Spotlight On - Gloucester Rugby

Gloucester Rugby had the longest season of all last year with their two playoff matches against Bordeaux-Bègles. It was a challenging way to end the season and as Gloucester fans will vividly remember Pierre Bernard's drop goal denied them a place in the European Champions Cup. At the time it will have hurt however being part of the Challenge Cup  may actually prove to be a blessing in disguise given the condensed fixture schedule.  

Last season it is fair to say that the Cherry & Whites started in disarray. Prior to round one they had little time to gel together as a squad and with an wholly new coaching set up it is no wonder that their opening trip to Franklin’s Gardens was tough to watch. This year they have enjoyed quite the opposite run in as David Humphrey’s shared;

“You are absolutely right in terms of feeling the change this year, we are much more confident and much more knowledgeable about the players that we have put together and the group that we have.”

“This year and the long pre-season, whilst posing it’s challenges, has actually been very beneficial to us. As a group of players we have managed to get an awful lot of rugby done. We have had a rugby ball involved from day one although the traditional conditioning part has been important it is the rugby element that we have worked on.”

David Humphrey’s hasn’t gone overboard in terms of signings and in my opinion that is a sensible move after they signed 17 new individuals before the start of last season and his viewpoint on it affirms that opinion:

“One of the key elements of successful teams is consistency & stability, on and off the pitch. What that means is year on year if you have a playing squad that is stable and a coaching squad that is stable then you can add layers upon how you are going to play."

"If you are trying to play in a different way and trying to change lots of players and lots of coaches it is hard to make it work. So we have managed to develop that consistency over the course of the last 12 months, we haven’t had a big turnover of players instead we’ve brought in some key men who we believe will make a big impact.”

One such individual is Paul Doran-Jones and after a season out due to injuries he will be keen to prove himself back at his old stomping ground. John Afoa’s scrummaging prowess is well know however when he wasn’t present Gloucester felt the impact and a fit PDJ has the ability to provide consistency in that area. Rob Cook is another that will return from injury strewn season and already has looked back to his best in their pre-season West Country Challenge Cup matches.

As mentioned earlier the fact that the Cherry and Whites missed out on the Champions Cup could prove to be a blessing in disguise for they have the ability to rotate some of their big game players when it comes to European weeks and still deliver the results. The message at Gloucester Rugby is clear, this season is about building and developing from the last with consistency on and off the pitch being vital:

“That penalty [James Hook's against Saracens] almost summed up our inconsistency of our whole season with some very good stuff and some very poor stuff. What we need to is not just to get consistency off the pitch with the players and staff but we need consistency in our performance and that is something that we have worked hard on and focused on and the proof will be over the next few weeks.”

Players In - Tom Marshall from Chiefs, Jeremy Thrush from Hurricanes, Paul Doran-Jones from Harlequins, Paddy McAllister from Aurillac, Nicky Thomas from Ospreys, Willi Heinz from Crusaders, Tom Lindsay from Wasps, Tom Hicks, Henry Purdy & Bill Meakes Promoted from Academy & Matt Protheroe from Hartpury College RFC

Players Out - Dan Robson to Wasps, Aled Thomas to Scarlets, Aleki Lutui to Ampthill, Tom Palmer to Bennetton Treviso, Shane Monahan released, Rory Bartle to London Scottish. Jonny Hill to Exeter Chiefs & Saun Knight to Newport Gwent Dragons

Spotlight On - Exeter Chiefs

Last year the Exeter Chiefs flourished and it was superb to see, they are a side that have been developing season on season and I expect them to continue to do so during the 2015/16 competition.

As he always does Rob Baxter has signed astutely and boosted an already healthy squad in the right areas. Geoff Parling will fill the gap left in the second row due to Dean Mumm's departure and Julian Savli will add to an already powerful back-row unit. In James Short and Olly Woodburn, Baxter has added finishers that are hungry to be given an opportunity on the Premiership stage and we all know that this season is about squad depth. At the recent Aviva Premiership Launch Rob Baxter was open about his game plan heading into  the marathon campaign ahead:

“My approach is that this is a fantastic opportunity to show that you are the kind of player and that we are the kind of club that is able to deal with the schedule in a very positive way. We want to show that in week 20 we can still be the team that is flying and looking forward to getting stuck into the big games because that is what it is going to take.” 

