Cracking the Code

Monday’s copy of the Sydney Morning Herald made for a somewhat disheartening read for the Welsh consumer. Granted, by no stretch the target audience, I still found it frustrating at the ease by which their first piece in the build up to today's test match between Wales and the Wallabies, dismissed - in but a paragraph, any Welsh hope of victory. Incensed, my immediate reaction was an internal blurt along the lines of ‘we got closer to the All Blacks than you did’. Yes, unfortunately this is now the barometer for the rest of the Rugby planet. I calmed, and read the rest of the piece that focused on how Ireland would pose the first real threat of derailment to Australian hopes of a first Grand Slam tour since their one and only success back in 1984. The journo’s justification for the perceived lack of threat posed to the Wallaby slam train in Cardiff had nothing to do with form, quality of player, coaching reshuffle or playing style. Instead, it pointed solely to history; Wale

October 31 2015, Rugby World Cup Final, New Zealand (1/3 - FAV) v Australia (9/4) , Twickenham. October 22 2016, Bledisloe Cup (dead rubber), New Zealand (1/25 - FAV) v Australia (9/1), Eden Park. Cold hard facts that paint a tale of exponential growth in All Black dominance, not just over their cross Tasman rivals but also the rest of World Rugby. Patience, England, we know you fancy a pop. To think there were concerns that post the Autumnal glory at HQ, the All Black ship would find itself in choppy seas without good ol Captain McCaw and First Mate Carter to guide it home. Transition period? Not here.    The All Blacks are the World's premier rugby team. News to nobody. However, the manner in which they have extended their preeminence over Rugby Championship rivals this season, is news. Six games, six victories, six bonus points and a score differential of 178 – an average winning margin of nearly 30 points. Australia, South Africa and Argentina all finished the Ch

Confused, divided and handy on the keyboard. No I'm not talking about a post Brexit state. This is Welsh Rugby. This is Gatland's law. Word from the politics bunch is that It will take decades for the masses to comprehend the impact and implications of the democratically determined Brexit decision. We are some eight years into Gatland's law, autocratic in origin, and a mess in practice.  The policy designed to keep Wales' premier rugby talent within the regional game, follows an old Churchillian notion - that success on the international battle field is underpinned by a vibrant home front, which is shaped to facilitate global successes. Thus far, it has has proved far more simple in concept than in context. The current understanding is that formalisation of the ruling under the guise of The WRU Senior Player's Selection Policy, will lead to a stricter enforcement. The only caveat, being the number of caveats, provided for within the written agreement.

With 77 minutes on the clock of last night's Bledisloe Cup test match, Wallaby winger, Dane Haylett-Petty, tracked across field before selecting to slide an innocuous grubber behind the All Black defence. The kick was fielded by Man of the Match, Beudan Barrett, who found himself at Full Back as part of an injury enforced reshuffle. Barrett surveys the situation, makes a decision and executes it. Five  seconds later, and Australia are chucking a line out in their own 22. The aforementioned passage of play had zero baring on the final result, but was indicative of why the game had long since ceased to be any form of contest. Put simply, another poorly thought out, poorly executed piece of Australian play had been pounced upon by the All Blacks who in instant flipped opposition error into opportunity.   With the All Blacks racking up a record winning margin on Australian soil, it would be easy to wax lyrical about their individual and collective dominance. However, the context o

Scanning selectively through the back pages of the Sydney Morning Herald, waiting for my never perfect porridge to reach a mouth eligible temperature, is a well established part of my daily routine. The subsequent norm is to tuck into the day's rugby headlines, whilst heavily exhaling, an act that I believe will cool my mouth from a breakfast that is inevitably still too hot for consumption. On Monday morning there was a minor divergence, the literary intake was an Aussie Rules piece. The article focused on the plight of Brisbane Lions' coach, Justin Leppitsch. The previous day, Coach Leppitsch's Lions, had defeated the Essendon Bombers in a basement battle. A victory, which preserved, Leppitsch's employment or so the author reliably informed me.  Had the article gone on to analyse the technicalities of what makes a successful AFL coach, I would have ditched it. It didn't. Instead it took a far more compelling, macro level view, of the key performance indica

'Hey, where you from?', the cliched opening gambit of one backpacker seeking to temporarily befriend another over a cold beer. As a Welshman, I know that in many instances my response will draw a blank face and a 'Ah, Cool. Where's that?'. Each time, I sigh internally, so as not to come across rude, before offering up a token 'next to England'. On reflection, Wales' notoriety level or lack of, probably says as much about what the principality is bringing to the global stage, as it does about the geographical awareness of my fellow traveller. This lack of global identity is not an issue for our Celtic brethren from Ireland and Scotland. They have many an export, synonymous with their nation that have become common place in global society. The fact is, Brains isn't Guinness, Penderyn isn't Glenmorangie or Jameson, and despite his statue in the middle of Corwen, Owain Glyndwr isn't William Wallace. But then again, Wallace was seven feet tal

Cracking the Code..: Courage not enough for Wales. : 'Courageous', an adjective I hope isn't used to describe the Welsh performance, in this evening's all important Euro 2016 gr...

'Courageous', an adjective I hope isn't used to describe the Welsh performance, in this evening's all important Euro 2016 group match against Russia. If the nation finds itself celebrating the players' courage, we will probably be doing so in absence of the desired outcome, qualification. Three times last week, I watched courageous Welsh efforts in the sporting arena. Each time the courage yielded nothing more than defeat. It started on the Wednesday, and the Under 20's Rugby team. A performance built on abrasive defence, backed up by tactics that were far better suited to the wet conditions than those deployed by their New Zealand counterparts, lead to Wales edging it on the scoreboard with time all but done. The teams departed the field with the Baby Blacks victorious, courtesy of a last minute penalty from Jodie Barrett. On Thursday, and to Lens, where Wales temporarily found themselves in dreamland as they lead England at half time of the much anticipate

'There's plenty of Rugby still to be played' and 'I'm only focusing on the next game'. Expect to hear these soundbites being reeled of by any number of possible British & Irish Lions over the next year, when quizzed on their candidacy for TBC's squad of X players to tour NZ.  Sure, there is plenty of Rugby still to be played before the Lions lineup against the creatively named, 'Provincial Union Team', in Whangarei, some 360 days from now. However, player efforts to avert selection discussion will not be mirrored by fans. In fact, I know at some point this weekend, I will encounter the President of the Bolton Welsh Rugby Supporters Club, and he will demand I provide him my Lions XV, complete with selection justifications. I should then be prepared to defend my choices, including the ridiculous bolter (normally Cipriani), against his considered interrogation.   Perhaps a more pertinent discussion leading into this Weekend's test match

There are few more distressing aspects of watching live rugby than listening to the older fan, who refuses to accept that rugby has evolved since 'their day, harp on about a lack of skill level in the modern game. Unfortunately at this afternoon's Waratahs v Rebels game, that guy was on the money. An analysis piece in the match day programme observed that 'the true test of basic skill competency, is perfect execution under pressure!'. The Rebels victory was largely derived from a superior, albeit marginal, ability to meet the above requirement. The Waratahs game plan made their own pursuit of perfection exponentially more difficult due to the pressure it imposes on them. At least, I assume that the constant desire to force the killer ball is pre ordained, if not it demonstrates a level of on field discipline that is sub par for a team entertaining the idea of winning Super Rugby matches. Much was made post World Cup about the chasm separating the attacking and ambit

At just $25 for a general admission ticket, and the prospect of watching 6 World Cup finalists, my initial impressions were positive. Pricing wise, this compares favourably against an average cost of £16.25 ($30.54) to go and watch one of the Welsh regions play in the pro 12, a competition which doesn't quite draw the same plaudits for its free flowing rugby as the Super comp. The first half was a tale of Highlanders dominance. They were clinical in all facets of the game, they are the champions my friend. Despite trying to become a Tahs fan, my natural reaction was to stand and applaud as this dominance manifested itself in three tries, and a healthy lead they to take into the sheds. Notable mentions to Lima Sopoaga who looked so cruisy yet controlling, and also my new favourite player Liam Squire who showed the perfect combo of pace, power and mullet to steam over for his five pointer. With 55 minutes on the clock and the score at 0-27, Sopoaga popped over a droppy that seem

I have often bemoaned the Welsh public for the failing to transition the passion they have for the international game to regional rugby. With the Six Nations on a fallow weekend, Ulster managed to attract a crowd in the region of 15,000 for their Pro 12 fixture against the Scarlets. Conversely the Blues only managed a crowd 1/3 of the size for Leinster's visit to the Arms park.  I accept that at regional level, attendance and more so a lack of, is a complex issue. There exist a hybrid of political, social and economic factors that dictate why rugby fans in Wales, don't, won't and in some cases can't, flock through the turnstiles.  Having never really had professional rugby on my door step, it is easy for me to criticise both the fans and the marketing departments for their collective inability to create a magnetic pull around regional rugby. A force that would not only drive attendance but also player retention. Undoubtedly money is a primary motivator for play

A six nations Saturday is an entirely different experience at GMT+11. I awake at 3:18am, exactly 22 minutes before the alarm is due to sound. I would love to attribute the early get up to a Christmas morning like excitement. On reflection, I think it was more the noise of neighbours returning home from the boozer. I am sweating. I doubt anyone in Cardiff is sweating, excluding the players going through their pre match rigours, oh and Dai Baselayer. If you know Cardiff on match day, then you know Dai. Dai likes to showcase his guns in a pro fit Under Armour Wales jersey. However, Dai's no fool, it gets cold in the stadium, he knows that, he puts his Baselayer on. Unfortunately for Dai, his friends have a preference to spend a notable portion of their Mikey Rayer (all dayer) in the sub Saharan climate of Walkabout. Dai sweats, the baselayer is soon saturated, but he has a cold strongbow, he is happy. Meanwhile in Sydney, escalating personal sweat levels persuade me to roll out of

Plenty has happened in the 10 or so months since Rory  Kockott triumphantly leathered the ball into the Twickenham night  to leave England just a score short of first title under Stuart Lancaster, whilst simultaneously giving Ireland their second title on the bounce.  With  the exception of Scotland,  it is unlikely that any   of the  RBS  six  will have walked into their spring camp buoyed by events of the autumn. Sure, for some the Rugby World Cup was a tale of the valiant effort and could have  beens . However, the lack of tangible return from the Northern Hemisphere's elite unions will put the 'brand' of rugby played in this season's Six Nations under the microscope.  So ,  what of the first weekend? First to  Murrayfield ,  where the spotlight was on the new English regime , w ho ,  despite the World Cup shortcomings ,  entered the tournament as favourites ;   possibly due to   punters choosing to back the new coach effect, which has seen success for I