As the domestic leagues returned with a bang, which players enhanced their international chances with the Rugby World Cup under a year away, and which players did the opposite?
GOING UP
Danny Cipriani
Sale Sharks, England
Reports have emerged recently linking him with a move to Toulon in 2015, but Stuart Lancaster could yet have something to say about that. The England coach was an onlooker on Friday night as Cipriani put in a wet weather masterclass to wrestle the game away from Exeter, finishing with an assist, a try an three kicks for a 13 point haul. Lancaster hasn’t been converted to the Cipriani faith yet, but more displays like that and he might just be convinced to ask the mercurial fly-half to postpone his French sojourn for another year or two.
Rhys Webb
Ospreys, Wales
What a year it has been for Webb. He earned his first real run of starts for Wales over the autumn and doesn’t appear to be looking back. He has continued his sublime form for the Ospreys, first in the Champions Cup and now in the PRO12, where he bagged another brace against Ulster at the weekend. He is rapidly becoming one of Wales’ most important players.
Richard Wigglesworth
Saracens, England
As always, the quality of the opposition has to be taken into account when handing out praise, and a tiring London Welsh defence – that is porous at the best of times – is hardly the stiffest challenge. And yet it was still a hugely impressive performance from Wigglesworth, who was far greater running threat than we have seen for some time. Given that neither Danny Care nor Ben Youngs really stamped their authority on the England nine shirt in the autumn, expect the Saracens man’s name to be firmly in the mix come the Six Nations.
Jonny Gray
Glasgow Warriors, Scotland
It was another huge shift from the younger Gray brother at the weekend, who is rapidly gaining ground on his (previously) more illustrious older brother. It was a performance packed with industry, as he finshed top tackler on the pitch with 16 made and none missed, and top carrier with 15. That’s out of both sides, not just Glasgow. People have said Jonny could be world class in a couple of years’ time – more displays like this, and we might not have to wait that long.
Luther Burrell
Northampton Saints, England
It baffled many how Burrell didn’t get a chance at least once during the autumn internationals; if he now fails to win another cap in the Six Nations, there will rightly be downright outrage. Against the Tigers, in a team that was a man short because of his captain’s indescretions, Burrell truly stood up to be counted. His ability to cut the perfect line, and time his run at the right time, is second to none in the Premiership right now. And given the Saints ended up being a man short in the backs after Stephenson was sacrificed, his defensive organisation looked pretty good too.
Josh Navidi
Cardiff Blues, Wales
Navidi is something of a utility back row player, but may have finally found his niche as a number eight. His close control near the line stood out in Cardiff’s win over Scarlets at the weekend, as he bundled over from both the back of a scrum and a rolling maul – no prizes for guessing which area of the game the Blues dominated most. If his performance was sullied slightly by a silly yellow card late on, the game was already won by then and he’d done enough to place himself firmly in Gatland’s thoughts, you suspect.
GOING DOWN
Dylan Hartley
Northampton Saints, England
A simple one, this. There had been signs, since his red card in the Premiership final two years ago for swearing at the referee, that Hartley had learnt to control his inner anger that clearly spills over uncontrollably at times. But then that same foe, the Leicester Tigers, come to town and he lashes out with an elbow and lands himself in front of the disciplinary panel yet again. They don’t take kindly to repeat offenders – just ask Delon Armitage (different board, same principle) – so Hartley could be in for a lengthy ban. If so, he may struggle to feature in the Six Nations, particularly with Rob Webber so impressive over the past year and Tom Youngs returning from injury so strongly.
Remi Tales
Castres, France
Just as Leicester threw away the chance to win against a 14-man opposition there for the taking, so Castres did against Clermont. And like the Tigers losing at an imposing venue in Franklin’s Gardens, Castres missed the chance to win again at the Clermont Ferrand after Julien Bardy was sent off for a headbutt. They were winning, too, but then Remi Tales threw the most shocking of all miss-passes and things spiralled from there. Not good from a man who is now surely no better than Cami Lopez’s back-up for France.Who were you impressed with over the weekend and who do you think played poorly?
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
17 replies on “Rugby World Cup Stock Check: 270 days to go”
If Cipraini continues to be ignored by SL then it’ll be outrageous. 9 times out of 10 I tend to back SL as I can normally at least fully understand his decisions, even if I don’t completely agree. But continuing to ignore Cipriani when he is this form is crazy.
