Candidates to replace Sean O'Brien for Ireland

Sean O'Brien has been ruled out of the 6 Nations

Strange as it is to say, but Sean O'Brien's injury has some positives for Leinster. While they will be devoid of one of the best ball carrying players in the world, who has come on leaps and bounds at the breakdown, they will be getting a short window into trying to blood some alternatives in the not unlikely event that he leaves the province in the summer. Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings, Jordi Murphy are all great players, and well capable of performing the no.7 tasks that Leinster need. Even the exciting and young Dan Leavy miught be afforded the chance to prove that he is the natural successor to Sean O'Brien, with similar ball carrying, breakdown skills, work rate, linking play and handling skills.

But are any of those contenders ready for the international stage? I wouldn't be sure either. So what may have advantages for Leinster, there isn't much for Ireland who will surely miss the ballast that O'Brien provides. Here are the other contenders to replace O'Brien in the 6 Nations in ascending order of likelihood:

Form Choice: Sean Dougall

In O'Donnell's absence, Sean Dougall has moved on from his impressive 2012/13 form into something a bit special. He has a fight on his hands to retain the 7 jersey for Munster now that O'Donnell is back, but something tells me that if he wins that battle, he will have more than a few supporters in his corner for international recognition.

Reshuffle for most options: Peter O'Mahony

A few years ago O'Mahony was being heralded as a potential solution to our (Ireland's) lack of an openside. While that hasn't panned out and he's been marvelous on the blindside and at 8, O'Mahony still has the breakdown work, ball carrying and link play to make an effective replacement for O'Brien in the 7 jersey. The number of potential candidates for blindside is a lot more than openside, so this is a potential runner.

Best Choice: Tommy O'Donnell

Entering the season, I was hoping that Ireland would start to give O'Donnell a chance. Fresh off a great season, a back row of O'Brien at 6, O'Donnell at 7 and O'Mahony or Heaslip at 8 filled my dreams. Alas, an injury to O'Donnell scarpered any chance of that in November, and while O'Brien is out, a POM/ TOD/ JH backrow would be my choice. You heard it here first.

Leinster Favouritism Choice: Shane Jennings

A safe choice. Jennings is experienced and a leader. He's worked with Schmidt before, and Schmidt can use his backrows for more flashy stuff with Jennings around. No where near the impact levels of the rest of the contenders, but a Schmidt favourite, so remains a distinct possibility.

Safest Choice: Chris Henry

Just back in training for Ulster, Henry was 4th choice back row throughout the November internationals. His game has improved massively in the last few years and his breakdown work would be vital against the likes of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Chris Fusaro.

End of a great '13

As 2013 draws to a close, it's with a tinge of sadness because one of our sport's greatest players will retire in the following year. Brian O'Driscoll's long and distinguished career is winding down, and he will be remembered as one of the best 13's, but it will be the Brian O'Driscoll from 2001 to 2010 that will be remembered, not the O'Driscoll of 2013.

Kieran Read has delivered exceptional performance after exceptional performance in 2013 to earn his IRB Player of the Year crown. Read has grown year after year, and when he retires, will be compared favourably to other No.8's when people talk about the best No.8's ever.

It's not just Read of the current players that will be compared favourably to other players in their positions from different eras. Dan Carter, Will Genia and Richie McCaw will forever be remembered as some of the best players to have ever played.

The same can not be said of the current Outside centres of the world. O'Driscoll is not the player he was, but the fact that he is still one of the best in the world, is more a reflection on the reduced standards of 13s available.

In his best, O'Driscoll displayed everything that is expected of an outside centre. The attacking lines, good passing skills and handling; pace and acceleration from the mark; spatial awareness, both in attack and defense, ferocious tackling, and defensive organisation. O'Driscoll had no fear, and often lead from the front doing the dirty work, as well as being able to produce the X factor in attack. He was also fantastic at the breakdown to boot.

Conrad Smith is the current best in the world. His defensive reading and support lines are what you'd expect from the best in the world, but he isn't what he was in terms of pace and attacking threat. No other current outside centre comes close. Jonathan Davies can't pass or defend to a high enough standard. Manu Tuilagi is close, but gets caught out too much in defense to be considered.

New Zealand have tended to try to convert wingers into the 13 channel, with Tim Nanai Williams and Rene Ranger having moved in there in last year's Super Rugby, and Ben Smith moving in for the November internationals. Nanai Williams and Ranger looked extremely dangerous in that channel, and while they surprised me defensively, they still got caught out more than you'd allow for a top class 13. Smith is doing well defensively so far, but his attacking influence has been significantly reduced, and his best position is definitely at full back.

So where will Ireland be left when O'Driscoll retires?

Will Ireland convert a winger like New Zealand, will they use the next best outside centre, will they invest in youth, or will they do something left field?

The next best outside centre is Darren Cave. At 26 years old, the Ulster centre is at the age where most international players become regulars. He hasn't got a huge amount of international experience, and four of his five caps have been against North American opposition. His recent form for Ulster has been good, and it's hard to understand why he hasn't been given a chance. He is sparkling around a very exciting Ulster backline at the moment, and certainly doesn't shirk his defensive responsibilities. Eoin Griffen is the only other Irish qualified centre that consistently gets game time there.

There are three contenders that might move in from the wing - Tommy Bowe replaced O'Driscoll when he was rule out of the third Lions test in 2009, his defense is always solid, and when given the chance has shown some creative spark. A replacement winger would be much easier to come by. Luke Fitzgerald has long been touted as a possibility, and impressed in his 30 minute cameo there against New Zealand in November. While talented, Fitzgerald offers more impact on the wing and should be left to string some uninjured seasons together playing there. Simon Zebo is another outside chance. Zebo flourishes when he comes off his wing, and and opportunity to get him more involved should be looked at.

Two Irish 13's that play outside of Ireland are Danny Barnes and Eamonn Sheridan, but neither are as talented as the indigenous options available to Schmidt.

There are also the overseas contenders that will be Ireland qualified in a few years, Connacht's Danie Poolman, and Jared Payne. Poolman started off his Connacht life in great form, and was a big reason why Connacht finished in their best position in the league yet. He has been sorely missed in Galway this season so far. Jared Payne is most people's favourite to get the starting outside centre berth for Ireland when he qualifies, what is certain is that he is capable, but in the times I've seen him there, I can't help but think, like Fitzgerald. his influence is greatly reduced compared to his impact in his normal position.

A stopgap solution could be the one used by Leinster in recent seasons, or by Ireland back in 2004, where Gordon D'Arcy moves out. While this has proven to be a successful option, it would be nothing more than a short term solution with D'Arcy also close to retirement.

Left field choices include shifting Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding, Chris Farrell or Ivan Dineen out one from inside centre. Marshall and Olding have shown great attacking promise in their short careers so far, but both should focus on nailing down their own positions, with Marshall at inside centre, and Olding either at outhalf or inside centre.

Other youngsters that have potential are Brendan Macken, whose finishing ability could be better suited to the wing, or Adam Byrne, who is a few years away from a finished product, but needs some work on his defensive abilities.

If all else fails, Michael Allen could move back into outside centre. His shift to the wing has been good, but the competition for wing spots in Ulster is very high with Bowe, Gilroy, Trimble already established and McIlwaine, Andrew and Scholes behind him.

What I'll miss most about the Heineken Cup

From harpinonrugby

Before you start, this isn't another article about the blame game that is ongoing in European rugby circles. There will be no mention of splits in revenues, qualifying by merits, governance or power grabbing.

When the competition gets going, in it's current format it's close to perfect. Close to, because really with all the outside fuss about it, it can't really be called perfect can it? I believe that reducing the number of teams from 24 to 20 will compromise the excitement of the pool stages.

What other sporting competition creates the excitement that the Heineken Cup raises with each gameday? What other sporting competition in the world keeps every fan of every team on the lookout for every result, while attempting to calculate every permutation?

Two things give the Heineken Cup as it is this selling point. Firstly, the fact that not every 2nd place team qualifies for the quarter finals. This gives every team the emphasis to keep pushing and ensure they secure first place in their pool, while at the same time giving second place teams the incentive to try and get as many points as possible to be one of the lucky two. In no other competition are bonus points as treasured as in the Heineken Cup, and it really works.

Even for first placed teams, the quarter final draws gives further incentives to collect as many points as possible to ensure a home draw, and an "easy" as possible draw. I say "easy" because with all 6 countries participating, there are no "easy" games in Europe anymore.

