England Rugby - Home Advantage

As a host nation you expect the time leading up to a Rugby World Cup to be a positive and comfortable one however it is fair to say that for England it has been a touch more turbulent than expected. 

It is my hope that the widespread criticism surrounding selection decisions was heightened due to the 'out of sorts' performance that England delivered in Paris and that it won’t continue to tarnish support. The fact of the matter is this; England are not the favourite, they are in the most difficult pool in history and if that hand wasn't challenging enough they are the hosts. 

In years gone by England had to contend with one maybe even two challenging group stage matches; the fate that will meet the likes of South Africa and New Zealand this year given their easier pools. However, when the pressure is even greater due to being the host nation, England will have to climb and conquer three group stage mountains in Fiji, Australia and Wales.

The Fijians pose the ultimate opening night threat, they are a handful at the best of times and after a successful summer together have the words ‘banana skin’ penned all over them. This week Wales announced a squad with a few surprises but ultimately one that looks battle hardened and that is ready to peak at exactly the right time. Wales' recent performance against Ireland shows that they aren't afraid to gate-crash and spoil a party and in my opinion they looked as strong as we've seen them in a last few seasons. The Australians, as expected have turned it on just at the right time too. Michael Cheika has been an inspired selection as coach, he has the respect of all of the players and his tinkering with the 'selection criterion' has already paid dividends. Oh and finally the Wallabies have found a scrum...!!

The long and the short of it is this; England Rugby need the power of home support. As cliche as it might sound ‘the 16th’ man can, and must, be a factor in this tournament. Twickenham Stadium must be shaken to its very core by the noise of support for England Rugby during every single one of their matches, for however long they are in the tournament. Now with the first match in sight wholehearted and vocal support is necessary, whether you agree with the selection decisions made or not. Positivity and unwavering encouragement must be the order of the day starting this week as England face a very stern test of character. Without question this England side will already be feeling and dealing with an immense amount the pressure, they didn’t perform in Paris and now must face a gnarly and scorned Irish side on home soil less than two weeks before their Rugby World Cup campaign commences. Wales have done the business, Australia beat the All Blacks during their preparation and England have won one and lost one. This fixture is critical and it isn’t as if Ireland are easy opponents like others have chosen for their last warm up game. 

The players and coaching staff say that they don’t read the media or react to what is being said on social media channels however that simply isn’t the case. Continual negative gripes, comments or questions saying I knew that 'x' shouldn’t have been selected will filter through. This is a colossal task ahead, just ask any member of the 2011 New Zealand squad, being a host nation means that tournament it so much more intense and pressured than it already would be. We all have our viewpoints regarding selection, of course we do, however for the next nine weeks unequivocal support will be king to ensure that home advantage is fully exploited and made the most of during the greatest tournament of this squad’s lives. 

Ireland will arrive at Twickenham Stadium this weekend and this can't be an easy trip for them, they must feel uncomfortable and on edge. Trips away to the Stade de France or Ellis Park shake even the most experienced of sides and this must be the same now. I'm not saying veering away from the etiquette of the game, respecting the kickers and opposition is paramount however generating and cauldron of noise and feverish atmosphere will assist England in the mighty task that they face. Supporters cannot influence the discipline of the players or the strength of the set piece but they can assist in delivering the small margins and extra lift that will always be required during a Test match. 

England Rugby - Leading The Way

Chris Robshaw is ready for the greatest challenge of his professional life; leading England Rugby during a home Rugby World Cup. Prior to the 2011 tournament the flanker was cut from Martin Johnson's squad and deemed 'surplus to requirements' however four years on he is the focal point for a England Rugby side that is desperate to make a statement on home soil. 

When the Harlequin first ran out as England Captain he had just one solitary cap to his name and made history by being one of the least experienced individuals to Captain the side, ever. Now four years on only Will Carling and Martin Johnson himself have Captained England more times, with the latter being a touch ironic! During the course of his Captaincy the twenty nine year old has hardly put a foot wrong, bar a couple of shaky tests back in 2012 and as a nation we have seen him grow and firmly establish himself in the role. England's Captain isn't a shouter or perhaps as gnarly as others are on the field instead he now exerts a calm air of authority and is unquestionably the right man to lead this group of 31 individuals into the tournament. 