Burrell – if Manu isn’t fit then he must play, but he won’t get a look in if Manu is fit. He was very impressive on Saturday though, and is firmly in the mix.
By “ignored” do you mean not in the EPS, or not in the 10 shirt? Would you really start him over Ford who is consistently excellent?
Certainly wouldn’t start him over Ford, but he HAS to be in the EPS. The two of them are the form English fly-halves in the Premiership. I’m ignoring Goode the golden oldies that are in-form in that statement, of course.
Personally I’d have him over Ford yeh. But in the EPS should be a minimum.
I think I’m in the minority that’s not completely sold on Ford. I do think he is very good, but I think Cipraini offers a more all round game. Both offer loads on the gainline, Ford probably edges the tactical kicking stakes but Cipriani handles pressure better in my opinion.
Ford left too many points out there against Australia (think there were 6 points with a kick just before and then just after half time) for what should be gimme kicks. It still worries me that it’ll cost us in the WC when (not if) he continues to do so.
There aren’t any more high-pressure situations for a Bath player than at Kingsholm, and he got 9 from 10 on Saturday. 5 of those were before Bath started to pull away. He’s improved no end on last year.
Maybe not for a Bath player but there definitely is for an England player. I’m talking about kicks from about three weeks ago, not last season.
As I said – think he is a very good player but I’ve not fully jumped on the George Ford band-wagon yet.
Ford was 75% in that game, which is better than Cipriani’s success rate this season.
75% is pretty damn poor. No idea Cipriani’s was that low – in that case Farrell needs to be shoehorned in.
Do you really believe that we’d get away with those awful kicks against Aus in a WC? These kicks that were weeks ago, not last season?
Goal kicking is so important, especially in knock out rugby, and I just do not trust Ford under pressure. Would love to see him prove me wrong but from what I saw in the Autumn I wouldn’t back him.
I’m not sure how closely you follow the stats of matches but 75% isn’t actually poor. Anyway, there’s no rule that the 10 has to kick, as you say we could always have Farrell at 12.
Tend to think properly world class kickers need to be way over 80% at international level. I’m not talking about how good he is playing against Gloucester!
Back to my actual point. He missed two absolute gimmes against Australia. We seem to keep completely ignoring this point. 6 points that in a knock world cup fixture would/could cost us. There must be a world class kicker on the pitch for us to do well at the world cup and I don’t believe he is that. That is the only point I am trying to make.
Farrell was at 78% in *that* win against NZ, and 57% in the Australia win last year. By your logic he’s not the answer either.
Have you seen Cips kicking stats? He missed one from in front of the posts against Exeter. His place kicking is worse than Fords, if the %s are similar it’s most likely due to the number of tricky ones he sticks into the corner rather than trying for 3.
I think he should have been a long way ahead of Farrell for the AIs, but it would have been a fight between him and Myler for the bench spot, not so clean cut on this seasons form.
To be fair i have no idea of their kicking stats off the top of my head.
Farrell is our best kicker by a country mile. Ford tends to be a very good kicker for the most part – but he seems to miss big pressure kicks. Challenge Cup final was awful and that was only 6 months ago, and as I mentioned me missed two absolute gimmes in quick succession against Australia only a few weeks back. Slightly worrying for me.
Last season is irrelevant – he’s changed the way he trains since that final, taking fewer kicks but putting more emphasis on each one – and it’s paying off.
So rule of thumb for me is basically this: an International kicker should be hitting around 80% of goals, 85% is pretty much world class. Most 1st choice prem kickers are about 70-75%.
So far in 2014/15 season… Farrell out in front on 86% (but limited game time), Ford on 82%, Myler on 72% and Cips on 65%.
(Myler was the best last season with 83%, Farrell on 78%, Ford on 75%, Cips 71%)
Good step up from Ford…
Agree re Hartley but I thought Matt Smith warrants a mention in the “going down” section. Yes it was an elbow to the face but “making the most of it” is certainly a description that could be applied to Matt Smith’s theatrics and, it may be an old fashioned view, but we don’t need that in rugby.
Geat
Ford’s played only a couple. Counting chickens. Wait til after Wales & Ireland at least… when he may be under a the pump a bit more. Everyone sings when they’re winning… & he’ll need to offer a bit more than play ariel ping pong as v Oz methinks – even tho he may’ve been playing for SL’s skin then.