There is no resting of players like in soccer's equivalent the Champions League once you are qualified after Round 4. Every fan looks at every game, in every round, and every bonus point.

Already in round 4, I'm mentally ruing bonus points that got away, or delighted that bonus points for other teams never arrived. I know that this mental calculations will be ongoing until the final whistle of the last game in Round 6. It's only then that everything is known.

Why lose this excitement?

Two birds, One Stone

Published for wordinsport

Two seemingly unconnected stories passed by the rugby world this week.

The first was Munster's capture of Robin Copeland. Wexford born Copeland has been outstanding for Cardiff this season, winning 2 Man of the Match awards in 4 Heineken Cup games, as well as several in the Pro 12. At times, he's been the shining light in some rudderless displays from the Blues. There have been calls for Copeland to be called into the Irish set up, and the general consensus is that Munster have signed a very good Irish player.

But his capture has sparked a small bit of unrest. Munster weren't exactly in need of another backrow player, specifically one that plays either blindside or No.8. A combination of Peter O'Mahony and James Coughlan is keeping the wonderful CJ Stander out of the side, with the young, but bright talent of Paddy Butler also pushing hard for selection when he's not injured. Add in Copeland, and it's a case of 5 into 2 doesn't go.

Most of this frustration was because there are places where Munster could do with strengthening. An extra body covering Conor Murray and Cathal Sheridan would be useful, or even backing up Ian Keatley and JJ Hanrahan. As seen with Murray's lay off, one injury here stretches Munster's resources a bit too much. The same can be said in the centres, where behind Downey and Laulala, there isn't a whole lot of cover. Ivan Dineen is making the step up, and both Hanrahan and Earls can cover, but are needed elsewhere. Both Downey and Laulala are out of contract at the end of the season, which makes the need for a centre all the more pressing.

The second news story was that of Richie Vernon. For those who haven't seen it, Richie Vernon, the 20 time capped Scottish backrower is moving to outside centre for what appears to be the rest of his career. He's been unable to regain his place in the Glasgow team in the back row, and with his pace and power, Gregor Townsend has seen his potential in the centres to revitalise his career.

Why could these stories be connected? Simple; CJ Stander is the answer to Munster's centre needs. This would help ease the selection dilemmas in Munster's back row, and could finally get Stander onto the Munster first XV. There's no doubting the pace and power that Stander possesses, and he certainly doesn't have a passing game that is worse than James Downey's. It would be the only area of his game that would need work, but it's not a huge improvement needed.

It seems a crazy idea, but Vernon's isn't the first case of this, with Leinster's Jordan Coughlan another promising backrower that was moved to 12 a year ago. Joe Schmidt foresaw the overload of backrow talent coming through at Leinster with Ruddock, Ryan, Jordi Murphy, Dan Leavy and Jack Conan, and decided that Coughlan had the skills to move to 12 and provide some needed cover.

Rob Penney, you can take this idea. You're welcome.

Educational win for Connacht Eagles

Connacht Eagles 17- 8 Bedford Blues.

Paul O'Donohue clears from the base of a ruck. 

Rugby fans have been treated to some fantastic spectacles in the last few weeks, with South Africa - New Zealand, Wales - Australia and even Cardiff - Glasgow thoroughly entertaining those that watched. Unfortunately the action at the Sportsground was not to join those in the pantheon of great games to watch. The weather had a part to play, but overall the Eagles will be satisfied with the scrappy win that flattered them on the scoreboard.

A better team than Bedford would have been out of sight given all the linebreaks they had, but Connacht's defense held firm all but once, to ensure critical penalties were won in the dangerzone.

Connacht's forwards shone throughout, and gave them a platform from the off with some strong scrummaging from Finlay Belham especially. The back row of Masterson, Browne and O'Brien in particular were everywhere, getting through mountains of work, joining the second rows in the engine room. Despite this, Bedford had the best of the first half playing into the wind, eventually their best player on the day, Brendan Burke went over after a break from the hooker, Charlie Clare. Mike Le Bourgois was unable to add the extras.

Carty, who managed the game nicely, especially in the second half, got Connacht onto the scoreboard just before halftime, with Sean O'Brien's sinbinning the only other point of note in the first 40. Indeed, Connacht's discipline was poor, and this young side need to learn to adapt to the referee's interpretation much faster after they were penalised time and again.

The second half started just as the first left off, and Bedford were able to add to their lead with a penalty after Eoin Masterson was sinbinned for another penalty at the breakdown. This seemed to spark Connacht into life, and they will be enthused with their reaction. A good break from Carty led to a period of pressure on the Bedford line, with substitute hooker Dave Heffernan going over. Carty added  the extras as Connacht took the lead for the first time.

Connacht grew into the game from here, with Sean O'Brien to the fore. He was a physical beast, and as he gains experience, he will be able to effect the game more. If he was able to add some handling or offloading skills to his impressive arsenal, O'Brien would be one of the leaders of the Connacht first team.

A long period of pressure on the Bedford line brought another try, this time for Andrew Browne, which put a bit of gloss on the scoreline that perhaps flattered Connacht. They should learn a lot from this, as there were a few times when the wrong decisions were made, but they were able to win a game that it looked like they were going to lose for a very long time. Not a bad habit to get into.

Young players like Conor Finn, Shane Layden, Finlay Bealham and O'Brien had strong games, but my man of the match was Jack Carty.

Connacht Eagles: 15 Shane Layden, 14 David Panter, 13 Conor Finn, 12 Brian Murphy, 11 Steve Macauley, 10 Jack Carty (captain), 9 Paul O’Donohoe; 1 Finlay Bealham, 2 James Rael, 3 JP Cooney, 4 Dave Nolan, 5 Danny Qualter, 6 Andrew Browne, 7 Eoghan Masterson, 8 Sean O’Brien

Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Peter Reilly, 18 Ultane Dillane, 19 Conor Kindregan, 20 Caolin Blade, 21 Tadhg Leader, 22 Marcus Walsh

Bedford Blues: 15. Mike Le Bourgeois, 14. Patrick Tapley, 13. Brendan Burke, 12. Ollie Dodge, 11. James Short ,10. Mark Atkinson, 9. Darryl Veenendaal; 1. Darren Fearn, 2. Charlie Clare, 3. Phil Boulton, 4. Mike Howard, 5. Paul Tupai (c), 6. Tom Jubb, 7. Matt Hankin, 8. Nick Fenton-Wells

Replacements: 16. TJ Harris, 17. Nico Steenkamp, 18. Tomas Gilardon Paz, 19. Ben Gulliver, 20. Tom Armes, 21. Ben Calder, 22. Jake Sharp

Irish rugby is in a precarious position

Understatement of the Year: The situation in Europe is worrying. Extremely worrying if you are an Irish rugby supporter. The uncertainty over the Heineken Cup and what that might entail is not ideal for the teams in the Pro 12.

In a particular bad day, the continuation of the Welsh exodus has led Rhys Priestland and Richard Hibbard to Wasps and Gloucester respectively, while the PRL have decided to reject the terms they demanded at the start of these shenanigans.

This is only bad news for Ireland. Now the English are looking for an alternate competition, and the Welsh are seeking an end to their financial difficulties whilst trying to make playing for the regions a more attractive proposition. A very sensible and realistic solution for both of them is for an expanded Premiership/Championship with the four Welsh regions.

This would be a death knell for the Pro 12. It is nearly impossible for the competition to continue with just the Irish provinces, and the Italian and Scottish teams. The English may ridicule the standard of the Pro 12 now, but the potential "Pro 8" would be a terrible competition. The standard and marketability would be reduced drastically.

Irish players could do what the Welsh are doing now. To get the most out of their careers, they want to be playing in leagues of a high standard. Much like the soccer landscape, the best Irish players would move to English teams, and the quality of Irish rugby would be neglected.

What can Ireland do to stop this and try and keep their top players in Ireland?
There isn't much that can be done, but here are two outlandish possibilities;

1. A New Irish team. With an added team in Ireland, the talent could be spread out better, so that more players are getting game time, and are up against the other quality Irish players week in week out. Players like Rhys Ruddock, Paul Marshall and even CJ Stander could finally get the starts they deserve.

2. If you can't beat them, join them. Which would be more profitable for the English Premiership, a league with the regions, or with the provinces? Although at the same time, I wish I was joking.