On squad announcement day Chris shared how the previous week had challenged the group after their less than convincing performance in Paris; 

“We’ve been tested a little bit this last week, internally, and from the outside world’s reaction. I think that has given us an indication of what is to come, what’s possible, and if things don’t go so well, what can happen. This week has been a bit of an eye-opener but I think that the guys have dealt with it well.” 

Chris is well aware of the enormity of Saturday's forthcoming fixture against Ireland and it's importance for a number of reasons. First, for the side to restore their own pride and deliver a performance that they feel reflects their level and tireless weeks of training. Second, to reinforce their winning mentality and home advantage for falling at Twickenham on the eve of the tournament would be less than desirable. The true importance of focusing on winning is something that Chris has taken from speaking to a number current leaders and former captains across many sports; 

"It is learning how to win. I think everyone asks how do you want to play and how do you want to perform? But it is about winning at the end of the day. You look back to when the 03 team won the World Cup and I have spoken to a number of those guys in their time and they said that we had times where we flew past people and times where we just about clawed our way over a game and could have lost games easily. However no-one really remembers those games, unless you are a rugby fanatic, it is about finding ways to win and doing what needs to be done in every situation."

From hereon the pressure on ever single member of England's 31 man squad will be immense and it will be up to Chris to continue to lead by example in a situation that he will be experiencing himself for the first time. The intensity of this World Cup will be greater than any previous tournament, even 2003, so perhaps it is best that Robshaw doesn't have a benchmark to worry himself with. Now is the time for England's quietly spoken Captain to announce himself as a truly great leader, of course he will have a 'leadership group' around him however it will be his relationship with the referees, his example set and his words before, during and after matches that will matter the most.

Rugby World Cup - Statistics & Excitement

In just 19 days the Rugby World Cup will be upon us and the tournament that we have all be thinking, talking and dare I say it, dreaming about will commence. 

Over the past few months we have been engrossed in the Warm Up fixtures that have been happening across the globe and more recently the 31 man squad announcements and boy have they have given us plenty to think about. Now, with such a short time to go, it seems only right to review some of the headlines that have been created in the build up and to also look at a few of the tournament records and statistics. 

Mauro Bergamasco will play in his fifth Rugby World Cup after running out for Italy in the very first professional tournament. It is astonishing to think of the amount of individuals that have come and gone during that time and when he takes to the field for the first time during this tournament it will be a special moment. Italy's weekend clash with Scotland didn't go to plan for the Azzuri and with Wales next in Cardiff it may be a bumpy road into the tournament for Jacques Brunel's side. 

Waisake Naholo may well make the most remarkable injury recovery in history in order to play a part for New Zealand. As with any pre-tournament injury the world's hearts went out to Naholo when it was announced that he had cracked his fibula on his debut against Argentina. However after having a ‘herbal treatment’ in Fiji today he was announced as part of Steve Hansen's 31 man squad and kept out Cory Jane. I wonder if whomever administered the treatment will also be on the plane to England when the All Blacks depart in a few days time?!?

Last weekend, George North, earned his 50th Cap for Wales and became the youngest player ever to do so. George was just 22 years and 320 days old when he ran out at the Aviva Stadium and in doing so eclipsed some extremely well known names on the ‘youngest list’ including Jonny Wilkinson, Sergio Parisse and Morgan Parra. 

In terms of the tournament statistics as you would expect England's Jonny Wilkinson leads the way when it comes to points scored with 277 in total. Indeed Jonny has scored 40 more than his nearest rival in the points table; Gavin Hastings who has 227 to his name. Wilkinson's 277 breakdown into 1 try, 28 conversions, 58 penalties and 14 drop goals of which we all know the most famous one! 

