England unveil new Rugby Kit

Get ready to sit down in front of your TV on November the 14th. You turn on Sky Sports and you see Argentina run out at Twickenham in their traditional blue and white striped kit. As they stand in a huddle on their half of the pitch you eagerly await the arrival of England. So here they come, lead by skipper Steve Borthwick. England run out onto the field………..in PURPLE?


Yes that’s correct England today launched their second kit, which will be on display for the first time when they play Argentina next month. England have thrown away their traditional red and white kit combination and decided to go with purple.

Nike combined with the RFU to design the kit and so far it has been warmly welcomed, partly because of the traditions that the colour purple associates with the English rugby team.

In the 1970’s 80’s and 90’s the English team would traditionally enter the field wearing a purple tracksuit to line up and sing the national anthem, so this is were Nike and the RFU received their inspiration for designing this new kit.

Personally I’m not a fan. I think it’s too different. For me, Purple is not a colour I would associate England with at all, never mind the rugby team. It would be like Scotland wearing a yellow kit in Murrayfield or Ireland running out onto Croke Park or the Aviva stadium in Orange. It almost doesn’t make sense and I just don’t really understand it. I have found myself just completely confused by it.

However I was not a fan of the Ospreys jersey for this year and I’ll be honest, it’s grown on me now, I don’t mind it now. Maybe i'll have the same feelings for the new English kit.

What do you think?
Is purple the new red and white?
Will you be rushing out to get one?

French reveal Autumn International Squad to face South Africa

Silly Bastereaud should have apologised sooner!

Last night Marc Lievremont announced his 31 man squad ahead of the Autumn Internationals against South Africa, Samoa and New Zealand. The most notable member to be left out is Stade Francais’ centre, Mathieu Bastereaud.

Lievremont said he had no choice in leaving out the centre after the Parisian fictionalised an assault during a night out in Wellington over the summer after the French lost to the All blacks. It had taken until Tuesday for Bastereaud to apologise to the coach for his actions in Wellington. Do you think his apology is far too late? Is it right that he has been omitted from the squad?

I completely understand why Lievremont left him out, Bastereaud seriously damaged the reputation of French rugby, and possibly rugby as a whole. The whole situation was incredibly embarrassing, the French Prime Minister even wrote an apology to the New Zealand Prime Minister for wasting police time and effort, should someone like that deserve a place back in international rugby?

However, this is not the end for Bastereaud, Marc Lievremont did reveal that water will pass under the bridge and he will select the centre if he is consistently playing well for his club. So we may see the centre back within the six nations early next year. But I would recommend him to stay clear of alcohol if the French win a match.

On a slightly more positive note, France is welcoming back one of my favourite Fly Halfs, Frederic Michalak. Michalak hasn’t played for France since March and was handed his place after an injury to Lionel Beauxis. He is one of 10 Toulouse stars to compete for places against the world champions on November 14th.

The captaincy armband has been given to Flanker Thierry Dusautoir, he has taken the role from Racing Metro’s Lionel Nallet.

Would you give a sorry Bastereaud a chance?
How do you think the French will cope against the World Champs?

France squad as follows:

Forwards: Fabien Barcella, Thomas Domingo, Nicolas Mas, Sylvain Marconnet, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski, Alexandre Lapandry, Romain Millo-Chluski, Pascal Pape, Sebastien Chabal, Lionel Nallet, Luc Ducalcon, Thierry Dusautoir, Antoine Burban, Louis Picamoles, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Imanol Harinordoquy.

Backs: Julien Dupuy, Morgan Parra, Francois Trinh-Duc, David Marty, Yannick Jauzion, Maxime Mermoz, Maxime Medard, Cedric Heymans, Vincent Clerc, Benjamin Fall, Yann David, Frederic Michalak, Damien Traille.

Declan Kidney introduces nine new caps for Ireland’s Autumn Internationals

Kidney has opted to name his squad without veteran players Malcolm O’Kelly and Girvan Dempsey. However he welcomes debutants in the form of Leinster’s John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Fergus McFadden, Sean O’Brian and Jonathon sexton, Connacht’s Sean Cronin and Brett Wilkinson as well as Ulster’s Chris Henry.

Despite a fantastic season so far, Ian Humphreys (David’s brother) has not been included in Kidney’s 39 man squad. Kidney will shorten his squad to 30 at the end of this week to face Australia .

The battle for the number ten shirt is now fiercer than ever with Jonathon Sexton doing incredibly well for Leinster filling the boots of Argentine Philippe Contepomi. Sexton’s performance in last years Heineken Cup final was immaculate and if he stays on current form, he will provide serious competition for a slightly inconsistent Ronan O’Gara. Paddy Wallace could also be a choice at ten but I think he should compete for a role in the centres alongside O’Driscoll.

Eoin Redden, Thomas O’Leary and Peter Stringer will contest for the Scrum Half spot. However in most recent times, Stringer has started on the bench for club and country. He provides that experience and knowledge that could be needed late on in a game, so I feel that for the internationals he will come on as a late replacement to control things and to give Ireland a boost. Despite an excellent individual try last weekend, Isaac Boss has not been included.

To the forwards and Leinster’s captain Leo Cullen has been brought back alongside the regulars of Donncha O’Callaghan and Lions captain Paul O’Connell.

Brett Wilkinson and Cian Healey will be pressurising the places of John Hayes, Marcus Horan and Tony Buckley. Hayes, ironically banned for stamping on Healey, is available for the tests, however I estimate Healey will receive his first cap over the Autumn series.

Sean Cronin will have to fight with Jerry Flannery and Provincial club mate John Fogarty for the hooking spot as Ulsterman Rory Best has been ruled out for this season. As Girvin Dempsey has been omitted, this will give Keith Earls a chance to contest with Rob Kearney for the number 15 shirt.

Similar to England’s situation, these younger players can come into the fold and, although the may not earn starting places, they can learn so much from being around the experienced players that form the majority of the current Irish team. These Irish icons will not be around for ever so the new capped guys are in theory, the future of Irish rugby. Now is the time for them to prove themselves and start to compete for six nations and 2011 world cup places.

Ireland kick off their autumn internationals on Sunday the 15th of November against Australia, they then go on to host Fiji and South Africa.

Who would your starting line up be for the Aussies clash?

I would pick

Cian Healy
Jerry Flannery
Marcus Horan
Paul O’Connell
Leo Cullen
Denis Leamy
Neil Best
Jamie Heaslip

O’Leary
O’Gara
Bowe
P Wallace
O’Driscoll
Fitzgerald
Kearney

Declan Kidney’s 39 man squad as follows:

Ireland squad: Tommy Bowe; Neil Best; Tony Buckley; Darren Cave, Tom Court, Sean Cronin*, Leo Cullen, Gordon D'Arcy, Gavin Duffy, Keith Earls, Stephen Ferris, Luke Fitzgerald, Jerry Flannery, John Fogarty*, John Hayes, Cian Healy*, Jamie Heaslip, Chris Henry*, Marcus Horan, Shane Horgan, Robert Kearney, Denis Leamy, Fergus McFadden*, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary, Sean O'Brien*, Eoin Reddan, Mike Ross, Donnacha Ryan, Jonathan Sexton*, Peter Stringer, Devin Toner, Andrew Trimble, David Wallace, Paddy Wallace, Brett Wilkinson*.

Martin Johnson selects his Autumn team

England brings in both new and old faces.

Yesterday, England coach Martin Johnson announced his Autumn team to face Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. Within his squad he included a trio of debutants, in the form of Bath prop David Barnes, Leicester’s Richard Blaze and Northampton’s Courtney Lawes.

As well as the new, Johnson welcomes back many old and experienced players like Lewis Moody, Steve Thompson, Andy Goode, Ben Kay and the illustrious Fly Half Jonny Wilkinson.

England has been crippled with injuries in the past few weeks and it seems mad to say, but there can be positives from this. With the first choice front row sidelined, this can develop a new front row. Dylan Hartley has been playing fantastically well for Northampton this season and has world cup winner Steve Thompson to learn from. Duncan Bell and Tim Payne have been called up and can receive valuable experience filling the shoes of Phil Vikery and Andrew Sheridan.

Contrary to Johnson’s statement about players leaving to play in France damaging their chances of international selection, Steve Thompson, James Haskell, Andy Goode and Jonny Wilkinson have all been included. These will prove to add valuable experience to the team, not to mention a confidence boost for everyone at the site of Jonny with the number ten on his back.

However, do you think it is right for exiled players to return to international duty and be included in the squad? Is it unfair on those who have stayed in the English Premiership for the whole of their career and not received the nod? With England’s injury list the length of a rugby field, I don’t think Martin Johnson really had a choice.

I’m very surprised at the inclusion of Steve Thompson, not in a bad way because it will produce a remarkable comeback. Thompson was awarded 48 caps for England before he was forced to retire in 2007 after a serious neck injury. He returned to rugby playing for Brive and since has received new medical advice allowing him to play.

Steve Borthwick has regained captaincy and rightly so, he is currently enjoying every success at Saracens, six out of six wins for the London club in the Guinness Premiership. But the story and career for him could have been different if the eye injury sustained against Gloucester last month turned out more serious than initially thought.

The English squad has a fair mix of old and young talent, it will be interesting to see how the younger players can learn not only from the players around them, but the players opposite them. Most of the English team will have a point to prove. Due to the size of the injury list, these players are normally viewed as second or third choice. So the competition for places in the 6 Nations and 2011 world cup start in 2 weeks.


England squad
Backs: Matt Banahan, Danny Care, Mark Cueto, Ben Foden, Shane Geraghty, Andy Goode, Dan Hipkiss, Paul Hodgson, Ugo Monye, David Strettle, Mathew Tait, Mike Tindall, Richard Wigglesworth, Jonny Wilkinson.

Forwards: Steffon Armitage, David Barnes*, Duncan Bell, Richard Blaze*, Steve Borthwick, George Chuter, Jordan Crane, Tom Croft, Louis Deacon, Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Kay, Courtney Lawes*, Lewis Moody, Tim Payne, Steve Thompson, David Wilson, Joe Worsley.

England start their series against Australia on the 7th November at Twickenham

Who would you have starting against the Aussies?

I would go for:

1. D. Wilson
2. G. Chuter
3. T. Payne
4. S. Borthwick
5. T Croft
6. L. Moody
7. S. Armitage
8. J. Haskell

9. P. Hodgson
10. J. Wilkinson
11. M. Banahan
12. S. Geraghty
13. M. Tindall
14. U. Monye
15. B. Foden

Gatland unveils his Autumn squad.

Wales’ head coach Warren Gatland yesterday announced his squad to face New Zealand, Samoa, Argentina and Australia.

The most notable aspect is that Wales lack a specialist Fullback, Barry Davies did not make the cut despite playing well for the Ospreys. This leaves either Leigh Halfpenny or utility back James Hook to replace the injured Lee Byrne at Fullback.

This is not helping Hooks legacy of wanting to be a Fly Half, he has played at ten twelve and fifteen in the last few months, and should be used as the utility player he is. In my opinion he should be grateful that he can specialise in multiple positions it has enhanced his international selection. Davies missed the cut because Hook can cover Fullback, Centre and FlyHalf.

There is no place for Deacon Manu after hot media attention by being eligible for selection through residency in Wales. Ian Gough was also left out, his explusion surprises me, this season he has been used as a ‘super-sub’ for the Ospreys. When he has come onto the field he has made a real impact into the game as he has added weight to the Ospreys scrum.

It seems though that life after injured Adam Jones is hard. Gatland has taken a risk and selected two Hookers and only four props within his 29 man squad. Gethin Jenkins will probably have to swap to tight head if necessary, I can see him having to do this against the All Blacks.

The squad selection sees Ryan Jones regaining the Welsh captaincy, it had been a hot topic of debate, with Alun Wyn Jones and Martyn Williams also in contention. The return of Jones as captain I feel is the right decision, watching his performances over the last month for the Ospreys has justified his role, he has carried the ball into contact well and he is back to the world class material he was two years ago.