What a Global Rugby Season could mean for Ireland

The news today that the IRB is seeking to introduce a global rugby season is a positive one, and one that the IRFU and Ireland should get behind, and push for further syncing of the calendars.

There have been a number of calls for this over the past few months from both northern and southern hemisphere players. While there are a lot of obstacles in the way, specifically the inability to play in the southern hemisphere during their summer, I believe that a resolution, or at the very least, a comprise can be reached.

Their solution consists of moving the summer test window to July, allowing Super Rugby to play through, and for European rugby finals to finish with time to spare for these tests.

One key advantage of the mooted change is that their would be less club v country rows, with the recent example including Northampton's fine by the PRL for allowing George North to play for Wales outside the international window, the lack of the Argentinian players who play for Premiership clubs against Italy INSIDE the window, and the fact that some of the England side will be playing in the final of the Premiership instead of the first test with New Zealand next summer.

I don't think this is enough.

One way to completely synchronise the calendars, and to eradicate any club v country rows is to completely separate the club and country playing times. Each international window would be back to back in each hemisphere, and would overlap. Then each hemisphere is free to do what they want in regards to the club season.

One reason for the Northern Hemisphere teams to do this is to allow their players come together for extended periods of time, similar to what the Southern Hemisphere teams experience now, save for a few weeks back for Super Rugby playoffs after the June internationals. This means that the standard of international rugby should increase, given that teams will be able to spend more time together.

Assuming that no competition wants to be scraped, and none want to shorten or reduce the number of teams it involves (even though this would make things so much easier), the current set up is:

Northern Hemisphere:
Pro 12 and Premiership need 25 weeks to complete, plus another 2 for breaks in between the playoffs.
Top 14 needs 29 weeks.
6 Nations needs 7 weeks including the breaks in between,
Heineken Cup needs 9 weeks.

Add in the summer and winter test windows and that's a total of 49 weeks in a 52 week year. In years with a World Cup, which takes 7 weeks, one of the international windows is closed, which means that rugby takes up 53 weeks in a 52 week year. Clearly a problem here. This is why some of the domestic competitions play during the 6 Nations and Winter internationals.

The main obstacle for an integrated calendar is that by separating internationals with club fixtures, you'd need a lot more weeks in a season. (Hence saying that it would be easier for some competitions to shorten.)

Southern Hemisphere:
Super Rugby 21 weeks as it currently stands
The Rugby Championship 8 weeks

Grand total of 30 weeks, with summer and winter tests gives 36 weeks.

My solution is this:

For bigger image, click here

The international windows would be from March to June. This would include having the northern tours in March, the 6 Nations and Rugby Championship in April and May, while the European teams travel south in June.

The Northern season would end here and start again in late July, while Super Rugby would be moved so that it starts in mid July until late November. Their season would start up again in February with the ITM Cup and Currie Cup a few weeks before the internationals. The difference in the Northern hemisphere season would be that instead of stopping in November and February/March for internationals, they would continue and the finals would be held in February.

So how would this benefit Ireland? You may have noticed in the Southern Hemisphere that I've left out the ITM and Currie Cups in the list of weeks. This is because those competitions are played during the international windows. This means that all of the Super Rugby players are involved, except for a few who play for their international teams. This both strengthens these competitions by still having quality players playing alongside exciting youngsters, but also allows fringe international players stay match fit should the need for them to be called up arises.

Why would that benefit Ireland? Simple, I propose that the UBL is played over the periods when Ireland are on international duty. This both strengthens the club game in Ireland, gives the club players and young academy players vital exposure to those on the fringes of the national side, who are also kept match fit in case of any injuries.

The Junior competitions would be moved to try and maximise their playing potential for senior teams, which means they are kept away from the ITM Cup and UBL, and from the start of the domestic seasons when the international players will still be on holiday / pre-season like they currently do.

In World Cup years, the international tours could be scraped and the international window would be reorganised, minimising disruption elsewhere.

Intensity wins Rugby matches

Peter O'Mahony displays his passion on his face, while Jamie Heaslip has that "game-face" stare

September 1st 2001; Ireland are heavy underdogs against the much fancied Dutch in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. With two games left in the group, both teams have a chance of qualifying. In the first minute, Roy Keane smashes into Marc Overmars in a dreadful tackle. The tone was set. Ireland were here to compete and scrap for every inch. Ireland went on to win 1-0 in a remarkable result that no one saw coming.

Fast forward over two years. Sunday November 24th 2013; Ireland off the back off a humiliating loss to Australia are staring down the barrel of a potential hammering against the world's number 1 team. Instead, Sean O'Brien pushes Aaron Smith for holding onto the ball too long surrounded by Irish players. The message is clear. Ireland are here to compete and scrap for every inch. Minutes later, Conor Murray scores a try that sets the tone for the emotional roller-coaster that is to follow.

It's no coincidence that these incidents started two huge performances against much fancied opposition. The intensity that Ireland showed in both games bridged the gulf in class between the teams. This intensity was visibly lacking two weeks ago when Ireland played Australia. The bookmakers couldn't separate the two sides, and Ireland were legitimately fancied to do well. Instead, they played with no aggression, no urgency in defense, and Australia wanted it far more.

This intensity and shear determination can be the difference between winning and losing, or the difference between a close match and a hammering, which goes both ways - that game last Sunday, or the hammering of England in Croke Park in 2007. It separates champion teams from the pretenders, and the men from the boys. Munster of the naughties found this intensity through so many near misses in the Heineken Cup, and Michael Cheika brought this determination to Leinster as they embarked on their European adventure.

It's nearly impossible to play with the intensity that Ireland played at last Sunday every time they play, but Schmidt needs to create an atmosphere, where Ireland can produce a high level of intensity to start performing at high level more constantly.

In defense of Alain Rolland

Open response comment to Nick Cain for his article criticising Alain Rolland.

Congratulations, your personal vendetta against Rolland is carefully concealed.

First, very kind of you to remind everyone about a game that Rolland refereed two years ago. Because he's had no other games in the meantime. Also good of you to remind everyone that he made the correct decision in sending Warburton off for a dangerous tackle. The only thing Wales have to blame for their exit is themselves.

You state: "Rolland being unable to detect which props were responsible for the collapsing that blighted the early scrum engagements," I'm going to make an assumption here, but this suggests that you think it was obvious which front rower was at fault?

Let's have a look shall we? At scrum 1, you've mentioned that "Jenkins (was) hinging and then collapsing," Which to me suggests you think Jenkins was at fault for the first scrum (which I think you are wrong, and I'll explain that later). You then fail to look at the rest of the scrums.

Scrum 1. 2 resets before a pen against SA, as you've mentioned. You fail to mention that this was against Tendai Mtwararira on the other side of the scrum, and not Malherbe. There was no TV view of that side of the scrum broadcast, so it's hard to comment.

BUT, I can comment on the Malherbe, Jenkins side, where the problems ended up. You claim that Jenkins was hinging, my viewing is that Malherbe was not driving straight. Imagine, two different interpretations to that same scrum. That must be an anomaly.

Scrum 2. End result: One reset before SA use the ball.
Here, There is no doubt in my mind that a) Jenkins didn't hinge, mostly because the scrums didn't collapse, and b) Malherbe was folding in under pressure when you look at his body position.

Because you haven't gone on with your opnions of the other scrums, but my understanding of what you've said is that you think because Jenkins was "at fault" for the first scrum, you think he must have been at fault for the next scrums? Correct me if I'm wrong. I've had to make assumptions here based on your lack of clarity.

Scrum 3. End result. Pen against Welsh front row for collapsing. i.e. Rolland has agreed with you about Jenkins hinging. I think Malherbe was already on the ground before the scrum collapsed.

How can two different people have two different interpretations of the same scrum when they've had time to review it? And yet, Rolland has had to make a split second decision without the benefit of being able to review it.

Because of half time, and the refusal of the BBC to show replays of scrums, there is only one more scrum that we can see on the Malherbe/ Jenkins side.

Scrum 6. Pen against Malherbe, Hard to tell if it was Malherbe was collapsing or Jenkins was hinging. Even on review.

And yet you find no problem in chastising Rolland for " going for the eeny-meeny-miney-mo option of giving alternate penalties."

Then you further criticise him for showing the willingness to end the collapsing scrums by warning the players, and following through with it.

The play and speed of the game improved no end when the scrums were uncontested.

Your suggestion that Rolland go into the game with pre-conceived research influencing his scrum decisions is ludicrous and against everything that is fair in sport. Not only that, but in this game, the first cap for Frans Malherbe, it was also impossible. How can you research someone who has never played at this level? These are humans, capable of off days, so how can you go into a game with preconceived ideas on who is the dominant scrum? The referee can do nothing else that adjudicate what is in front of him on the day. To suggest anything else is ignorant and stupid.

You then single out Rolland for not calling any crooked feed and early striking? Tell me, has any referee ever called an early strike in the last 10 years?

Your vendetta against Rolland is ridiculous, and your arguments are unfounded.

Ireland v Australia Preview: The Days Of Upsets Are Over

This is an alternate version to the one featured on the roar here

2013 will go down in rugby history as the year of the power swift. From the Lions winnings a series for the first time in 16 years and the disgraceful power grab attempt by the English and French clubs over the governance and financial control of European rugby.

This power shift is even evident in international rugby. The gap between nations is closing on the field. And rapidly. Tier 2 nations like Samoa, USA and Japan are making huge strides and are recording victories, or are about to, over their tier one rivals.

This gap is also true of Tier 1 nations. Aside from New Zealand, any team from 2nd or 3rd in the rankings, all the way down to Wales in 7th can beat each other and it wouldn’t be considered an upset. Each one of Wales, England, Ireland, Australia and France will feel that they are good enough to be named third best in the world, and that they are the best chance of beating South Africa and maybe upsetting New Zealand. 

Which brings us to this weekend's game; Ireland v Australia. Ireland are ranked 6th in the world, to Australia's 4th. Recent history between the teams is close, with 2 wins to each side in the last 5 games and a draw. Australia haven't beaten Ireland in Dublin since 2005, with Gordon D'Arcy, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Tatafu Polotau-Nau the only survivors with a chance of playing at the weekend. 

The most recent game, a 15-6 win to Ireland in the RWC 2011 counted as an upset, but would a victory for Ireland this weekend also be treating as an upset?

I would argue it isn't. Australia's record in Dublin isn't great, and their 2013 record is dreadful. Ewen McKenzie has brought a bit of spark back into the Wallabies with 18 tries in their last 4 games, although if you take out the two 7 try drubbings, they've only scored 13 tries in their 10 other games in 2013.

Ireland's record in 2013 isn't great either, with a dismal 6 Nations all the way back in February/ March ending Declan Kidney's reign. A lot of time has passed since then, and the leaders amongst the Irish squad were in Australia, where Sean O'Brien, Paul O'Connell, Jonny Sexton, Conor Murray, Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip all played a part in a victorious Lions test series; while Peter O'Mahony, Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Paddy Jackson, Mike Ross, Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy played parts in Ireland's tour of the US and Canada. Joe Schmidt has brought a freshness to the squad, and there as an air of calmness as they went about their business against Samoa, with no hang-ups on form, or worries about the pressures to win.

If the papers are to be believed, Ireland will target the Wallaby lineout and scrum, and the battle of the breakdown will be fierce. For years Ireland haven't had a "genuine openside" and have instead used the breakdown talents of Cian Healy, Rory Best, Paul O'Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Brian O'Driscoll. Michael Hooper will have a lot on his plate.

Australian media expects Ireland to use the "choke" tackle that served them well in 2011 to go after the Wallabies in the scrum time and again. While this will no doubt be a tactic, I suspect that they will use another alternative style of tackling to get as many offloads as possible. Ireland have been trying the chop tackle technique against Samoa; so much so that attentive listeners to the referees microphone on Saturday could hear shouts encouraging them to tackle low so the next man in could get over the ball quickly. This helped to win 12 turnovers in open play, and a few other penalties for holding on.

Australia will look to play an expansive game with everything going through Genia and Cooper. Ireland’s defence will need a massive improvement if we’re to get anything out of it. Ireland need to avoid the stray kicking from last week, and try to limit Israel Folau’s involvement in the game. He showed in the first Lions test what he can do when given limited opportunities.

The weather is set for cloudy with a good chance for rain, which sets up an intriguing test match. While Ireland wouldn't lose too much confidence with a loss, a win would signify the power shifting from the Australians. Bring on the Aussies.

The case for sticking with Jack McGrath

The overwhelming expectation is that Joe Schmidt will name his strongest side available when the team is announced on Thursday and the big guns in Cian Healy, Paul O'Connell, Sean O'Brien and Johnny Sexton will come straight back into the XV.

While O'Brien will come straight back in for the injured Henry, and neither Toner, McCarthy or Jackson pulled up trees demanding selection to prevent the totems of O'Connell and Sexton coming back; a man of the match display from Jack McGrath should have Joe Schmidt pausing before he thrusts Cian Healy straight into the no.1 jersey.

Jack McGrath is enjoying his time in the Ireland camp.
Credit: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

At 24 years of age, McGrath is showing enough promise to suggest that loosehead prop is becoming a position of quality depth. Anything that can be done to develop McGrath as best as possible would be a huge benefit to Ireland.

Take for example, this weekend. The Australians aren't renowned as strong scrummagers, but they still have that star attraction that makes it exciting for any new internationals to play against. The confidence that McGrath would get from playing against them would be massive. Add to that the faith shown in him by Schmidt to make the call to select him ahead of Healy would be a real boost to him, and in the long term, Ireland too.

And if ever there was a time to do it; against a vulnerable giant of the game who happen to be weak in his position, the week after showing that he is able for this standard with a man of the match performance.

If this was the world cup final and you needed to select your best team, go with Healy all day long. But since it isn't, you don't lose much by selecting McGrath, and the benefits, especially long term, would be massive.

November players to watch: Report Card

1. Mark Bennett

Did not play against Japan. Unlikely to feature against either South Africa or Australia as a result, but the experience of his first call up will aid his development, and his time will come sooner rather than later.

2. Santiago Cordero

Cordero came on in the 31st minute for his first international cap. It wasn't a great game, and England had taken their foot off the pedal by the time he came on. He looked tidy, and didn't make any defensive errors. This little run was the highlight of his game, and a glimpse of what's to come.

3. Camille Lopez

Was an unused sub against New Zealand, will look to get gametime in their games against Tonga or South Africa.

4. Jack McGrath

While the man of the match award was a little generous, take nothing away from McGrath. A performance which announced to anyone watching that he has a future at this level, McGrath was a big part of a dominant scrum, while also featuring heavily at the breakdown and contributing 12 tackles in his hour on the pitch. At any other time in the last 15 years, McGrath would be a shoo in regular international, which just emphasises the freak nature of Cian Healy's ability. Schmidt will use the competition between the pair to get the best out of them and I expect them to dovetail nicely.

5. Charles Piutau

New Zealand's find of November already. Piutau is making a strong case to be included in BNZ's strongest lineup. He is likely to be rested for the trip to Twickenham as Hansen tries to avoid playing rookies three games in a row, but Piutau has a big future ahead of him. His pace and intelligent offload were the difference in Paris. His best position is fullback, and there are calls for him to move into the outside centre position for the Blues, but for now, let's just watch him being given license to devastate anyone who stands in his way.

6. Marland Yarde

Yarde produced a good display against Australia, with an impressive run up the sideline setting up Chris Robshaw's try that swung the balance of the game. An unfortunate hip injury saved Lancaster a tough choice by allowing Ashton to be retained, and Yarde could find it hard to get back into the team on his return.

Schmidt happens

We are constantly reminded that Joe Schmidt demands accuracy from his teams. Which is why it's refreshing to hear Schmidt's post match interview deliver a 100% accurate appraisal of the game he had just witnessed.

This new dawn of Irish rugby will demand accuracy from our players, but I think we should take this opportunity to improve the accuracy of the expectation placed on our teams. Too many times in the past a 31 point victory, regardless of opposition, sparks wild ideas and fanciful expectations in the eyes of the supporters.

If we have 100% faith in Joe Schmidt, we need to listen when he tells us that yes we were good, but we need to be a whole lot better if we want to win next week. 

There were many positives from that game, not least the margin of victory against a previously higher ranked side, but there are also many things that better sides, (or sides we want to be beating regularly), would expose.

Breakdown

The Breakdown was one of the few positives in the first half, with Peter O'Mahony especially leading the way, and Jack McGrath enjoying a fine debut. Rory Best continued his good work after the break, and while ESPN haven't attributed any turnovers to him, I have him down as the main cause of at least three. Ireland started to get isolated in the second half, in what was one of the few poor points in the second half.

