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Plus, how the overwrought daytime soap opera in Paris can’t hide Welsh problems; the continuing woes of Jacky and Thomas; Bucharest delight for Romania; and Mohed Altrad closes in on Gloucester deal.
GOOD WEEK
Non-English rugby media
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Didn’t they have a lovely time when Ireland brought down England in Dublin at the weekend? The Irish had a field day after their ferocious no-backward-step win. The Irish Independent’s Neil Francis said ‘this result will tell you that the English coach doesn’t shit Maltesers’ while the Examiner’s Simon Lewis hailed Ireland’s ‘wonderful, stubborn defiance’. Elsewhere, the comments were rather less gentle – Chris Rattue called Eddie Jones’s men ‘wrecking balls in chains’ in a scathing comment piece for the New Zealand Herald, but his most savage line was delivered quietly, almost killingly kind: “I mean no disrespect to the England team, who can only play to their limited skill capacity.” Even the Australians joined in – The Roar’s Spiro Zavos branding England ‘thuggish, arrogant, brain-dead, nasty’. As for the English media, after all the pre-match hype, the Telegraph’s Paul Hayward probably summed it up best: “England would now approach a potential autumn clash with New Zealand with a greater degree of realism about how good they are.”
England
Despite defeat at the Aviva Stadium, and despite the lashing Jones and his team took from the media, overall England have much to be happy about. A day before England’s players stood on the Aviva pitch, surrounded by the wreckage of their 18-match winning run, the women’s side had completed a Grand Slam. So, too, did the under-20s. And the senior men’s side still lifted the Six Nations trophy having won the championship with victory over Scotland at Twickenham the previous week. Three titles and two Grand Slams – there’s still plenty for England to be content with in spite of everything.
Romania
The Oaks broke neighbouring Georgia’s grip on the second-tier Rugby European International Championship with a hard-fought 8-7 win in Bucharest to lift the title for the first time since 2010. That win strengthened their claim for a place at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Better beware that scrum.
Toby Flood
The 60-cap England man may have played 63 times and scored more than 300 points since joining Toulouse for the start of the 2014/15 season, but he has not always enjoyed the best of times since leaving Leicester. After a bright start, he slipped down the pecking order quickly as he struggled to get to grips with then-Toulouse coach Guy Novès’ idiosyncratic coaching style and the loose grip on organisation common to many French rugby teams. Things were probably at their worst a mere five months into Flood’s Toulouse career, when Novès – with brutal Gallic diplomacy – told Sud Radio “Toby has not evolved to his best [potential]”. His rugby chances seemed to take an upturn when Noves moved to Marcoussis and Ugo Mola took over at Ernest Wallon. Now, however, word is he is hot favourite to replace Bristol-bound Ian Madigan at Bordeaux.
Mohed Altrad
The billionaire Montpellier owner who would also own Gloucester has, it seems, finally got his club … or 45% of it, at least. European Rugby bosses are expected to approve the planned takeover this week – after weeks of backroom diplomacy and discussions over possible conflicts of interest. While Altrad will probably be denied a majority share, he will have a controlling stake in the club – and the French press is confident former Kingsholm favourite Philippe Saint-Andre will be named director of rugby in place of David Humphreys, with Stade Francais’ Gonzalo Quesada and another Gloucester old boy, Olivier Azam – who has been out of a job after a short, sharp and painful stint at Oyonnax in 2015 – also on the coaching team. Meanwhile, Johan Ackermann has reportedly been sounded out for the head coach’s job following Laurie Fisher’s sudden departure.
BAD WEEK
Jacky and Thomas
What finances and pragmatism wanted to join, player power and traditionalism put asunder. The problem with the merger of Racing 92 and Stade Francais was not the idea – it was probably a good plan for the survival of top-flight rugby in and around Paris. The problem was that it was badly sold. The merger bomb dropped last Monday, to the shock of just about everyone in French rugby. That shock quickly turned to anger, and – this being France – anger quickly turned to strike action. Players, Stade’s players especially, were against it, the fans were against it, and the FFR was against it. And that combination proved too much for the pro-merger camp led by club presidents Jacky Lorenzetti and Thomas Savare. While the former seems willing to simply walk away from the insults being lobbed his way, the latter has gone on the offensive, claiming that French rugby is “living beyond its means.” It has been reported he may even be willing to file for bankruptcy if he cannot find a buyer for Stade Francais within three months. Which looks difficult. Stade own neither their ground or their training complex – they are the property of the city – which means Savare is seeking to sell just the name. And an estimated €8million hole in the club’s finances.
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France
The best finish in the Six Nations since Marc Lièvremont was coach, and with three wins for the first time since 2014. Given recent lean rugby years in France, this has got to be a good year, right? Oh, wait… Right…
Wales
Ignore the last 20 minutes of the extended episode of the overwrought daytime soap opera in Paris on Saturday (Was it a head injury? Who bit George North? What issues did the fourth official have?), and it’s clear Welsh problems are mounting. The mighty bosh that goes by the name ‘Warrenball’ failed miserably – both at Stade de France at the weekend and, on the whole, during the entire Six Nations. A success rate of three wins from four in the November internationals papered over the cracks, but they have simply opened right up again. The defence and ferocious work at the breakdown isn’t a problem. That works fine. But, as an attacking force, Wales have the potency of lettuce. Against France, they managed two line breaks. Two. They scored eight tries in the entire tournament, and three of those came against Italy on the opening weekend. To put that into perspective, New Zealand averaged six a match in 2016. Rob Howley can tilt at French and Six Nations windmills over events in Paris until he is blue in the face, and Justin Tipuric can insist Wales are better than fifth all day, every day, but what happened at the weekend should not be allowed to hide the longer-term problems facing the national team.
Aaron Mauger
Leicester are doing a Toulon. Just over two months after they sacked Richard Cockerill as director of rugby, they have decided to bid farewell to head coach – and the man they placed in interim charge. Aaron Mauger’s too-brief tenure ends after the East Midlands’ derby against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, and less than a week since he guided the club to the first silverware of the season, the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
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He will be replaced by Australian Matt O’Connor, who coached the side to three Premiership titles during a previous stint at Welford Road between 2008 and 2013. He may have the pedigree, but players’ reaction to Mauger’s departure means he will have work to do to convince them he’s the man for the job.
With 5 games to go, really?? We don't know how good we've got it! #biggerpicture #gutted
— Telusa Veainu (@tveainu) March 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/LockyMcCaffrey/status/843906548669779973
Was going to tweet but Locky hit the nail on the head. https://t.co/mGyJi36tPh
— Sam Harrison (@ShazamHarrison) March 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/Williams4_Mike/status/843914021837463554
Meanwhile, Mauger was the epitome of dignified diplomacy at what was surely a difficult press conference.
Aaron Mauger explains his feelings following the club's decision to appoint Matt O'Connor as Head Coach pic.twitter.com/nEsY75dRUf
— BBC Sport Leicester (@BBCRLSport) March 21, 2017
Bad week, yes, but kudos for that, sir.
Six Nations citing officials
Who’d be a citing official? The poor sods had their work cut out after the France / Wales game amid biting allegations and the head injury replacement of replacement prop Uini Atonio late-on, when the raw scrummaging power of starting front-rower Rabah Slimani was much more useful to the French cause. While the latter rumbles on amid claims Atonio’s injury was ‘convenient’, citing commissioner John Montgomery was unable to find clear evidence of who bit George North to bring any further action. That announcement didn’t go down well.