From a tries scored perspective the great Jonah Lomu tops the table with 15 followed by two other Kiwis; Doug Howlett, 13, and Joe Rokocoko, 11. Rory Underwood is the top English try scorer also with 11 and two individuals that will take part in this tournament, Bryan Habana and Drew Mitchell, both have 10 and if they don't increase that tally in a few weeks time then something will have gone very wrong!!

Shifting the focus solely to the hosts; England have scored 1246 points in their Rugby World Cup history and have played 40 matches in total. Josh Lewsey’s 5 tries against Uruguay in November 2003 represent the record scored by an English individual in one fixture and that game’s result, 111 - 13, was England’s greatest ever match winning margin. Paul Grayson scored a staggering 36 points against Tonga in 1999, a game that I actually went on a school trip to see (!) and Jonny Wilkinson’s 3 drop goals against France in 2003 remain the most an Englishman has scored in one fixture. 

(C) Point Photography

The Rugby World Cup is the pinnacle of our sport, it always delivers hugely competitive clashes and history tells us that we will also witness an upset or two during the course of its eight weeks! An outstanding two months are ahead of us and I've absolutely no doubt that this Rugby World Cup will be a great success and that England 2015 will be one of the most intense and enthralling tournaments that we have ever seen.  

England Rugby - Bold Decisions

This morning there are thirty one rugby players around the country that will be waking up safe in the knowledge that they will be representing their country in a home Rugby World Cup and that must be a pretty phenomenal feeling after weeks of hard work in Camp and years of developing as professional sports men. 

It is fair to say that the decisions between that Stuart Lancaster and his team have had to make have divided many, from fans to former internationals everyone has had an opinion. The manner in which Danny Cirprani made his feelings known through social media yesterday I thought was hugely commendable and a sign of just how much he has matured over the past few years. Danny showcased his box of tricks well in the Stade de France and to a slightly lesser extent at Twickenham Stadium and therefore his exclusion has cause a lot of 'noise'. 

The difficulty that Stuart articulated is that Danny was competing for 'specialist' positions at Fly Half and Full Back and the underlying question boils down to which player do you drop for him? In the ten shirt would you lose George Ford or Owen Farrell? With respect, I think not. Then at Full Back do you lose Mike Brown or Alex Goode? From England’s Head Coach's perspective both have been on 'exceptional form’ for their clubs and have proven themselves for England.

If we were sat here today with Mike Brown and Danny Cipriani as the two full backs in the squad would there be widespread horror, concern or uproar? Personally I don't think so, in years gone by perhaps however for now, on a pitch at least, Danny Cipriani is trustworthy. Previously we may have wondered what Cips would during a game... would he be on message or would he ‘do a Quade’ as I call it and go totally off piste? This schizophrenia isn't part of Cipriani's on field personality anymore instead he knows how to use his flair in a manner that greatly benefits the team. It is clear that Danny Cipriani is a loss however in our heart of hearts I believe that we all realise that this decision isn’t wholly unexpected.

Naturally the other huge decision is the inclusion of Sam Burgess in the squad over Luther Burrell. The gulf in their formal experience is vast, Sam has played less than ten formal matches in the 12 jersey whilst Luther must have have played at least six times that. This isn’t a decision that England's Head Coach will have taken on a limb, far from it for he has known a coached Luther since the Northampton Saint was a teenager. Without question the conversation between Stuart and Luther would have been excruciatingly painful for both however the fact is that Sam has come in and out muscled his colleague. 

A very clear point made on announcement day was that Sam, like every player, has been ‘selected on merit’ and has ‘earned the right to be there’. Against France at Twickenham Stadium we saw his ability to immerse himself in Test rugby and Stuart articulated what he believes to be Sam's points of difference;

“It is about balance. To win at this level, you need physicality, ball-players, finishers, etc. Sam certainly brings the physicality, at 116kgs, and is quicker as any of our centres, except for JJ, and certainly as quick as Luther.  He is powerful, understands  and read defences very well. He is a very aggressive tackler but one of main attributes that goes un-noticed more than anything else is that he runs effective lines, and even when he doesn’t get the ball. There was a try in Wednesday’s training in which he was a big part and didn’t get the ball, when ran the line he did, three good defenders stopped because they thought he was getting the ball and Alex Goode ran round the back and in for a try. It is that threat at the line, and the ability to change the line, that has put him in the picture.”