Backline Play

Overall, the backline play was more threatening than Ireland in recent years, but it wasn't without its faults. Too often, the ball was shoveled wide and aimlessly grubbered up the line surrendering possession cheaply. This is something that Leinster used to do under Schmidt, and O'Driscoll seems guilty of it again. I don't understand the appeal of it, as it gives the opposition the ball is good field position with no chance of recovering the ball.

Paddy Jackson is standing at least 15 - 20m back from the scrum.

Jackson stood very far back in this game, and despite this, Ireland looked good with ball in hand, on the few occasions that they didn't kick it away.

Heads Up Rugby

Brian O'Driscoll fails to spot the space outside him, and pops inside for McFadden.

Joe Schmidt encourages intelligent "heads up" rugby. He wants his players to play what is in front of them and take advantage. There were a few occasions were this occurred, and a few occasions where better options were ignored. The scrumhalves changed the direction of attack intelligent, with Murray in the first half switching to the side where Ireland had an overlap, and Reddan switching so Ireland could exploit the space for McFadden's try. There was also an example of D'Arcy cutting back inside with extra men outside him, and O'Driscoll popping it back inside, when there was a lot of space for the men outside him to run into.

Defensive line

O'Driscoll and D'Arcy leave a huge gap between them. More analysis here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.546734405413087.1073741830.407631259323403&type=3

By and large it was good for Ireland, they didn't commit too many numbers to defensive breakdowns, unless they sensed an opportunity for the turnover, and when they committed numbers, they usually came away with the ball. Their linespeed was good, but their tackling wasn't up to scratch, with 18 missed tackles overall. That's just not good enough for international standard. Samoa were also able to make use of overlaps to gain big yards, and the normally reliable centre partnership of D'Arcy and O'Driscoll were caught out twice, first when O'Driscoll shot up to no success, and second when he failed to come inside before Leiua sprinted through the gap created between the old partnership.

Mike Ross

This was the first glimpse that Mike Ross was back to his old self. The scrum went really well, and a large part of that is, as always, down to the tighthead. He finally seems to have adjusted well to the new scrum sequence, and lead the drive on a number of strong scrums.

Forwards

Speaking of scrums, the scrum was fantastic at the weekend, and there was a real sense of a collective effort as Ireland timed their second shove extremely well time after time. John Plumtree has brought the pack on in the short time he has had with them, and this was most evident in the brilliant maul in the first half that set up Peter O'Mahony's opening try.

Old heads

The biggest cheer of the afternoon was when Paul O'Connell came on. The big man didn't disappoint as he stole two lineouts, and hinted that he's getting back to his gargantuan form. O'Driscoll had a mixed bag, with a few bad reads in defense, but he looked more threatening then I've seen him in attack, and the wonderful skill in the build up to O'Brien's try shows that his speed of thought is still there. D'Arcy was able to rescue an overlap for McFadden, and had a turnover at the breakdown, but had a few too many errors with ball in hand and in defense, with 3 missed tackles.

Bench Impact

The bench had a big impact as was expected. Eoin Reddan in particular upped the pace of the game, and highlighted how Conor Murray didn't have a fantastic game. O'Connell stole two lineouts as mentioned, and O'Brien scored a try and created turnovers. Just as Reddan noticeably speed things up, there was an increase in attacking threat when Ian Madigan came on. That's not to take away from Paddy Jackson, who was very tidy, alert in his play, and a return of 6 from 8 was very good.

The only bench players who didn't show up as well were the front row, where the scrum seemed to return to a balance as opposed to the dominance Ireland showed with Jack McGrath and Mike Ross on the pitch.

New blood

This game showed that Ireland have a number of new players that are capable of stepping up, with the likes of Jackson, McGrath, Toner and Dave Kearney now no longer filling Irish fans with fear with the regulars cry ill. There is a lot of depth developing which will help Ireland, and Schmidt will use this.

New leaders

This game was not just a new dawn for Irish rugby under Joe Schmidt, but also the first time we saw Peter O'Mahony bring the leadership he shows in a Munster jersey onto the national stage. He looks very comfortable at this level, and lead the way at the breakdown with two fantastic turnovers in the first half, carried well, and was seen berating his teammates for not giving him sufficient support after his lovely break. If he continues like this, it would be hard to look past him as captain once O'Connell hangs up his boots.

Restarts

Restarts were a mixed bag, as we seemed to be all at sea when receiving kick-offs, and ready to recover any kick-offs we made. A quick restart from Jackson after Pisi brought it back to 11-6 showed Ireland were always looking to play what was in front of them. Restarts will be very important against Australia, as New Zealand showed how they can be exposed both in receiving and taking the kick-offs. That being said, Australia finally looked to have fixed their recent problem from receiving restarts, with Joe Tomane's try direct from an Italian restart.

Going Forward

A few points of concern from the Kidney era are already gone, with Ireland able to finish strongly, and use their bench effectively. A problem with Kidney's reign was that big performances were all too often in isolation, and generally only once a series.

There was plenty of positives in this game, and many things to work on as Schmidt has already mentioned, and the big difference everyone wants to see is the consistency of performance.

In my eyes, Schmidt has already had a good November series, but with two tough games ahead, expectations should remain in check, and two losses shouldn't dampen things too much either.

Quietly confident about some good times ahead.

Samoans to watch out for

The Samoans have named their team to face Ireland this Saturday, and here's what you need to know about the threats they face. The suggestion that this is an understrength Samoan team is a bit much. It's the strongest Samoan team that Ireland have ever faced.

Samoa (v Ireland):

15. F Autagavaia;

14. A Leiua,

13. G Pisi,

12. J Leota,

11. B Vaalu;

10. T Pisi,

9. K Fotuali’i (capt);

1. S Taulafo,

2. W Ole Avei,

3. L Mulipola;

4. F Lemalu,

5. T Paulo;

6. O Treviranus,

7. J Lam,

8. T Tuifua.

Replacements:

16. T Paulo,

17. V Afatia,

18. J Johnston,

19. I Tekori,

20. A Faosiliva,

21. J Sua,

22. I Tuifua,

23. F Otto.

Kahn Fotuali'i

Fotuali'i is the player most Irish fans recognise from his time at the Ospreys. Having developed in the ITM Cup like most Samoan players, Fotuali'i was the Crusaders starting scrumhalf for the 2010 season, causing many to believe he was about to receive a call up to the New Zealand side. However, at the end of the season, he chose to represent Samoa, and he left New Zealand to move to Swansea. He has since established himself as one of the best scrumhalves in the world, with last November's win against Wales one of the highlights of his career.

His recent move to Northampton hasn't been as successful, and he's been second choice behind Lee Dickson so far, which means he might be a little rusty come Saturday.

Nevertheless, his battle with Conor Murray will be one that Murray needs to win in order for Ireland to establish their dominance.

Alpati Leiua

One of three sets of brothers in the Samoan squad, Leiua made his Samoan debut this June. The 25 year old is a strong fast winger, that will cause Fergus McFadden all sorts of problems. 2013 has been a great year for him so far, as he took advantage of the injury to Cory Jane to cement his place on the wing for the Hurricanes, before strong performances for Wellington saw them reach of the final of the ITM Cup.

Johnny Leota

Sometimes, watching a video gives you everything you need to know about a player, and youtube user Nic Lush, has several videos on the aspects of Johnny Leota's game. The playlist of seven videos is below, showcasing his breakdown ability, his passing and offloads, his ability to break the line, his tries, his huge tackling and his kicking ability.

Tusi Pisi & George Pisi

The Pisi brothers are missing their brother Ken, who plays for Northampton with George, but both start on Saturday. The selection of George at outside centre offsets the loss of Gavin Williams, and potentially makes Samoa stronger for it. The match up between himself and Brian O'Driscoll will be a pre-cursor to the back to back Heineken Cup games between Northampton and Leinster in December. George has been fantastic for Northampton and was even named in the team of the season last year.

His brother Tusi is a typical Polynesian magician at outhalf. He has an impressive CV, with Crusaders, Hurricanes, Toulon and Suntory in Japan among the clubs he's played for, while he was in the Pacific Islands team that played in the old Lansdowne Road in 2006.

To give you a hint of the magic up Pisi's sleeve, this article from 2004 describes it well.

We play modified touch and when he's up against Rico Gear, Hosea Gear, Anthony Tuitavake, Nick Evans he's the slickest mover of them all.