“It is going to be as much of a mental battle as it is physical and I think that the teams that can keep it fresh and keep enjoying it bouncing between tough Premiership games and tough European games are going to be the sides that come the end of the season will look back with some pleasure at what will have been a tough year.”

The prospect of Sam Hill and Henry Slade continuing to develop their relationship in the centres is one that I cannot wait to see and I'm sure Michele Campagnaro will add much to proceedings after a solid Rugby World Cup. Undoubtably Tomas Francis will have benefited greatly from his International experience with Wales and you expect that Luke Cowan-Dickie will want to prove a point after his narrow miss in terms of England selection. 

The confidence and belief that the Exeter Chiefs will bring into this Aviva Premiership season must not be underestimated. I do not say that in a patronising or condensing manner, far from it.  Instead, the point is that it is much easier to press on after a wholly positive season as opposed to an indifference or frustrating one. 

From Rob Baxter's perspective the focus is to develop ‘true consistency’ and by that he means profiting from the moments in seasons against sides that you are supposed to beat as well as delivering in the larger games. Last season Exeter had a great track record against the sides that finished above them however less so against sides that finished lower down the Aviva Premiership table.

All in all the Exeter Chiefs are poised and ready for the season ahead and without question a place in the top four should be their goal. They have a great mix of a strengthen squad, a wealth of young talent and the motivation of being so close last season.

Players In - Geoff Parling from Leicester Tigers, Olly Woodburn from Bath Rugby, Michele Campagnaro from Benetton Treviso, Ollie Aktins from Edinburgh Rugby, Shaun Malton from Nottingham, Will Hooley from Northampton Saints, Harry Williams from Jersey, Julian Salvi from Leicester Tigers, Josh Jones from St Helens, Jonny Hill from Gloucester Rugby, James Short from London Irish

Players Out - Tom James to Cardiff Blues, Greg Bateman to Leicester Tigers, Dean Mumm to NSW Waratahs, Kieran Davies to Nottingham, Fetu’u Vainikolo to Oyonnax, Joe Conlon to Saracens, Ceri Sweeney to Pontypridd RFC, Will Carrick-Smith to Tasman Makos, James Scaysbrook (Retired)

Spotlight On - Bath Rugby

Second place, it is never one that sits well with professional athletes or teams and the disappointment that Bath Rugby felt when Wayne Barnes blew his final whistle on 30th May 2015 will fuel their every move this Aviva Premiership season. ‘Hungrier than ever’ were the words of Mike Ford at the recent competition launch however he, and his players, know that losing the final doesn’t guarantee them anything when it comes to the 2015/16 Aviva Premiership season. 

It has to be said that Bath Rugby played some of the most attractive and positive rugby of all last Aviva Premiership season and they coupled it with a powerful set of forwards. Bath have a backline that makes the rugby pulse beat a lot faster and up front the ballast and power to compliment it providing the platform required to flourish. 

Bath Rugby have kept their recruitment focused and on point, Niko Matawalu arrives from the Glasgow Warriors and is an individual that has the potential to take the Aviva Premiership by storm. Last season he was electric in the Pro12 and whenever he was on the field at the World Cup confused defences with his pace and vision. Rhys Priestland is another that will be critical given the intensity and unrelenting schedule of the forthcoming season. Without question George Ford is the heartbeat of Bath Rugby however having another International fly-half to take the reigns will be vital to maintaining consistency week in week out. 

Stuart Hooper will continue to lead the side and his leadership is rock solid however this year others will be developing their skills. The pre-season allowed the club to put more time into less experienced members of his squad and develop another leadership group that was required while their key internationals were away. As the season commences both leadership groups will continue and this should be of great benefit when rotations in personnel occur. 

“We can get better, we know that we are not the finished article and we know that we have not won anything yet.”

Those are the words of a focused and motivated Mike Ford, the profile of Bath’s squad is younger than many think and they will have learned much from their experiences last season. Bath Rugby have every reason to feel confident in their ability to play rugby however critically must have learned key lessons from their quarter-final exit in the Champions Cup and from that Aviva Premiership Final loss. Composure and not deviating from the Bath way will be key elements to nailing it in the knockout games. 