Of course the concern is that Sam’s instincts in this code aren’t fully developed yet and that he is still learning the game however we have to trust that after nine months and ten weeks in camp with the best in our country that is simply an unfounded perception.  Physicality, presence and match impact are required, as dynamic and exciting as it would be to see two player makers together in the centre it wouldn’t give England the physical point of difference that they need. Back line ball carriers are required and as we all know with Brad Barritt the importance of a defensive rock in that back line is critical. Burgess brings an awful lot to the party, he really does, his work rate is second to none and as Stuart said above he makes teams concerned and focus on him. When Sam plays a part in this tournament, or indeed in the game against Ireland, it will be as much about what he does without the ball in attack as what he does with it. 

This tournament has been at the top of Stuart Lancaster and his team’s minds since the day that they were put in place three years ago and for individuals like Sam and indeed Henry Slade to come in at the last minute and force their hands in terms of selection they must have been outstanding. When you are building to the defining moment of your career you don't deviate far from your comfort zone unless it is for a tremendously good reason. 

England’s management are ‘trusting their instincts’ and have selected a strong and what they believe he to be correctly balanced 31 man squad. When you read through the list of individuals again and remember some of the performances that this group have put in over the past season the potential to deliver is great. After a thoroughly deserved weekend off the 31 will return to Pennyhill Park and commence the 'business end' of proceedings with the focus on Ireland before the commencing greatest tournament of their lives. 

England Rugby 31 Man RWC Squad

Props; Kieran Brookes, Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola & David Wilson. Hookers; Jamie George, Rob Webber & Tom Youngs. Second rows;  George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes & Geoff Parling. Back rows; James Haskell, Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw (CAPT), Billy Vunipola & Tom Wood. Scrum halves; Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth & Ben Youngs. Fly halves; Owen Farrell  & George Ford. Centres; Brad Barritt, Sam Burgess, Jonathan Joseph & Henry Slade. Back three; Mike Brown, Alex Goode, Jonny May, Jack Nowell & Anthony Watson

England Rugby - The Chosen 31

For two years Stuart Lancaster has had today, 27th August, etched in his mind as the day that he was going to announce the 31 individuals that would represent him, his coaching team and this country in a home Rugby World Cup. That it is the level of detail that has gone into planning this summer however what he hadn't planned was that today's squad would be largely known to most by the time that the 2pm press conference started. That is something that personally believe is a shame, however it not to be discussed now and instead we will begin to delve in to the decisions that he has made. 

‘Hugely difficult’ were the words that Stuart used to describe the final selection decisions that he had to make and England’s calm Head Coach shared openly that the last few days have 'been a rollar-coaster’ for him. To clarify that isn’t due to last minute panicking or injuries instead it has been due to the fact that he was the man to speak with every player and the one that had to deliver them with the best or worst news of their rugby lives. For the past ten weeks and for years many prior all of the members left in the final wider squad have been thinking about this home Rugby World Cup and being the person to shatter their chance of being a part of it is a test for even the toughest of individuals. 

Naturally, this afternoon, the decisions regarding Sam Burgess and Danny Cipriani were a keen focus with all seeking to hear clearly and articulately from England's management why certain decisions were made. Stuart and indeed every coach shared wholeheartedly that Burgess has been ‘picked on merit’. Indeed the impression that he and Henry Slade have made on their peers and the coaching staff over the camp has been substaintial as Stuart articulated; 

“Both of them have come in and they have absolutely trained the house down, impressed everyone not just ourselves but the players themselves and went into that France game and made two debuts that I’ve not seen before. Those debuts were a reflection of how well they have both done and subsequently, in training, they have maintained those standards.”

In terms of Danny Cirpriani it was the opportunity for England’s Head Coach to explain his viewpoint on a man that so many have an opinion on;

“I mean, you have two warm up games and you try and give everyone an opportunity and that is the way that we did the selection in the manner that we did. Minutes wise, he got the same number as the two other fifteens the difficulty is that we are selecting in specialist positions so in Fly Half and Full Back.”