Sakaria Taulafo

Admitedly, I don't know much about the Stade Francais loosehead, and I was expected Mulipola at loosehead and James Johnston at tighthead, but when the authority on French rugby, Murray Kinsella says he's good, that's enough for me.

@shaneoleary1 had to start. Filo Paulo has been a rock for them, so Tekori to be used in 2nd half. Taulafo also a key man for them (2/2).

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 7, 2013

Logovi'i Mulipola

Tigers prop has made huge strides in the last year since he signed for Richard Cockerill's men.
Cockerill said at the time of signing him:

"He has raw talent and arrived a couple of stone heavier than he is now.
"He can play at tight head and loose head, and props who can play on both sides of the scrum, can carry the ball well and are big men, are very hard to find.
"He is very raw but he will get better with us. He weighs almost 130kgs (20 stones) and that is his streamlined weight.
"He is a couple of stones heavier than Dan Cole and Castro."

Read more: http://legacy.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Samoan-prop-Logovi-Mulipola-lands-deal-Leicester/story-14389178-detail/story.html#ixzz2k0f1Hvm1

Last May an injury to Argentina's Marcus Ayerza gave Mulipola the chance, when Cockerill chose to pick Mulipola over Castrogiovanni, albeit on his less-favoured loosehead side, which he has taken and has kept Ayerza out since. This Saturday he'll switch to his favoured tighthead side, and will be a massive challenge for Jack McGrath on his debut.

Ofisa Treviranus

Alpati Leiua's brother, has previously played for Connacht and now plays for London Irish, is Treviranus of the few survivors from the side that narrowly lost 20-10 to Ireland in 2010.

Jack Lam

Lam may have only made his Samoan debut this June, but make no mistake, his Super Rugby experience means he's no newcomer to big games. A cousin of Connacht's Pat Lam, Jack is most likely to be the biggest thorn in Ireland's side. Chris Henry will have his hand full at the breakdown, and Lam is likely to disrupt Ireland any chance he can, while smashing players in the tackle, and driving Samoa forward. The 25 year old hasn't had the best of seasons with injury, but he will be a spearhead for Samoa for years to come.

Players to watch this November: Irish Provinces

Despite the excitement of the upcoming internationals, there are still some Rabo Pro 12 games this month. Here are some players that are worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.

1. Dave McSharry

I know technically because Connacht only have one player in the Irish squad not much has changed, except now, they are entitled to feel like they can pick up points. Plus, Dave McSharry is back after a long time out with injury that ruined his chances of making the summer tour. Hopefully back with a vengenance, Connacht have missed McSharry's hard running from the inside centre, and need the go forward momentum that he generates.

2. Darragh Leader

If you haven't seen it already then watch Leader's massive 60m kick to win the game for the Connacht second string. Leader has progressed very well from the Under 20s last summer, and the young three-quarters gets an opportunity at outside centre now that Robbie Henshaw has been summoned by Joe Schmidt. A big test for him, if it goes well then Henshaw might not get his jersey when November ends.

3. Dave Kilcoyne

The first player in here that needs a big November to prove to Joe Schmidt and newly found doubters that last season wasn't a fluke. Kilcoyne has struggled this year, whether due to the new scrum laws or a case of second season syndrome, but maybe having the chance to perform without the intense spotlight during November will help him get back to basics.

4. Ian Nagle

Ian Nagle is in need of a big November more than most. Long pronounced as another Munster warrior that would take up the helm from Paul O'Connell, it's been 5 years since and Nagle has found it difficult to break the first team. His contract is up at the end of the year, and he needs to force his way into the reckoning to get a chance to prove he hasn't wasted his talent.

5. Ronan O'Mahony

There are a few good young backs for Munster coming through, and with injuries and Keith Earls's call up, O'Mahony has a chance to earn some brownie points and try to cement his place in the 23 before van den Heever arrives. A quality finisher who gets lots of tries, Munster need his scoring ability.

6. Luke McGrath

Luke McGrath setting up a try on his debut v Ospreys. Photo: sportsnewsireland

Admitedly, one of my "favourites". With both Eoin Reddan and Isaac Boss away on Irish duty, and both of them coming to the end of their careers, here is a big opportunity for McGrath to showcase his talent in an attempt to finish this season with some valuable experience. McGrath will be looking to add to his impressive preseason but he'll have stiff competition from John Cooney, but McGrath is one of the players that I'm most excited to see this November.

7. Jack O'Connell

Leinster have started to produce a number of quality looseheads in recent years, and if rumours are to be believed, Jack O'Connell is set to follow in Cian Healy and Jack McGrath's footsteps sooner rather than later. Ironically it's the call up of Healy and McGrath that gives O'Connell his chance, and he'll be looking to make the most of it starting tonight from the bench against the Dragons.

8. James McKinney

A potential challenger to Paddy Jackson's monopoly of the Ulster 10 jersey, I think McKinney has what it takes. Recently returned from a stint in the championship, McKinney's game management is excellent, and his goalkicking is very impressive. After some impressive performances this November, Jackson will be looking over his shoulder nervously.

9. Chris Farrell

As mentioned in a previous article, Chris Farrell is one of the most highly thought of, of the current emerging young backs in Ulster. With Luke Marshall in Irish camp, Farrell should get some great experience and go on to challenge Marshall and Olding for a centre spot in the near future.

Players to watch this November: Internationals

With South Africa announcing their squad for the November internationals, it means all of the top 13 nations have shown their hand. Most, like South Africa, have gone with experience in the hope of continuing on their winning streak, while others, like Italy, have brought an infusion of youth into their squads.

1. Mark Bennett (Scotland)

I may have mentioned Mark Bennett before. A few times perhaps. There is a reason for this. Having Clermont Auvergne on your CV is no mean feat, and he is Scotland's most exciting talent in a period where there are a few youngsters coming through. Bennett is likely to partner Matt Scott in Scotland's new look young backline this November. Jonny Gray and Chris Fusaro are two forwards that have big potentials, but with Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray and Ali Kellock ahead of Gray, and Denton, Barclay, Harley, Beattie and Brown ahead of Fusaro, Bennett is the player most likely to begin to show the watching world his talent.

2. Santiago Cordero (Argentina)

20 year old Pablo Matera made his Argentinian debut in this year's Rugby Championship and was one of the team's shining lights and looks set to take Europe by storm. This November it could be the turn of another Argentine magician. Santiago Cordero has been one of the highlights of the JWC for the past two years. An eye for space, and dazzling footwork, Cordero looks set to torment Italy

3. Camille Lopez (France)

France haven't had a world class outhalf since Christophe Lamaison. This hasn't necessarily been a problem, given France's history of using scrumhalves to dictate a game, and their bizarre non-selection of Francois Trinh-Duc, yet Camille Lopez seems to have been developing nicely in Perpignan and looks sets to be the French outhalf for the next few years. At 24 years old, he is 5 years younger than the only other outhalf in the squad Remi Tailles, who is himself also rather inexperienced.

4. Jack McGrath (Ireland)

Jack McGrath on the rampage. Photograph: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile/Corbis

Is it surprising that the only forward on this list has no highlight video on youtube? But you can bet it's only a matter of time before this rampaging forward gets his own tribute video of some big hits, strong carries, great finishes and demolishing scrums. With Dave Kilcoyne not in the Irish squad, McGrath has turned into the favourite to be backup to Cian Healy at loosehead, and with Joe Schmidt this means that McGrath will be getting at least 20 minutes against some top scrummaging foes in Samoa (Census and James Johnston) or New Zealand. That he wasn't released back to Leinster this weekend is a good sign that McGrath will make his debut this November.

5. Charles Piutau (New Zealand)

New Zealand are very particular in developing their players for international selection, with most getting their first significant bit of game time on their northern tours. Charles Piutau has honed his skills for the New Zealand Sevens, and subsequently shone for the Blues from full-back. Like so many before him, he is a special player that the crowd audibly gets excited whenever he gets the ball. His pace and skill were a big reason why the Blues had such a good year last season.

Since then, a man named Israel Dagg has stood in his way in the national side, with Piutau making substitute appearances, usually on the wing. This is very similiar to how Israel Dagg was introduced to the national set-up with Mils Muliania in the way. Piutau starts on the wing this weekend, and this won't be his last start of November. I'm expecting him to shine both from full back, and from the wing.

6. Marland Yarde (England)

Every week another English superstar reveals itself. According to the English media and Sky anyway. What makes Marland Yarde so different? Well, Heir apparents as announced by those inflicted with Sky-itis don't always make their national side. Usually the English selectors have better sense and allow them to flop in the Premiership first. But this apparent superstars definitely don't make the English side this quickly. Especially when former "heir apparents" like Charlie Sharples and Christian Wade are still waiting for their turn. 

What is clear, is that Yarde is a big strong powerful runner, who is extremely difficult to put down, and he uses his pumping legs to consistently get over the gain line. He's also got a bit of pace, but seems to have defensive deficiencies which even the crowd at Sky are worried about. Maybe this heralded "next England hope" will have a chance to shine.

ITM Cup For Beginners: Finals Review

This weekend will bring a close to a wonderful season of domestic rugby in New Zealand. All sides in this competition produced some fabulous running rugby with a high standard of skill from all players. And now all that's left to be decided is who will be promoted to the Premiership, and who will claim the Premiership crown

Championship Final:

Tasman Makos 26 v 25 Hawke's Bay, Friday 25th October 7.35am

Tasman:

1.Tim Perry, 2.Quentin MacDonald, 3. Sila Puafisi, 4.Alex Ainley, 5.Joe Wheeler, 6.Gary Redmond, 7.Shane Christie (captain), 8.Liam Squire, 9.Billy Guyton, 10.Marty Banks, 11.Mitchell Scott, 12.Tom Marshall, 13.Kieron Fonotia, 14.Bryce Heem, 15.James Lowe.
Reserves: 16.Francis Smith, 17.Siua Halanukonuka, 18.Tevita Cavubati, 19.Vernon Fredericks, 20.Mark Swanepoel, 21.Andy Symons, 22.Robbie Malneek.

Hawke's Bay:

1.Max Lahiff, 2.Ash Dixon, 3.Brendon Edmonds, 4.Michael Allardice, 5.Mark Abbott, 6.Mike Coman (c), 7.Brednon O'Connor, 8.Karl Lowe, 9.Alby Mathewson, 10.Ihaia West, 11.Penikolo Latu, 12.Andrew Horrell, 13.Richard Buckman, 14.Telusa Veainu, 15.Zac Guildford.

Reserves: 16.Ged Robinson, 17.Adrian Barone, 18.Trent Bosswell-Wakefield, 19.Tony Lamborn, 20.Chris Eaton, 21.Adam Bradey, 22.Michael Vuicakau.

Review

Tasman celebrate. Credit: Alden Williams

What a game. Everything anyone would want from a final. The skills levels were exceptional, and physicality was moan inducing and this was a very tight contest that went down to the wire.

Hawke's Bay started the brighter, forced a fantastic turnover, before Ihaia West put Zac Guildford over for a 3rd minute try. Tasman were stunned, and somehow pulled a try back to level matters, but Hawke's Bay were in control. A further penalty from West put them back ahead.

From there, Tasman started making inroads, with James Lowe coming to the fore. Two penalties from Banks put them 13-10 ahead with 10 minutes left before half time. James Lowe then sparked some magic, first with an initial break from his own half after a wonderful Shane Christie offload, and then after a quick throw from Quentin McDonald, Lowe was able to draw the last man and send Liam Squire over for his 7th try of the year.

Back came Hawke's Bay, and a period of concerted pressure on the Tasman line ended with referee Glen Jackson giving the magpies an attacking penalty on the Tasman 5m line. The exciting Ihaia West who was enjoying a fine game saw a massive numerical advantage and took the quick tap. The entire Tasman defense were caught unawares except Marty Banks, who intercepted on his own 5m line and ran in the try from 95 metres. Tasman lead at the break 23-10.

Hawke's Bay were determined to get back, and were camped in the Tasman half for the first 10 minutes of the second half without any joy. Ihaia West had missed 3 kicks at goal, and Hawke's Bay were now turning down kicking opportunities to go for a try that would put them back in the game. Eventually openside flanker Brendon O'Connor barged over to make a game of it at 23-17, before a Marty Banks put the scores out to 26-17 with a long range penalty.

Ihaia West finally nailed a kick with 5 minutes left, leading to a frantic final minutes. The game was end to end, with Hawke's Bay going close a few times before being penalised in Tasman's 22. Eventually, Brendon O'Connor turned over a ball in his own 22, setting Hawke's Bay up for one last attempt. A break from Trent Bosswell-Wakefield and some brilliant support work from Brendon O'Connor put sub scrumhalf Chris Eaton over in the corner.

Ihaia West, the 21 year old who has already missed 3 kicks, had a very difficult touchline conversion to win it with the last play of the game, but was unable to , giving Tasman a win that they deserved given their performances overall.

Preview

Tasman have been the undoubted best team in the Premiership, and Hawke's Bay have been the best of the rest, so it's no doubting that both these teams deserve to be here.

Tasman have named a strong team, with Super Rugby experience complimenting exciting prospects throughout the team. Tim Perry and Quentin MacDonald bring Super Rugby experience with the Blues to Sila Puafisi's 5 Tongan caps. Joe Wheeler and Alex Ainley are honest workhorses in the second row, while Liam Squire is Tasman's top try scorer from No.8, and his form, along with Shane Christie's has earned them their first Super Rugby contracts, 22 year old Squire with the Cheifs, and 28 year old Christie with the Highlanders. Liam Squire is the beautiful combination of beastly power with lethal pace, and a deceptive step, as shown by his try against Southland in the semi final. 

Marty Banks has had a remarkable rise so far. Photo: Photosport

Marty Banks has been the talk of the Tasman team, being a reliable goalkicker, and his form has also earned him his first Super Rugby contract with the Hurricanes. 24 year old Banks has had a roundabout way to get to this stage, going to play rugby in Russia, before impressing with Buller in the Heartland Championship and earning a spot in Tasman's extended squad for this year's ITM Cup. Banks has taken every opportunity with both hands to get here, and is a message to every potential youngster out there to keep working.

Tom Marshall continued his outstanding form with the Crusaders to guide Banks, while James Lowe has in been the star of the team in my opinion. Lowe's pace and vision has created countless opportunities, while Tasman undoubtedly play their offloading game with much higher pace and accuracy whenever Tom Marshall is on the field. If they are in the mood, Hawke's Bay will not be able to keep up.

The Magpies also have considerable Super experience, with Max Lahiff of the Rebels and Ash Dixon of the Hurricanes in the front row, and Brendon O'Connor and Karl Lowe in the back row providing much of their leadership. If things start to go Hawke's Bay's way. The talents of Alby Mathewson, Andrew Horrell Telusa Veainu and Zac Guildford will be itching to punish Tasman at any cost.

Ihaia West has been outstanding this year and will have many offers to play Super Rugby next year.
Photo: Graham Palmer

Ihaia West is one of Hawke's Bays best prospects, and arguably their player of the year this year. Recently called up to the Maori side, this gingerhaired wizard has created quite a buzz back in New Zealand with a dummy, a left-foot step, a startling burst of speed and a crowd pleasing dive, West set himself apart as a player capable of rare brilliance on the big stage. West's individual matchwinning try was a joy to behold in the semi final. New Zealanders are now asking "Who is this red-headed Maori kid? How good is he? And will he playing Super Rugby next year?" If you haven't heard of him yet, you will soon. 

His similarities with Quade Cooper don't just end with his dancing feet an speed, but like Cooper, his defense isn't good enough for coaches to have him defending on the front line, and he often finds himself defending from the fullback position where he can do damage on the counter attack.

The previous match between these two this season was a narrow victory for Tasman, 18-9. I think Tasman will be too strong again, but it'll be a much higher scoring game. Tasman by 10.

Premiership Final:

Wellington Lions 13 v  29 Canterbury, Saturday 26th October 7.35am

Wellington:

15. Charlie Ngatai, 14. Matt Proctor, 13. Tim Bateman, 12. Shaun Treeby, 11. Alapati Leiua, 10. Lima Sopoaga, 9. Frae Wilson, 8. Victor Vito (capt), 7. Ardie Savea, 6. Brad Shields, 5. Api Naikatini, 4. Mark Reddish, 3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2. Motu Matu'u, 1. John Schwalger.