Like all of the Aviva Premiership sides that are part of the Champions Cup it will be intriguing to see if they are able to fight on both fronts for the schedule is  unrelenting and brutal. That said, domestically, all signs point to Bath Rugby having another very strong season and being well and truly in the mix come the end of May 2016.

Players In - Nikola Matawalu from Glasgow Warriors, Rhys Priestland from Scarlets, Jonathan Evans from Newport Gwent Dragons, Jeff Williams from England Sevens, Tom Dunn & Charlie Ewels Promoted from Academy 

Players Out - Paul James to Ospreys, Olly Woodburn to Exeter Chiefs, Micky Young to Newcastle David Sisi to London Irish (Season Loan), Will Skuse to London Welsh, Richard Lane to Jersey Peter Stringer to Sale Sharks, Carl Fearns to Lyon & Ben Williams (Retired)

Aviva Premiership - A Look Back At The Stats

The Aviva Premiership has been absent from our lives for far too long, indeed when the domestic action reconvenes on 16th October it will have been 19 weeks and 6 days since the 2015 Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham Stadium.  

As you all know I love a good stat and with a short time before the competition commences I thought that it would be an appropriate time to take a look back over the 2014/15 season’s numbers.  The very good eggs at Opta and SFMS Ltd have complied plenty for us to review so let’s take little trip down memory lane and review some of the figures from last year’s Aviva Premiership Season. 

With their Aviva Premiership Final victory Saracens became the first side to ever take the title from 4th position - their handsome 68-17 victory over London Welsh in Round 22 pushed them ahead of the Exeter Chiefs and from there on they flexed their muscles take the title. Of course London Welsh broke a few records last year, but perhaps it is better not to dwell on them for they weren’t of the most flattering variety. 

The 2014/15 Golden Boot was won by the recently retired Andy Goode as he clocked up 240 points for Wasps Rugby and also broke the longstanding record for the most points scored in one fixture. The latter was achieved on Wasps' first home game at the Ricoh Arena in which Goode scored a try, 2 penalties and 8 conversions. The fly-half was one of three 10s to take over 100 kicks at goal and had a 79% success rate. Stephen Myler was another with 73% and Bath Rugby's George Ford topped the accuracy stakes with 83%.Interestingly George Ford also made the most try assists of any player in the competition with 14. 

Continuing to focus on individuals, a couple stood out from the crowd in terms of their statistical contribution however none more so than Thomas Waldrom. The raised eyebrows that some made when Rob Baxter announced the signing were totally obliterated with Waldrom's performances. By the end of the season the Exeter Chief had scored 16 tries in 22 appearances - a stunning achievement in itself and then when you dive into the manner in which he did it you have doff your hat even more. After 22 rounds of action Thomas topped the Aviva Premiership carry count with 308, he was second on the metres made list, 1467, only being eclipsed by SInoti Sinoti (1,641) and beat 71 defenders. 

Another back rower caught the eye in terms of Opta’s statistics is the man that will become eligible to play for England on 25th June 2016, Nathan Hughes. Nathan was hugely destructive as part of Wasps’ back row with 238 carries, 37 offloads 24 turnovers won, 1099 meters made and 238 carries. In the forwards Tom Youngs toped the chats of lineout throwing success percentages with 92% followed by Mike Haywood of the Northampton Saints with 90% and Graham Kitchener took the most number of own lineouts, 83, and stole the most, 13. 

Tom Varndell’s move to Bristol Rugby means that he will remain 5 tries behind Mark Cueto’s benchmark as the Aviva Premiership's All Time Leading Try Scorer and it is well known amongst the squads how much Tom had his eye on that record!! This year Danny Cipriani should break the 900 Aviva Premiership points barrier as he is currently sitting with 879, Nick Evans has 1,388 to his name and every point that Charlie Hodgson secures extends his lead as the Aviva Premiership’s All Time Points Scorer with 2469 and counting. 

The 2015/16 Aviva Premiership season will be a truly enthralling and intriguing one. The condensed fixture schedule due to the Rugby World Cup means that there is absolutely no rest for the wicked and it will be the season where squad depth comes to the forefront. Our Aviva Premiership Directors of Rugby and Head Coaches will have to rotate their squads whether they like it or not, and I hope that means will see the emergence of some great new talents. The stage is set for an action packed seven months and it all starts on Friday night when Harlequins host Wasps at the Twickenham Stoop. 

England Rugby - Over and Out

This morning the England Rugby squad will wake up and again it will hit them that they are no longer part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and it will hurt. A 60 points to 3 victory is an empathic winning margin however if they are truly critical of themselves they won’t be wholly satisfied with the 80 minutes of rugby. 

To be truthfully honest the match itself doesn’t need to be over analysed or dissected to within an inch of its life because the fact is that this squad will now go back to their domestic clubs and the World Cup journey ends for England Rugby. Of course we can make observations from the match however I suspect that the lions share of ‘analysis’ en route will be of the highly critical variety focused on the campaign as a whole as opposed to this test match. 

Isolating individuals from the Uruguay fixture you have to say that Nick Easter put in a ‘big shift for an old man’ and if that is to be his last performance in an England jersey then I believe he did what you would call ‘signing off in style’. Joe Launchbury continued to show what a tremendous athlete he is, Joe attacked the gainline at every opportunity, was industrious and totally committed across the park. Launchbury is a huge asset to England Rugby and indeed Wasps Rugby and will only get better and better as time goes on. England’s pack delivered at scrum time however with a 77kg weight superiority over Uruguay they did what was expected of them. The breakdown wasn’t an area of beauty but in fairness to England that was caused by gulf in experience between themselves and Uruguay and not due to individual errors. 

With regard to the back line, in the second half, they did what we expected of them and showed us what happens when you have potent threats across it. In the first the whole team was guilty of over playing, they were over eager to make their statement and shipped it wide at every opportunity. As we all know you often need to earn the right to play and when England did that they were rewarded with many second half tries. Jack Nowell and Henry Slade both flourished, the former made 122 metres and the latter’s sublime handling was involved in everything good about England’s performance. Of course you have to take into account the opposition however neither have given us reason to believe that they would do anything differently against the world's best. Personally I believe that England’s future does lie with a back line that has George Ford at 10 with Jonathan Joseph and Henry Slade outside of him, from my position there you have a trio that defences simply won’t know what to do with and won’t want to play against. 

When all is said and done this test match won’t be the one that is remembered in years to come, however England deserve a lot of credit for the manner in which they fronted up this week and finished this competition. Stuart Lancaster spoke much about making a ‘positive last impression’ on the competition and with the second half I believe that England did that. The strength that it will have taken this squad to deliver such a performance after their hearts have been ripped apart due to the exit from the competition must be applauded by all. There won't be an individual across the country that will be hurting more than members of England's squad and they showed their professionalism with Saturday's performance. 

Now the match has been competed and England’s journey in the 2015 Rugby World Cup has come to an end the analysis will begin. Personally I don’t see any benefit in it being as brutal as it has been this past week, of course there are areas to review however there are ways and means of doing this in order to move forwards positively. 

From my position, what I will say right now, is that I believe that England Rugby shouldn’t be afraid to want to play rugby, after all points mean prizes. England must have the courage of conviction in terms of their own strengths and abilities as a unit and select accordingly as opposed to worrying about the opposition. When it comes down to the test matches themselves this World Cup showed that the pressure of being the hosts can have a huge impact and baring on individuals. To a man every test player must show ice cold composure for eighty minutes, even in the most intense of battles. That composure comprises of reacting to the referee, handling their own decisions and keeping check of personal discipline. Much will be learned from this tournament and there is no question that this England side will be better for it, however it is a tough way to learn vital lessons isn't it? 

England Rugby - The Uruguayan Test

"This loss is going to stay with me for a long, long time, probably forever”

Geoff Parling addressed the media on Monday evening with these words, it was forty eight hours after England exited the Rugby World Cup and make no bones about it the hurt was as potent and agonising for him as it was on Saturday night. A day later Stuart Lancaster reiterated again that he will ‘never get over this loss’ and we all know that neither man is exaggerating the depth of their feelings, going out of a home Rugby World Cup will leave deep scars on all involved. 

That said the Rugby World Cup schedule halts for no-one and, as excruciating as it will be, this England squad have a test match to prepare for on Saturday afternoon. Some will label it as a ‘nothing match’ however the only sense in which that rings true is with regard to changing the pool results and allowing England to progress further in the competition. The fact is that every single player and member of England’s management are approaching it with respect and intent - they are professionals and this is a chance to represent their country. 

England’s pack to face Uruguay contains the familiar names, it is fair to say that during this tournament as a collective they haven’t reached the heights that were expected of them. Over the past two years England’s pack and scrummage in particular has been a force in rugby and I expect them, along with the rest of the squad, to make an empathic statement on Saturday evening albeit against less experienced opponents. 

The backline that will run out at the City of Manchester Stadium is rammed with talent and play makers. Due to the attributes of every single individual wearing 9 to 15 on their backs the expectation is that they will explode onto the park and play high paced, exciting, attacking rugby. If they do this and England score multiple tries of course the question will be raised as to why a backline like this wasn’t played previously against Wales or Australia? However the management’s belief was that England did not lose, the Welsh test match in particular, due to a lack of creativity, instead they lost due to ill discipline and poor composure. 

Stuart Lancaster, in spite of all of the spotlight and scrutiny surrounding his position, was as articulate, open and honest as he always has been and in spite of his personal hurt is focused on Saturday; 

“Clearly you're in a dark place. The last thing you want to do is to finish a game and then brush it off because you can’t. How do you brush it off? But equally as a leader in charge of the team you have to give everyone a sense of direction, purpose and perspective. That’s an important word.”

“While all the noise outside the team is huge at the moment, internally I’m absolutely determined the team stays together and stays positive and stays believing in what they’re doing. We’ve played some brilliant rugby over the past 12 or 18 months and even before then.” 

“We’ve not won every game, but we’ve won a lot and played some good rugby and people shouldn’t forget that. It's important the players understand that and listen to what I’m saying about where they can go as a team in the future. I think they’ve got fantastic potential.”

I believe, one hundred percent, that we will see that potential on Saturday afternoon. There are individuals that haven't had any game time in a number of weeks, Jack Nowell, Danny Care, Henry Slade etc. and they will be eager to remind us all of their worth. The non-selection of Sam Burgess has been made into a 'big' story, as has every single element concerned with the Bath player. Stuart himself doesn't see it as  big deal, the fact of the matter is you can only select two centres & he wants to see the combination of Owen Farrell & Henry Slade & that has solely informed selection. 

This England side is hurting deeply but they all are consummate professionals that will deliver for their country and endeavour to show just what they are made of as the rugby world watches on and knows that they are out of their home competition.

England XV: 15. Alex Goode 14. Anthony Watson 13. Henry Slade 12. Owen Farrell 11. Jack Nowell 10. George Ford 9. Danny Care 1. Mako Vunipola 2. Tom Youngs 3. Dan Cole 4. Joe Launchbury 5. Geoff Parling 6. James Haskell 7. Chris Robshaw (C) 8. Nick Easter Replacements: 16. Jamie George 17. Joe Marler 18. David Wilson 19. George Kruis 20. Tom Wood 21. Richard Wigglesworth 22. Jonathan Joseph 23. Mike Brown

England Rugby - Integrity At The Top

Much has been penned about the future of England Rugby this week and in particular Stuart Lancaster’s position as head coach. 

Whatever individuals’ thoughts are on Stuart’s future I hope that everyone is united in the opinion that the manner in which he has conducted himself, in the aftermath of Saturday evening’s defeat and England’s exit from the competition, has been an example to all.  Stuart has fronted into the defeat, of course the rest of the management team have addressed the press as well however Stuart has taken, by far, the lions share of the hit. Any fans’ or followers’ hurt will be absolutely nothing in comparison to England’s head coach’s, he is the man that the buck stops at and the man that knows that potentially his job will be taken from him as a result of the last three weeks.

