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Want to win a rugby tournament? Opt for age

Dan Carter

So you think rugby is a game for the young? Don’t be too sure, writes James Harrington.

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The ageless Dan Carter could make one grand final ‘international’ appearance, according to reports from north of the equator.

The Rugby Paper has claimed that the Barbarians are confident they can persuade the 35-year-old to play against England on May 28.

If it happens, and nothing is official yet, he could line up alongside confirmed Baa-Baas Adam Ashley-Cooper, Will Genia, Facundo Isa, Census Johnston, Corey Flynn, Bundee Aki and Thierry Dusautoir in guest coach Vern Cotter’s squad at Twickenham.

Who wouldn’t want to see a team liberally sprinkled with those players in action? Aki and Isa apart, it’s not so much a Baa-Baas side as a Legends one.

What age may have taken away from many of them in terms of raw speed and power it has more than made up for with great dollops of low-cunning and exceptional game-reading.

Yes, players are bigger and stronger and faster and hairier these days. But don’t be fooled into thinking that means rugby is a young player’s game. There’s plenty of room for the older, wiser head.

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History, even recent history, proves that experience is the most valuable commodity for a player. And experience is one of those fine-wine virtues. It comes only with age.

Before the 2003 World Cup final, England – whose squad for the showpiece match boasted a combined total of 638 caps – were labelled ‘Grumpy Old Men’. So many of them were well into their 30s at the time that, when Jonny Wilkinson, a mere stripling at the age of 23, ran out onto the field, he was unable to lower the side’s average age below 28. The average age of the 2011 and 2015 World Cup-winning All Blacks was also 28.

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Four years before England won the northern hemisphere’s only World Cup, Australia’s triumphant side won the final with 622 caps. In 2007, South Africa beat England in Paris with 688 caps-worth of experience. In 2011, New Zealand boasted 709 caps – a belated acceptance of the wisdom that wizened rugby sages will work title-winning wonders better than wet-behind-the-ears tyros.

Not one of those teams comes close to the 2015-vintage All Blacks. New Zealand’s World Cup final team in England had a combined total of 1,339 caps, at an average of 48 per player – the highest of any side in the tournament (for the record, South Africa were second with 42, Australia 41, and Argentina 39).

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The fact that New Zealand lost more than 800 caps of experience to retirement after lifting the Webb-Ellis trophy is so well documented that, for more than a year, it was impossible to write an article about the All Blacks without mentioning that figure at least once. 

Ironically, it has been left to the All Blacks to prove that the history of rugby age is bunk. It is probable that any team they field against the British and Irish Lions this June will be noticeably out-capped. Yet, if there’s any side that can demonstrate youth and brilliance can outperform experience and low-cunning, it’s them.

Bringing this back to the opening three paragraphs, for a moment. Carter may have a problem, which is why nothing has been confirmed. Racing 92 could qualify – against what seemed insurmountable odds not so long ago – for the Top 14 play-offs if they beat Bordeaux next weekend.

That would mean a quarterfinal on the weekend of May 20. Win that, and they would be in the semifinals on the weekend of May 27 – the same weekend as the Baa-Baas match against England.

Carter has not had the best of seasons, but there’s no way that his bosses at Racing would release their marquee player – who marshalled them to the title in 2016 and who has the experience and, yes, low-cunning, to win the big games – when there’s a Top 14 title for grabs.

Watch the June Internationals streaming live on rugbypass.com, home of the best online rugby coverage including news, highlights, previews & reviews, live scores, and more!

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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