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'It would have been easy to go 'oh Christ, this lot are pretty good'

By PA
South Africa are a magnificent side but would bringing them into the Six Nations be a step too far? (Pic /PA)

Joe Marler believes England’s future is in safe hands after watching Eddie Jones’ young guns show their fighting instincts to edge South Africa at Twickenham.

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A clean sweep of victories in the Autumn Nations Series was completed in dramatic circumstances as Marcus Smith landed a penalty with just over a minute left to topple the Springboks 27-26 on Saturday.

South Africa had been poised to complete a comeback win amid a dominant second-half in which only rugged home resistance kept the outcome of a compelling afternoon in doubt.

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It went some way to avenging England’s defeat in the 2019 World Cup final but just as importantly it was engineered with emerging prospects such as Smith, Freddie Steward and Jamie Blamire at the forefront.

“I was really pleased for a lot of the youngsters who dug deep and showed grit to stay in the fight rather than just giving up,” veteran prop Marler said.

“The second half went all South Africa’s way and it would have been easy to go ‘oh Christ, this lot are pretty good’.

“Instead, I looked around the group and I saw young boys just puff out their chests and said ‘let’s give this a crack, we’re still in this’.

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“There are a lot of boys there who are new to the group. There aren’t many old ones left and we’re clinging on in there.

“That blend of experienced players helping out the youngsters as opposed to them sitting in a hierarchy and being in an environment that doesn’t allow them to thrive and be themselves is long gone.

“The youngsters coming in now feel confident to express themselves in this environment. And us old boys get to come along for the ride.”

While the autumn has seen a new era develop out of the rubble of a disastrous fifth place finish in the Six Nations, it is an old hand who is shaping the march towards the 2023 World Cup on the pitch.

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Ninety caps into his England career and Courtney Lawes is in the form of his life and has emerged as the squad’s new leader having taken the captaincy against Tonga and South Africa in the absence of Owen Farrell.

The 32-year-old is a popular appointment and could continue in the role for the Six Nations opener against Scotland on February 5 as Farrell recovers from ankle surgery.

“Courtney’s a people’s captain. He plays for the boys, he talks about his love for the group and will always put his body on the line,” Marler said.

“That’s never in question, it’s the character he is, so he doesn’t actually have to say it. When he speaks everyone listens.

“He doesn’t speak often but he’s a good guy and I’ve really enjoyed playing under him in this campaign. Boys follow him.

“He’s carrying hard, he’s added that extra bit of footwork, bits in attack, and he still does what he does in defence. He’s older than me and he’s still pushing hard, so I’m thinking ‘fair play to you mate’.”

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

39 Go to comments
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