England will conquer the All Blacks in 2018 - Andy Goode
As the new year gets underway it’s a time to look ahead to what the next 12 months might bring, as well as reflect on the past year, and I’m looking forward to just a second England win over New Zealand in the last 15 years.
They might have lost 14 of their last 15 Tests against the All Blacks but England have closed the gap on the number one team in the world enormously of late and are ready to beat them again at Twickenham in November and potentially return to top spot in the world rankings for the first time since 2004 as well.
New Zealand are still the best team in the world at the moment but home advantage is crucial and England will have another 10 months of development and progress under their belt by then, so I think they’ll win by 10 points when the two sides meet on November 10.
Scotland will be a massive test away from home in February but I expect England’s experience and quality to tell at Murrayfield, I can’t see them having any problems away to Italy and France in the Six Nations and it’d be a shock if they didn’t win their home games.
So, I fully expect England to win a third straight Six Nations title and a second Grand Slam in three years.
Domestically, Wasps are improving and Saracens will be there at the business end of the season, despite their recent struggles, but it’s impossible to look past Exeter when it comes to picking the Premiership winner this season.
The Chiefs only won promotion from the Championship seven years ago and were playing in Courage League Division 4 as recently as 20 years ago but lost just two of 24 Premiership games in 2017 and I’m backing them to win back-to-back titles and add another chapter to their incredible story.
Rob Baxter’s men are still just about in the hunt in the Champions Cup but the team to beat in Europe this season are Leinster after beating them in back-to-back games last month.
The Dubliners have been in exceptional form in the PRO14 this season as well and I expect to see them in European rugby’s showpiece occasion in Bilbao in May fighting it out to win a fourth crown and a first since 2012.
Clermont are languishing in 10th place in the Top 14 at present but we saw at Allianz Park last month just how dangerous they can be and I think we could be set for a Leinster v Clermont final full of free-flowing attacking rugby in just over four months’ time.
The past year has seen a few stars emerge and rise to the top of the game, with Rieko Ioane at the top of that list after scoring 11 tries in 11 Test starts for the All Blacks in 2017.
It’ll be tough for anyone to match that for a breakthrough year in 2018 but I’m excited to see the development of Sam Simmonds. He is the standout young English player for me at the moment. He can play at six, seven or eight and I’d love to see him given a run of games in the Six Nations.
Jordan Larmour announced himself to the world with a late contender for the try of 2017 for Leinster against Munster on Boxing Day and the 20-year-old could well be one of the breakthrough players of this year after making a good start to his domestic career with four tries in his first nine PRO14 games.
With Rob Kearney getting a bit long in the tooth and Simon Zebo off to France, there are some spots up for grabs in that Ireland back three and he looks a really exciting prospect who might just be ready to seize the opportunity with both hands.
Steff Evans did play five times for Wales in 2017 but I expect him to explode onto the international scene this year. Wales could do with a spark and he’s scored five tries and set up another eight in his eight PRO14 appearances so far this season, so looks like just the man to provide it.
Huw Jones played in all of Scotland’s Six Nations games and their three autumn internationals, with a spell back in South Africa winning the Currie Cup in between, and most people are already aware of his talents but he’ll go from strength to strength this year.
He’s taken to international rugby like a duck to water and five tries in his last five Tests suggest he’s ready to have a big year in 2018.
This year looks set to be another blockbuster, albeit without the absolute pinnacle of a Lions tour or World Cup to look forward to, but if I had one wish for 2018 in rugby, it’d be that the sport continues to uphold the values of sportsmanship as opposed to gamesmanship.
We’re now seeing players being coached to bend the rules and taking it upon themselves to appeal for decisions and even attempt to get fellow players yellow-carded at times.
It’s something that’s creeping into the game and it’s up to all of us to make sure that we don’t follow football down that path and rugby continues to be a sport that people look at with respect for the values at its core as well as for the entertainment it undoubtedly provides.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments