henson has had an attitude which has been difficult to manage.”
So confirmation from Bath Rugby this week that they are holding talks with the pin-up boy of Welsh rugby was always going to raise eyebrows – elegantly trimmed or otherwise.
The response was immediate. Former Bath and England prop Gareth Chilcott popped up on the radio talking about Bath needing to impose a ‘zero tolerance’ policy should Henson sign. Under this approach, a clause would be worked into any contract that would allow Bath to ship him out at the first sign of indiscretion.
But before the moral panic sets in, let’s set a few things straight. Beneath all the reality TV performances and the hair products, few would question that Henson possesses a precious rugby gift. Indeed, The Rec has witnessed this in recent times. During Bath’s pre-season match with London Welsh in August, Henson played for a spell at fly-half, delivering a composed performance of elegant distribution.
And during his year at Welsh, there hasn’t been the slightest whiff of him causing trouble or controversy.
Moreover, when he was sacked by the Blues a year ago for an alcohol-related incident on a morning flight home from a game in Glasgow, even some team-mates were prepared to publicly criticise the decision, branding it heavy-handed.
Also, corners can be turned. Look at Harlequins and England scrum-half Danny Care. Eighteen months ago, Care seemed to get in trouble whenever he stepped out of his front door. Now he is keeping his nose clean and in the form of his life.
True, Gavin Henson has led a nomadic existence, and it might be a case of hope triumphing over experience to think that Bath can tame him. But Gary Gold and crew offer a no-nonsense set-up at Bath and are unlikely to brook any ego-propelled silliness. Signing Henson could turn out to be the daftest thing since flanker Mauro Bergamasco played scrum-half for Italy, but it could also turn out to be a masterstroke. Over to you, Gary.
And while the Iron Lady was famously not for turning, the question for every Gav-watcher is whether the former Wales international has managed to perform a sharp U-turn in his off-field behaviour.
On too many occasions over the past decade, Henson has chased the headlines – or perhaps the headline writers have chased him. By throwing himself into reality TV shows, the Welshman has courted tabloid attention and allowed his focus on fulfilling his prodigious rugby talent to waver. And his behaviour at a number of previous clubs has proved that he can be the loosest of cannons.
Speaking after an incident in a nightclub two years ago that necessitated both a suspension and a club inquiry, Mourad Boudjellal, the president of Toulon, probably spoke for a number of rugby bosses when he said: “Henson has had an attitude which has been difficult to manage.”
So confirmation from Bath Rugby this week that they are holding talks with the pin-up boy of Welsh rugby was always going to raise eyebrows – elegantly trimmed or otherwise.
The response was immediate. Former Bath and England prop Gareth Chilcott popped up on the radio talking about Bath needing to impose a ‘zero tolerance’ policy should Henson sign. Under this approach, a clause would be worked into any contract that would allow Bath to ship him out at the first sign of indiscretion.
But before the moral panic sets in, let’s set a few things straight. Beneath all the reality TV performances and the hair products, few would question that Henson possesses a precious rugby gift. Indeed, The Rec has witnessed this in recent times. During Bath’s pre-season match with London Welsh in August, Henson played for a spell at fly-half, delivering a composed performance of elegant distribution.
And during his year at Welsh, there hasn’t been the slightest whiff of him causing trouble or controversy.
Moreover, when he was sacked by the Blues a year ago for an alcohol-related incident on a morning flight home from a game in Glasgow, even some team-mates were prepared to publicly criticise the decision, branding it heavy-handed.
Also, corners can be turned. Look at Harlequins and England scrum-half Danny Care. Eighteen months ago, Care seemed to get in trouble whenever he stepped out of his front door. Now he is keeping his nose clean and in the form of his life.
True, Gavin Henson has led a nomadic existence, and it might be a case of hope triumphing over experience to think that Bath can tame him. But Gary Gold and crew offer a no-nonsense set-up at Bath and are unlikely to brook any ego-propelled silliness. Signing Henson could turn out to be the daftest thing since flanker Mauro Bergamasco played scrum-half for Italy, but it could also turn out to be a masterstroke. Over to you, Gary.
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