Martyn Williams made a spectacular return in Cardiff on Saturday with a fantastic break down the wing to set up a try for Gareth Cooper. The one thing that falls on my head is yes, Williams made a fantastic return at club level, but after being injured with a shoulder injury since the Lions Tour, is he international fit?

I do not doubt his ability, just we have seen in the past what can happen to players who make their comebacks at the highest level, and an international “friendly” against New Zealand is pretty high.

The loss of Mike Phillips is a huge blow for Wales although experienced scrum halfs are at hand with Gareth Cooper likely to start against the all blacks ahead of Martin Roberts and Dwayne Peel.

Peel is currently in a player release row as this fixture falls out of the International window, therefore his club Sale Sharks are not obliged to release him for duty.

The following question still remains though, is this Welsh squad capable of beating the All Blacks?
Pick your starting 15.

Personally I would have:

Duncan Jones
Matthew Rees
Gethin Jenkins
Alun Wyn Jones
Bradley Davies
Dafyyd Jones
Martyn Williams
Ryan Jones ©
Gareth Cooper
Stephen Jones
Leigh Halfpenny
Tom Shanklin
Jamie Roberts
Shane Williams
James Hook

Warren Gatland’s 29 man squad:

Backs: Dan Biggar, James Hook, Shane Williams (Ospreys); Gareth Cooper, Jamie Roberts, Tom Shanklin, Tom James, Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Martin Roberts, Stephen Jones, Jonathan Davies, Mark Jones (Scarlets); Dwayne Peel (Sale).
Forwards: Paul James, Duncan Jones, Craig Mitchell, Huw Bennett, Alun Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones (capt), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins, Bradley Davies, Andy Powell, Sam Warburton, Martyn Williams (Blues); Matthew Rees, Dafydd Jones (Scarlets); Luke Charteris, Dan Lydiate (Dragons).

Wilkinson back and a better player than the hero in 2003

We can all agree that on of the biggest rugby icons of our time is hands down Jonny Wilkinson. When on top of his game, his deadly left or right foot will punish sides form all angles of the pitch. His tackling and defensive vision is phenomenal and his ability to work a deadly attack strikes envy through the veins of any opposing attacking coach.

Cast your mind back to the 2003 world cup, Wilkinson rarely made an error, his precision kicking dominated throughout the tournament and who can forget his winning drop goal that won the world cup for England with 20 seconds left.

Some took the view that in these following years since 2003, Wilkinson had past it, he peaked and all we would have ever heard or seen of him was on the injury list at Newcastle, and I’ll be honest I fell into that category.

I took the view that “when your at the top of your game, the only way you can go is down.” Wilkinson fell down, tumbled and crashed to almost rock bottom. Jonny seemed to be constantly injured, he would return from an injury and near enough on his come back game another long term injury would welcome him back to the physio room.

But then Toulon and Racing Metro started to take an interest in the artistic fly half. After much speculation and decision making, the deal was made for Jonny to play in the French 14 league with Toulon.

I now hold the view “when your career is near rock bottom, the only way you can go, is up.”

Jonny is back, his deathly attacking edge, his precise kicking boot and his solid defence, he has even had to learn a new language. Playing in France has rejuvenated his career and this new start has allowed him to feel like the young fit 18 year old he used to be. But Jonny feels he is a far better player now than he ever has been.

The 30 year old is almost certain to be named in Martin Johnson’s Autumn international squad, due to his excellent form in France and injuries to Danny Cipriani and Toby Flood, and he believes that he can come back better:

People ask me: 'Will you ever be like you were in 2003?' The answer is: 'I am way better now',"

I am undoubtedly better. There is no way that the 2001 version would have been able to deal with the 2007 World Cup experience," explained Wilkinson.

"I don't know how I would have dealt with it. I wouldn't have had the intelligence or the experience.

"I was suited to 2001 or 2003 because I was surrounded by people like Mike Catt, (Kyran) Bracken or (Matt) Dawson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Greenwood, Martin Johnson, pillars all around me.

