England versus Wales rugby union

England versus Wales rugby union
As a fan of rugby league I seldom watch the other code and try keep open minded. On Saturday night I witnessed the worst game of rugby I have seen in a long time. I followed the media build up last week curious in following Sam Burgess who having changed codes has been fast tracked into the England team. The England coach had made changes to his team that beat figi the previous week. George Ford and Owen Farrell vie for the number 10 position who directs much of the play, both schooled in rugby league and both sons of rugby league players now Union coaches. The media consensus was that Farrell should not have replaced Ford following Fords display last week. In essence the union journalists, as in previous world cups, seek to somehow shift the blame for England's failure onto league. The fact the creative centre of England rugby union is due to league influence is overlooked whilst blame is apportioned in pathetic jealousy onto league. Andy Farrell, England defence coach along with Shaun Edwards, Wales defence coach have both brought a rugby league approach that has revolutionised union defence. So, I watched the game.
What followed was a dull game, by league standards, that seldom broke out in to open rugby. The line outs, scrums, mauls and rucks are aesthetically displeasing and these dominated much of the play. The goal kicking, however, was exceptional. Outstanding. Farrell selection over Ford was faultless in this department. Burgess did his job competently. He made a few big tackles. One poor kick but then he is no kicker. His selection seemed flattering to league, to suggest someone with only one or two international starts, someone who barely knows the game, warrants election over all others. Before the game the team gathered but it was not the captain Robshaw who gave the team talk, it was Burgess. His confidence, his presence, his leadership was clearly his reason for selection. He had been in far tougher games than this. When fighting broke out it was Burgess who stepped in to break it up. He's been in the battles with much more powerful men.
England were ascendant until the last twenty minutes where Wales began to take some control. Coach Stuart Lancaster made changes, took off Burgess, moved Farrell to return Ford to number 10. Basically a return to the consensus opinion on team selection the media had run with all week. The league presence, the league influence gone England went to pieces. From a game they should have won, put to bed long before, England managed to engineer defeat. During the final period of play with Wales now ahead by three points England were awarded a penalty. Given Farrells faultless kicking all night a draw seemed a certainty with a further four minutes to grasp a last moment win.
Whether it was captain Chris Robshaw who opted to kick for touch and go for the win, or George Ford, the medias favourite who kicked to touch who chose, it was the wrong option. A short line out that Wales easily contained led to England loss.
The second half had been more exciting as sport always is when an upset is on the cards but over all, take away the significance of the match, there wasn't much for a none union fan to enjoy. Had Farrell remained kicking, had Burgess remained on, the bigoted journalists could have inaccurately tried to blame league but to independent eyes, once the league pillars were removed, the union boys collapsed.
In some ways the ending echoed the fantastic game the night before in what remains the superior code. To grasp a draw Leeds took the penalty kick as England didn't, ensuring they'd drawn and qualified for a home draw in the play off semi final. But crucially, they'd left a minute, little more to engineer a move that saw McGuire chip over the defence, gathered by Ryan Hall who ran half the field to score the try that won Leeds the League Leaders Shield.
Union has many faults. Without going into the history of the establishment sport, the bigotry over the years as league players were banned from ever playing union, the union support of apartheid, the banning of rugby league in France under the nazi appeasement and the support of union by the same. Despite all this, the sport itself is flawed.
The rare moments when union breaks out into open rugby are watchable, but the game is jigged to avoid this. Much of the game is taken up with technical set plays, line outs and scrums. Once the ball is free the tendency is to kick to gain position. If another scrum or line out doesn't follow, a messy ruck developes. Once a team nears the opponents try line all attempts are made to force the penalty. From here seldom is a try attempted, instead a goal is taken. This leads to games with few tries, sometimes none. Often the team scoring the fewest tries can win by killing the game by dragging the more creative team into rucks and mauls. The laws of the game involve so many technicalities around the ruck and scrum that few know them all, even the players.
When union went professional in the nineties following a century of shamateurism and arrogance there was a fear that an exodus of players would leave league as union players can earn four times what the league cousins can. In England and France this is still the case. But few have successfully made the transition. Reactions and impulses developed as a boy are hard to break. A player in either code must react without thought in most situations, consider your play and you'll be stomped. To transfer reactions from a habit of a lifetime is very difficult. Wingers, jason Robinson for example, find the transition easier but play makers stand little chance. This works both ways. Few union players succeed in league.
One has to wonder, after the thrill of the league World Cup semi and the NRL grand final, Burgess must be bored as hell waiting for something to happen in union. Those two games that capped Burgess' league career were of a ferocity and skill standard beyond anything he will encounter in union. His move to union may bring fame, a greater public profile and riches beyond what he could have ever made in league, but as a challenge, as a test of his skill, he will never enjoy moments of the majesty he enjoyed in league.


Sent from my iPad