Reserves: 16. Reggie Goodes, 17. Eric Sione, 18. Kaipati Gaualofa, 19. Faifili Levave, 20.Adam Hill, 21. Tomasi Palu, 22.Joe Hill

Canterbury:

1. Joe Moody, 2. Ben Funnell, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Joel Everson, 5. Luke Katene, 6. Luke Whitelock, 7. George Whitelock (c), 8. Nasi Manu, 9. Andy Ellis, 10. Tyler Bleyendaal, 11. Johnny McNicholl, 12. Ryan Crotty, 13. Adam Whitelock, 14. Patrick Osborne, 15. Tom Taylor.
Reserves: 16. Marcel Cummings-Toone, 17. Paea Fa'anunu, 18. Dominic Bird, 19. Jordan Taufua, 20. Willi Heinz, 21. Rob Thompson, 22. Colin Slade.

Review

A game that had so much billing and lots of potential was nearly ruined by the conditions. The wind meant that there wasn't as many offloads as one would have hoped as teams decided to play territorially, but there was still an impressive amount of ball handling skills and a limited number of mistakes. Hookers did extremely well not to have as many crooked throws as there could have been, and passes that left the hands going backwards often ended up a few metres in front.

Nevertheless, there was a hell of a game played, and Canterbury got off to a great start after Patrick Osborne punished a poor kick from Frae Wilson from a scrum to gift a try to Andy Ellis. Canterbury were unable to regather the resulting kickoff, and Lima Sopoaga got Wellington off the mark with a wonderfully struck penalty in the conditions.

Wellington started to get on top, and were pushing the line for minutes before Lima Sopoaga spotted a gap to put his side in front 10-7 at the break.

George Whitelock lifts Canterbury's 6th title in 6 years.
Source: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images AsiaPac

That was as good as it got for Wellington, who have lost 6 finals since their last win in 2000. Canterbury dominated the second half, playing a smart territory game, and controlling possession. George Whitelock had a fantastic game and kept Ardie Savea unusually quiet. Canterbury had two tries disallowed before Ryan Crotty went over in the corner after the entire Wellington team were attracted to a ruck on the opposite side of the pitch. Sopoaga was able to keep Wellington within 7 points with a penalty, but a fortutiously awared try in the last few minutes from George Whitelock ended the game as a contest with Canterbury winning their 6th in a row.

Preview

Canterbury have a huge test ahead of them if they want to win the Premiership title for the 6th time in a row on Saturday. Wellington have been by far the best team in the competition and don't look like they will be stopped. Wellington will feel they have a point to prove after only having 6 players in Steve Hansens touring squad, while Canterbury have double that number with 12 representatives.

Shaun Treeby has been outstanding in midfield for Wellington this year, and the pace and power of Leiua and Proctor will case Osborne and McNicholl all sorts of problems.

Motu Matu'u is a hard hitting hooker, and Toomaga-Allen will look to dominate the scrum against new All Black Joe Moody.

Ardie Savea is a star in the making and will look to prove that in the final.
Photo: CHRIS SKELTON/Fairfax NZ

New All Black squad member, Luke Whitelock will have a deadly backrow to contend with, all of whom will feel they should have been picked ahead of the 22 year old. The battle of the back rows will be key for this game, and George Whitelock will have to contend with Ardie Savea, who has the pace of a winger, power of a number 8 and the hands of a centre, but is deadly at the breakdown.

Tom Taylor and Ryan Crotty will give Canterbury some direction, while Andy Ellis will control the game from the base. Ellis has been in fine form, and is unfortunate that he is a couple of years older than the current New Zealand scrum halves, none of which have the control of a game that Ellis displays.

Tyler Bleyendaal is showing Canterbury and Crusader fans that their might be life after Dan Carter. Photo: radiosport

The player I've been most impressive with this season is outhalf Tyler Bleyendaal. He has the game management of a Ronan O'Gara, and the eye of a gap like Ian Madigan. This 22 year old is sure to get some opportunities for the Crusaders next year with Dan Carter's sabbatical and Colin Slade's injury history. Another outstanding talent to watch.

Canterbury may be coming into form at the business end of the season like usual, and while experience usually counts, I can't see anyone stopping the Wellington train that's been rolling over teams so far. One thing is for sure. This is one game of the weekend not to miss.

Currie Cup For Beginners: Final Preview

It's been eleven long weeks, and just as the Rugby Championship finishes, the showpiece of South African rugby is on this weekend. In a repeat of last year's final, Western Province will be defending their crown against the Natal Sharks. A host of returning Springboks should mean that this game has the potential to capture the imagination in the way that New Zealand and South Africa did in that memorable test match in Ellis Park three weeks ago.

Unlike last year, Western Province come into this game as heavy favourites, and will be hoping not to choke with that tag like the Sharks did. The tag of favourites is certainly justified having gone the season unbeaten, with the only blots being two draws against the Golden Lions and the Blue Bulls.

The two games between these sides were one score affairs, with late scores for the Sharks putting a shine to their performance in a dismal 25-19 loss to WP in Round 5 in Newlands, while it was a much tighter affair in the return game in Round 10, with Demetri Catrikilis late penalty giving Province a slight bit of breathing space in the final minutes. Round 10 marked the initial return of the international players, and the Sharks can improve again as further international stars like Patrick Lambie didn't feature as heavily.

Munster eyes will be on Gerhard van den Heever, playing his last game before moving. Photo RugbyRedefined

Irish eyes will be on Gerhard van den Heever, who will be playing his final game in South Africa before joining up with the Munster squad. He's had a good Currie Cup campaign, as demonstrated by his start in the final, but a return of only one try in the competition won't be setting pulses racing in the same manner as his youtube highlights.

Van den Heever is part of an exciting backline featuring the in form Gio Aplon, chasing a return to Springbok colours, and the talented Cheslin Kolbe, who was the star of the South African Under 20 side this year. Kolbe is one name to keep an eye on, as he will be featuring in debates on World XVs in a number of years time.

In the centres, Jean de Villiers moves out to outside centre to accomodate 21 year old Damian de Allende, who is enjoying his breakout season, and looks set to offer more in coming seasons in Super Rugby and beyond. His form is good enough to keep Juan de Jongh on the bench. Demetri Catrakilis is building on an impressive Super Rugby debut season for the Kings, and has managed to continue his form with Western Province, and will be partnering 23 year old halfback Louis Schreuder.

The pack has plenty of youthful experience, with Pat Cilliers and Steven Kitchoff both young props with South African caps, joined by 22 year old hooker Scarra Ntubeni, while returning Springbok Eben Etzebeth joins DeKock Steenkamp in a formidable second row partnership that will look to dominate the lineout and get through a mountain of dirty work. It will be left to Duane Vermuleun, in the form of his life, and Siya Kolisi to provide the ball carrying, while Deon Fourie will continue his fast growing reputation as one of South Africa's best poachers.

Strength in reinforcements will be provided by  Frans Malherbe, Brok Harris, Michael Rhodes, Schalk Burger, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman and Juan de Jongh in what looks a strong, experienced and surprising youthful Western Province team. Schalk Burger is slowly making his comeback after injury hell for the former IRB Player of the Year in the last two years.

They might need it, as the Sharks have named close to their strongest possible team. Jean Deysel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, so Willem Alberts replaces him. Not a bad replacement in the current South African blindside to bring in?

It'll be an all Springbok front row with Tendai Mtawarira, and the du Plessis brothers after Bismarck was somehow cleared of any suspension for stamping





22 year old Piet Marais and the impressive Pieter-Steph du Toit will be packing down in the second row, with Alberts, Daniels and Marcell Coetzee making up an impressive back row.

Patrick Lambie finally gets a start after being on the bench for so long for South Africa, and his fitness will be interesting to watch, he'll be partnered by the experience Charl McLeod while the youngster Cobus Reinach, who impressed many in Super Rugby is on the bench. Frans Steyn makes a return in the inside centre position, and will be partnered by Louis Ludik, while the Sharks back three has a mixture of pace and power with Odwa Ndungane, Lwazi Mvovo and SP Marias, the 24 year old from the Kings.

This game is clear to be a forward orientated battle, and will be an absorbing contest with two enormous packs battling it out. Sharks probably have edge in the scrum, but Eben Etzebeth is likely to rule the skies with his quick leap. The battle of the backrows will be fascinating with a mini Springbok audition between Marcel Coetzee and Siya Kolisi, in particular set to excite. A big performance from Catrakilis might interest Springbok selectors too, while out wide it'll be the skill and speed of Kolbe and Aplon against the raw power and pace of Mvovo and Ndungane. Sure to be an enthralling contest.

Western Province by 5.