"I was doing things because I was getting a load of help from them. But that person in 2007, or here in France? Not a chance. I am way better now because I understand what is going on.

"Back then it was like a headache trying to work out 100 things at once. It is almost like you are dissecting and composing, all the time.

"That much mental strain with the pressure of playing at a high level when I was young, without all that help, wouldn't have combined.

"Now I am processing it without too much effort."

Thank the lord. What a fantastic return it would be, from the man who was almost written off by most.

Although, I have to be honest, I’m constantly afraid to open the paper or load up an internet page that read the words: “Wilkinson ruled out of Autumn Tests through injury.”

You can almost see it, but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the ex Falcon to come back with a bang and show everyone what we have been missing over the last 6 years. I want to be shown how the French league and lifestyle along with his previous bad experiences has molded him into the better player he has become.

Bish bash bosh rugby, is it really necessary?

Are Rugby Players too big?

As we have seen, Phil Vickery has become yet another victim of the increasing injury list to Martin Johnson’s elite squad. The Lions Prop will undergo neck surgery which has ruled him out of the autumn internationals next month.

This news came no sooner after Johnson learnt he would be without hooker Lee Mears and Sale prop Andrew Sheridan. These long term injuries begs the question, has rugby become too physical?

Andrew Sheridan dislocated his shoulder playing for Sale in the Heineken Cup last Friday. With rugby players now focusing so much on power, rather than skill and precision, serious injuries are going to occur. So much so that the game may be in jeopardy, parents and guardians will want to turn their children away from the sport as it may be viewed as far too dangerous.

At the rate that players are dropping out, rugby cannot afford to loose many more star players. Also amongst this expanding injury list is Delon Armitage, Riki Flutey, Jordan Turner-Hall, Danny Cipriani and Tom Rees.

Other players not attached to England are Wales and Ospreys’ Scrum Half Mike Phillips, who has been ruled out for 12 weeks with ligament damage, Leicester’s Geordan Murphy (dislocated shoulder) and Gavin Henson, who let’s not forget is on indefinite pay leave from the Ospreys’ while injured.

Now I’m not one to dislike a physical encounter. A good hard grafted game of rugby provides entertainment for all, just look at the last 2 weeks of fixtures, Leicester fighting back to draw with the Ospreys, Toulouse’s late win against Harlequins and London Irish grafting a win against defending champions Leinster.

Wasps and Lions Lock Simon Shaw, who hasn’t played since the Lion’s visit to South Africa due to an ankle injury has also commented that players are becoming too big. “We've got to start emphasising the skill element over simple physicality. Players are spending too much time in the gym. We're turning out athletes rather than rugby players."

"If you train too much, then it's going to stress the body. It's like a Formula One car. Why are those F1 cars always breaking down while your old banger goes on forever? It's because they're under strain," Shaw added.
Safety is a key issue within the game, part of the reason that Sheridan dislocated his shoulder is due to the scrum collapsing after a car crash like collision that occurs after the referee says, ‘engage’ whenever the front rows come together in a scrum.
Sky Sports news followed Gloucester Rugby throughout their Pre-season campaign for the current season. Gloucester’s season finished in May, along came June and the team are in the gym four times a week preparing for the new season. That’s 3 months of weights, even before any of the fixtures had been lined up for the new season.

I believe that rugby should take a step back, it seems we are at a stage where muscle building is being prioritised over aerobic fitness and skill based exercises. The current mentality seems to be on running through a player, rather than running around them skilfully. The IRB needs to sort this out as these immensely physical contests are having serious long term affects on elite players.

Robinson includes three debutants in Scotland’s Autumn line up

Scotland Head coach Andy Robinson has introduced a trio of debutants ahead of the Autumn international against Fiji next month. Worcester's Alex Grove, Edinburgh's Alan MacDonald and Glasgow Warriors' Richie Vernon have all been given the call up.

The trio were a part of Andy Robinson’s Scotland A team who returned triumphant from Romania in the IRB Nations cup earlier this year. The selection was based on current form and Robinson has been impressed by their potential.