Without question this will have been the hardest week of England’s head coach’s life, from the press inquest that took place less than 12 hours after the defeat against Australia to sitting in front of individuals that have penned his exit already later in the week. Of course as Stuart himself said it is part of the course of being England’s head coach and individuals are just doing their jobs however that doesn’t stop it being an extremely tough situation to be in. 

The feeling that I have, from being present in the aftermath is that this set back will be too much for England’s head coach, and potentially management team, to come back from. I believe that this side is in a good place, I have my personal questions over some of the selection choices made during this Rugby World Cup however the framework and foundations of England Rugby are rock solid. From my position on the outside I believe that England could continue to prosper if current individuals did remain in charge, that said, there signs that they may not. On Monday afternoon Andy Farrell spoke about Stuart as if he was delivering a final address, his final words about a colleague when he said;

“We have lost two games, and people will try to define us with those two defeats, but what Stuart has built here was more than that. This campaign, this whole 3 1/2 years under Stuart’s leadership has been built on rock solid foundations and that won't change. He has done marvellous things for this country. I thank him for that hard graft he's put in. He's the proudest Englishman and the hardest working Englishman that I have ever met. He's done some famous things for this team. We've had some big wins and losses along the way, but Stuart's ability to put in place what he has and bring a meaning to the shirt has been absolutely second to none. Internally and that's where it counts, we know the score about what it's been about. It's been an absolutely privilege to work for such a caring guy.”

This week the words from Stuart himself have not been delivered in the past tense, he has made no direct reference to what happens beyond Saturday or what decision he might make. Instead he has focused on his job at hand and spoken openly about anything put to him, when asked what he would tell the Stuart Lancaster of 2012 he said with a hint of a smile ‘Good luck, get a tin hat and a flak jacket’. 

The knowledge that you didn’t deliver at a home Rugby World Cup, isn’t a small set back it is a very large one, and whether you like it or not, will be forever held at this management teams’ doorsteps like has occurred before. Following the conclusion of Saturday’ test match there will be a review of all aspects of England Rugby. From players to coaches no-one ever sets out to fall short and my hope is that this audit is conducted with integrity for that is what this, and indeed, every management team deserves.

England Rugby - Lightning Struck Twice

Last night, in front of our very eyes, a nightmare unfolded as Australia pushed England aside with ruthless precision and condemned the hosts to being surplus to requirements in their own tournament. 

Disappointment, despair & raw hurt were the emotions etched across the faces of Chris Robshaw and Stuart Lancaster as they addressed the press following the final whistle. Stuart's opening comments summarised, succinctly, their feelings;

“We are obviously absolutely gutted to be going out of the World Cup, even more so our own World Cup. Words can’t express how disappointed we are and we have had some fantastic supporters and we feel that we have let them down.”

Their pain won’t subside quickly and the scars of this test match battle will remain for a long time with the prospect that it might cost one or both their roles within this England set up. When it came down to it, Australia more than deserved to win the test match in question. The Wallabies were more clinical in attack, when they manoeuvred themselves into the right areas of the field they profited on the boar.  In contrast, England let too many opportunities slip due to errors or turnovers. 

Ironically the ill discipline that savaged England last weekend, and has done so in previous fixtures, was not present and instead it was the potency of David Pocock that inflicted the killer blows. There is no question that Pocock is the best in the world right now, the Wallaby would walk into any side and for however long Australia remain in this competition he will continue to  single handedly rip teams apart.

In the build up to this fixture, and indeed the Rugby World Cup, Bernard Foley’s goal kicking has been questioned however when it mattered he delivered world-class statistics off the tee and added two tries to seal the deal. The fact is that Australia played the test match safe in the knowledge that their Rugby World Cup wasn’t on the line and it showed in their demeanour and output. In contrast the weight of the world laid heavily on England’s shoulders, particularly in the opening half when it stifled them.

The introduction of George Ford to the game delivered a new dimension and one that, in my opinion, had been missing during the opening half. Ford did exactly what he does best and took it right to Australia, making the right attacking decisions and he allowed others to find space. The question lingers as to what could have been created if Jonathan Joseph was able to stay in the centres with him because their understanding is outstanding, however we will never know. 