“I can reassure everyone, 100% that in training over the last ten weeks everyone has had plenty of opportunity to put their talent forward both at 10 and 15, we do games in training all the time - Danny, George, Owen, Browny, Goodie all of them have had fantastic opportunities. With only two warm up games it is difficult in an ideal world I would have had three or four but we didn’t and we had to make the calls, it is tough on Danny he is a good player and we think that he has improved an awful lot and he has been fantastic in the camp but he has just lost out in those specialist positions and we are only taking two in each I’m afraid."

For all of the heated conversations that have raged outside of England’s camp regarding certain individuals' inclusion or exclusion I think that at this point in time it would serve us well to remember that debating over too many talented players is always a better position to be in that worrying about limited options due to injuries or other reasons.  

England’s 31 man Rugby World Cup Squad is strong, we are absorbing it on the back of an 'off colour' performance that I believe is tarnishing a number of viewpoints and excitement. If England had delivered handsomely in Paris the buzz would be quite different however they did not. 

There is so much more to delve into regarding my thoughts on individual selection calls and then building into the Ireland Test week and beyond however this is an early summary of today's announcement. To end, I'll leave you with the words and praise that Stuart Lancaster had for all members of his squad on what was an significant day; 

"I’ve got a huge amount of respect for their integrity and class and the way in which as a group they have dealt with it [final selection], because it was an unbelievably emotional changing room this morning for me personally and obviously I’m sure for players the players in the squad but equally for to the guys that missed out."

"As coaches what you have to do is to be fair and robust to everyone and trust your instincts, we have worked together for four years now as a coaching team and we trust each others instinct.  We trust the decisions that we have made, we trust the 31 players and we are ready to go."

England Rugby 31 Man RWC Squad

Props; Kieran Brookes, Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola & David Wilson. Hookers; Jamie George, Rob Webber & Tom Youngs. Second rows;  George Kruis, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes & Geoff Parling. Back rows; James Haskell, Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw (Captain), Billy Vunipola & Tom Wood. Scrum halves; Danny Care, Richard Wigglesworth & Ben Youngs. Fly halves; Owen Farrell  & George Ford. Centres; Brad Barritt, Sam Burgess, Jonathan Joseph & Henry Slade. Back three; Mike Brown, Alex Goode, Jonny May, Jack Nowell & Anthony Watson

Calls of the Heineken & Selection Variety

At 1.45pm today Stuart Lancaster will announce his 31 man Rugby World Cup Squad and we believe that even after months in camp and two warm up matches there are certain selection decisions that have gone down to the wire. 

Last night in central London Heineken were formally launching their Rugby World Cup activity; #ItsYourCall. Out On The Full featured some details regarding this a few weeks ago (here) and it is where fans have the chance to perform the coin toss before every one of the 48 Rugby World Cup fixtures. In the heart of Central London at Somerset House I had the opportunity to speak with their esteemed Rugby World Cup team; Scott Quinnell, Jonah Lomu, John Smit, Matt Dawson and Will Carling and all shared with me their thoughts on a number of areas. 

From an English perspective both Will and Matt were of the opinion that there isn’t any reason to panic just yet following Saturday’s defeat. The two men were very much in the school of thinking that these warm up matches are/were very much for the coaches to gain knowledge and understanding and as Will rightly said ‘everything is about trying to peak at the right time and if they get that right then we’ll all be happy!’ 

As I have shared many times selection is subjective, neither former International envies the job of Stuart Lancaster the decisions that he has to make and Will was clear on his personal thoughts regarding the two main areas of great debate; Sam Burgess and Danny Cipriani. For Will this World Cup has arrived too soon for Sam as he shared;

“He is not ready and I don’t understand the rush, I think that the guy was an outstanding Rugby League player. He was jaw dropping, there is no doubt about that but he is not ready to play in a RWC at centre. I don’t think that you pick people in the squad because they are good guys or because they are good for moral, they have to earn their place and be there for a reason. I don’t quite understand the rush with him, I think he will be good but at the moment there’s no-one that I know ex-player or coach wise that I respect who says that he is ready.”