Unfortunately there is no place for Edinburgh skipper Ally Hogg or Glasgow’s Dan Parks, however Robinson revealed that players will still have the chance to force themselves into the squad for the other fixtures against Australia and Argentina.

Parks has had an odd relationship with the international game, he seems to lack consistency and seems to buckle under pressure, however his form this season as with all seasons at club level has been very good, his tactical kicking has been superb and his accuracy from the kicking tee has also been impressive.

There is a good mix of home talent as well as exiled players. 10 players from both Edinburgh and Glasgow form the bulk of the Scottish team, which is encouraging to see along with 12 players from English, French, Irish and Welsh clubs.

The autumn tests will be the first test for Andy Robinson who replaced Frank Hadden earlier this year as the Scottish head coach. I think we would all like to see Robinson having a better spell this time round with a national team, unlike his fortunes at England post 2003 world cup.

His work with Edinburgh over the last few seasons seen him turn the club around from a side producing mediocre rugby and finishing a season mid table to second place title contenders of the Magners league last season, their best ever finish, with a home win record as long as your arm. They managed to turn Murrayfield into a fortress and the national side will hope to do the same throughout November.

The Squad is as follows:

John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Mike Blair, Kelly Brown, Ben Cairns, Geoff Cross, Chris Cusiter, Simon Danielli, Nick De Luca, Alasdair Dickinson, Thom Evans, Ross Ford, Phil Godman, Alex Grove, Dougie Hall, Nathan Hines, Allan Jacobsen, Alastair Kellock, Rory Lamont, Sean Lamont, Rory Lawson, Scott Lawson, Moray Low, Alan MacDonald, Scott MacLeod, Graeme Morrison, Chris Paterson, Hugo Southwell, Alasdair Strokosch, Richie Vernon, Nikki Walker, Jason White.

Wales hit by Mike Phillips Injury

Wales and Ospreys Scrum Half, Mike Phillips will miss the Autumn Internationals and December Heineken Cup fixtures, after being ruled out for up to 12 weeks with an ankle injury.

In an official statement, Chris Towers, the club physio said: “Mike had a scan on monday, which was then reviewed with the specialist, who confirmed ligament damage to the distal tib/fib joint, it is fair to say that Mike has suffered considerable ligament damage, and the best-case scenario would probably see him sidelined in the region of 10/12 weeks.”

The lions star came off the field after 33 minutes during the Ospreys win over Clermont Auvergne at the weekend, and the scan on Monday revealed the damage.

This came alongside the news that Jamie Nutbrown is also out for 10 weeks after sustaining a knee injury, leaving the Ospreys in a scrum half crisis. Tom Isaacs is the only other registered Ospreys scrum half for the Heineken Cup, so what would happen if he was to become another victim of the ever growing injury list?

Shane Williams in the past has filled the position temporarily in games, but his inexperience in the position could be costly for the Ospreys European campaign. Without a decent scrum half a team’s cohesion seriously lacks. Do we need to be reminded about the appalling gamble that Italian head coach Nick Mallet took in this years 6 nations? Flanker Mauro Bergamasco was put in the specialist position and had a total nightmare at best. His passing was erratic and rarely on target prompting an early exit for battered fly half Marcato.

Wales, however have a slightly less concerning situation with regards to their scrum-halfs. Warren Gatland can now choose from Sale’s Dwayne Peel, Cardiff Blues’ 9 Gareth Cooper and the Scarlets’ Martin Roberts. However the welsh concern will lay in the replacements for prop Adam Jones and Lee Bryne, who have both unwillingly taken the long term injury invite.

Wales begin their 4 match Autumn International campaign against New Zealand in Cardiff on the 7th November, followed by fixtures against Samoa, Argentina and Australia

Kick Off!!

Hello and welcome to my new blog.

My name is Callum Sheppard and I am a Student at Staffordshire University studying Sports Journalism.

With this blog, I will provide information and spark debate about contempary rugby news and issues. I will report news from the Guinness Premiership, Magners League, Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup, Edf Energy Cup aswell as previews for the 6 Nations.

Alot will be happening in the rugby world in the next few months so check back to see whats happening.

Callum