(C) Paler Images

Of course now there will be many calls for wholesale management changes and names will start to be listed and ranked according to their likelihood of becoming part of the ‘new’ England. In the immediate aftermath of such a defeat opinions will differ as to what should happen now and I expect the lions share to call for Lancaster’s head.  In black and white the results do not favour his continuation with no silverware to his name and an early group exit from the largest competition ever.  However I will reiterate a question I posed the other day, do you truly believe that England would immediately be leagues further ahead if drastic changes are made? It is a discussion that will continue loudly throughout this week and one that I will hold off addressing until after the Uruguay match. 

Painfully as the group stages lead into the knockouts the home Rugby World Cup will go on, without England in it. It is a situation that many of us never dared to contemplate but it is now a reality. I truly believe in the words that I wrote during the week regarding England's ability and potential to win last night's test match however ultimately was proved wrong. 

The loss, the exit from the competition and the label as the 'worst hosts in history' hurts.  However the pain that any week outside of the camp, no matter how passionately or ardently you follow or support will be nothing in comparison to the men waking up at Pennyhill Park this morning. I expect that the word excruciating, doesn't even begin to come close... and what is even more agonising is that they still have test match to play in next weekend, a 'nothing' match. For England Rugby this is not how Rugby World Cup 2015 was supposed to end however that is sport and it doesn't always follow the script that we wish it would. 

England Rugby - A Resilient Force

This week has been the largest of England Rugby’s lives, I say England Rugby as a collective for the pressure weighs as heavily on the coaching staff as it does the players. Last Saturday night’s defeat has left England in the most challenging situation of all, as we all know they have eighty minutes to secure their place in a home Rugby World Cup otherwise it is game over. 

There is no questioning the fact that great adversity has the ability to bring out the best in individuals and show the true depth and strength of their characters and I believe that this is what has happened at Pennyhill Park this week and will manifest itself tomorrow night. 

After such a destructive defeat the players could have crumbled and could have felt extremely sorry for themselves. As much as individuals can put on a front, it would have been seen through during their media sessions for even the best of actors cannot hide such potent emotions. However from my position, at these sessions, the resilience and is deep rooted and instills me with confidence that this England Rugby side will stand up on Saturday night. 

‘As a group it’s brought us even closer together,” said Chris Robshaw. “There’s been a better understanding. It’s that backs very much to the wall kind of attitude. We’ve got to go out there for a must-win game – there’s no other alternative, it’s as simple as that. And when you know that, it brings something out of the guys, doesn’t it?”

That ‘something’ will not be clearly evident to us all until tomorrow evening when the test match unfolds however from what I have seen I believe that Chris’ words are not just a smokescreen to hide a cowering or nervous team. Alongside Chris, Stuart Lancaster highlighted how much can occur between fixtures that are seven days apart and he knows full well that this weekend is about the team stepping up to the mark and being counted for instead of freezing or imploding due to the magnitude of what they are facing;

“The old analogy ‘that a week is a long time in sport’ is absolutely true in this case. The focus and preparation has been excellent but it’s high stakes, isn’t it? I can’t think of many other times in any other sport where it’s been like this for this game.”

“Games at this level are decided by very small margins but we don't want to come off with any regrets having not had a crack. The message to the players is to make sure you fire some shots, you can’t sit and think what if at the end of the game.”

On Friday, after England’s Captain’s Run Graham Rowntree articulated that ‘composure’ will be one of the elements that secures England this test match. England’s Forwards Coach openly shared that he ‘envies’  his players, wanting to be back out there himself and his overarching message is a simple one;

“It is all about what you do under pressure and that is what we have spoken about, extreme composure, sticking to the plan and to doing your role.”

Ultimately if, from one to twenty three, England’s players perform their roles there is no reason why they should not win a test match against Australia. The Wallabies are a world-class side however so are England. England must prove once and for all that they have the ability to listen to the referee and that they can keep their discipline when it matters most. The only certainly that we know at this point in time, with twenty four hours to go, is that Chris Robshaw and his side will not leave anything out there on Saturday night. They will throw everything at this test match, on the largest of stages it is fight or flight as knockout rugby arrives at Twickenham Stadium. 