“I think he will be selected anyway, there seems to be a slight obsession with him and I don’t understand why, apart from watching him to play rugby league, but that is not quite what we are asking him to do. I think that we have try to make it even harder by making him play at 12 and 6, it is hard enough to try and play union. Sonny Bill Williams took two years at Toulon, everyone forgets that and he was in one position.” 

On the widespread reports from yesterday regarding Danny Cipriani’s omission, again Will was quite clear in terms of his personal thoughts on the subject;

"So, I understand making tough calls but what I don’t understand with Cipriani is that he never seemed to give him a chance. He never had a start, or even a half, everyone else seems to have had their shot - he got 20 minutes or just under and was brilliant. So you ask what else could he have done or was he never, ever, going to be in? Because actually on the tiny amount of time that he was in, I believe he has done enough, ahead of almost any of the other backs - but they’re not going to pick him. So from those bits you start looking and saying well no I don’t understand the selection process…"

"I hope that it is explained, because there has to be something apart from this playing ability. I’ve talked to a lot of players and as I understand there is no issue anymore with him in terms of personality, I have heard Farrell Senior saying that apparently you have to look at the intensity that some of the guys have been training at. My issue is that is that it is all about what happens on a pitch, at game time… there are certain guys that train brilliantly and always have done and there are certain great club players but then it comes to test rugby and they can’t do it. So I don’t quite understand it all." 

Will’s opinions above may echo and reflect some of yours, speaking to others their thoughts may be the polar opposite with the beliefs that Burgess is ready and that Cipriani just hasn’t been as consistent as the likes of Alex Goode over the past few years. 

Both Matt and Will were very clear that it is mighty difficult job to be a Head Coach and being the one that has to make these decisions with the spotlight of the world upon you.  The perspectives of individuals are always interesting to hear however for now, we must all sit and wait before the formal announcement from Pennyhill Park later on today and then we will hear from the England management themselves and understand their thoughts because after all they are the ones in charge!

Premiership Singha 7s Finals

(Sportsbeat for Premiership Rugby)

The Aviva Premiership’s 7s Tournament is always our first hint of domestic rugby during what is a long and dark summer drought. The tournament provides us with a chance to view players coming through our Aviva Premiership sides' academy systems and gives the Directors of Rugby the opportunity to test some players that they may have on trial or loan to see if they will continue to work with them.

The fact that Sevens will be part of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio has added an extra bit of spice to this year’s Premiership competition with one side in particular pulling out a number of ‘big guns’ that may have Rio in their sights! After opening rounds across the country last week, at Kingsholm, the Ricoh Arena, Kingston Park and the previous week’s Welsh event at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park we have our finalists and once again The Stoop will host the denouement of the tournament this coming Friday night (28th).

(C) Paler Images

Reigning Champions Gloucester Rugby made full use of their home draw and packed house at Kingsholm to secure three wins from three and At Singha’s media evening on Monday the man heading up Gloucester’s Sevens charge again, Olly Morgan, shared a little more about their top try scorer and Captain Steph Reynolds;

"He isn't the most communicative Captain because obviously he is running the length of the pitch and absolutely knackered but what he does have is a great understanding of the game. Yes, he has pace but I don’t think that people give him enough credit for his defensive work, he hardly misses a tackle and he often comes up against the quickest in the other team."