England Rugby - Victory Is The Only Option

It is the situation that we all feared when the pools were drawn back in December 2012,  England Rugby have 80 minutes of rugby that will decide their fate in this home world cup. It is only their third game of the group stages however it could be their last meaningful one and it must be played against world class opposition.

“The over arching message at the start of the week was to get up & get on with it. Obviously it was a hugely disappointing defeat but we can’t wallow and feel sorry for ourselves we’ve got a massive game this week and we have to stand up.”

Those were the words of Stuart Lancaster at lunchtime Thursday as he announced his squad for the most important fixture of his tenure and let me assure you right now that they weren’t said because he thought that he should say them. Instead they were articulated with honesty in his eyes and said with one hundred percent conviction and belief. He continued;

"It is, it is obviously a huge game. We respect the quality of the opposition that we are playing against but we know obviously that we have beaten them as well, we’ve beaten them in the last two games and that belief that we have got, not just from that but also from being in this position in the past. It is very similar to the week after we lost to South Africa (in 2012) and we came in for some criticism and played New Zealand the following week, it is a very similar mentality in the group this week.”

Stuart is right, in the face of adversity, after a poor performance, this England side has never come unstuck or backed down. This squad will be much better for the excruciating manner in which they lost last weekend and we, on the outside, have to trust that some tough lessons have finally been learned. 

Selection wise Jonathan Joseph comes back into the mix, Ben Morgan starts for the injured Billy Vunipola and in the second row Joe Launchbury takes the place of Courtney Lawes. All three bring a huge amount to the party but it is the inclusion of Jonathan Joseph that could be the most critical piece of the puzzle. JJ's flair and ball playing ability was missed last weekend and crucially his presence allows Brad Barritt to move back into the jersey that he feels most comfortable in, the one with 12 on the back! 

Collectively England must harness all of the positives of the Wales game, for believe it or not there were some. The scrummage and lineout must retain their high levels and the collective physicality must be asserted in defence once again. However this weekend’s match will be about much more than just physical attributes, it will be about the mental strength of this England side and their ability to regroup after such an emotionally draining weekend as Chris Robshaw articulated; 

“We have an option. We can change things this weekend or we can let it linger. As players we have to front up and change things. There is no point dwelling on it. Yes last weekend was heartbreaking and devastating. We let things get away from us but in sport a week can be a long time and we have got that chance on Saturday to put it right.”

Putting things right will take a monumental amount of effort, Australia have been building strongly as we all thought that they might do. Michael Cheika has only been in charge for 11 months however their progression has been marked and the addition of their experienced men due to ‘Giteau’s Law’ has put the cherry on the top. A backline with Folau, Ashley-Cooper, Giteau, Kuridrani & Genia to name but a few is not to be taken lightly at and as for the dynamic duo of Hooper and Pocock the extent of the challenge is clear. 

The atmosphere and feeling inside Pennyhill Park is that this side is ready to show exactly what they are made of and turn this situation back around on Saturday evening. The squad, and management, are under no illusions regarding the ramifications of this weekend's fixture however they refused to be pulled into feeling like they are underdogs. England are playing against a side that they haven't lost to since 2012 and they are playing at home on their turf. I will leave the final thought to Stuart Lancaster who hit the nail on the head when he said;

"To win games at this level where the margins are small but consequences are huge, you have to hit a high percentage of accuracy in decision making across the full eighty." 

If England do that and deliver a performance akin to the one that we saw for the first 40/50 minutes last Saturday evening then their Rugby World Cup journey will continue and it will do so with them situated firmly back in the driving seat. 

England Rugby: 15. Mike Brown 14. Anthony Watson 13. Jonathan Joseph 12. Brad Barritt 11. Jonny May 10. Owen Farrell 9. Ben Youngs 1. Joe Marler 2. Tom Youngs 3. Dan Cole 4. Joe Launchbury 5. Geoff Parling 6. Tom Wood 7. Chris Robshaw (C) 8. Ben Morgan Replacements: 16. Rob Webber 17. Mako Vunipola 18. Kieran Brookes 19. George Kruis 20. Nick Easter 21. Richard Wigglesworth 22. George Ford 23. Sam Burgess