Steph is a laid back individual; he takes things in his stride (no pun intended) and shared with me how he simply aims to 'lead by example'. Out of Steph’s earshot Olly likened the twenty one year old to a Gloucester legend, James Simpson-Daniel saying that Steph reminds him of a young Simpson-Daniel in terms of his 'skill set and ability’. Obviously this is a great compliment and like so many of these younger players at our Premiership Clubs there is an opportunity to be grasped for Steph as season as Olly mentioned;

“I think with the RWC and Jonny May probably being involved in England there is certainly a position up for grabs, the difficulty is people obviously talk about size and playing in the Premiership in this day and age you have to have some physicality. It will be interesting to see how he progresses, each year he puts a marker down and is given an opportunity and hopefully they’ll be more for him with the world cup”

(C) Paler Images

With respect to every other side competing on Friday evening many see Wasps as Gloucester’s greatest threat to defending their title. In the group rounds Wasps' team sheet was the most recognisable of all including Christian Wade, Guy Thompson and Elliot Daly. For Elliot the Singha 7s was the first time on a 7s pitch since he was 'about 17' but by all accounts it was a thoroughly enjoyable and useful outing;

“Dai put the squad up and when we all saw the names I think that everyone wanted to be in and around the squad and there was a lot of buzz about it on the training ground. Sevens gives that different emphasis, I’m in more of a play-maker kind of role on the side as opposed to a finisher and it was great to have boys scoring tries so early on in the season. It is quite individual, even though it is a team game; you need your individual skills to be pretty high – tackling, passing and everything like that so it eases you into the season and a great way to play the game.”

The Singha 7s Finals will be hotly contested affair at The Stoop for alongside the two favourites mentioned the Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks, Newcastle Falcons, two Welsh regions and the hosts Harlequins will all be ready to cause an upset. With 163 tries scored in the opening rounds of action and a dry night expected in London the stage is set for individuals to flourish and one side to enjoy a spot of silverware amidst all of the tough pre-season conditioning and hard work. 

All of the important details for the finals of the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s are; 
Date - Friday 28th August - 6pm KO
Tickets - £10 (Adults) and £5 (Children) purchase here. 
Venue - The Twickenham Stoop, London
Opening QFs - Newport Gwent Dragons vs. Sale Sharks, Gloucester Rugby vs. Harlequins, Wasps vs. Exeter Chiefs & Newcastle Falcons vs. Scarlets. 

England Rugby - Selection Time

England's 50 Man Training
Squad Announcement

After months and months of speculation, opinions and heated discussions the time has come for England to finalise their 31 man Rugby World Cup squad and to submit it to World Rugby. It seems only yesterday that we were commenting on the wider 50 man training squad and in the blink of an eye England have completed weeks of hard work at Pennyhill Park, trained in Denver and played in two warm up games.

The deadline for submission to World Rugby is the 31st August and Stuart Lancaster will announce his squad on Thursday at 1.45pm. Some countries, the likes of Samoa, Australia and Fiji announced their squads a little while ago whilst France did their big reveal on Sunday and Wales will wait until the Bank Holiday Monday itself. The fact is that there aren’t any prizes for being first or last, it is each to their own and with the selection decisions that England’s management are facing I’m happy to see them using this last training week productively and wisely.

As we all know selection is a hugely subjective matter, one man’s starter is another man’s bench warmer and this week there will be plenty of passionate debates on social media and in clubs and homes across the country. For some Danny Cipriani remains an ‘enigma’ that isn’t quite sturdy enough for a World Cup whilst for others he is England’s answer to turning any game and is a shoo-in ahead of Alex Goode. The presence of Sam Burgess divides the population most with camps hugely split on his continued presence in the squad let alone being an integral part of the 31. Some continue to bring up the 'what if we had selected Steffon and Nick' debate and for me this is irrelevant, it was buried a long time ago and is totally null and void so close to the tournament. Of course there are areas of clarity with the wingers and scrum halves already selected, Chris Robshaw's Captaincy and others like George Ford and Jonathan Joseph sure of their spots.

The fact that the Parisian crunch didn’t go to plan means that emotions are running even higher than they would have been if England had delivered the performance that expected and as such secured a victory. We all have our opinions but at that end of the day they are just that and Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team will be the ones to decide. 

England have performed in two greatly contrasting warm up games and as outsiders that is all we have seen. Both matches provided ample food for thought however combined they didn't deliver clear cut answers and selecting solely on the basis of them would be a minefield. Thankfully, behind closed doors there have been hours of unit sessions, fitness sessions, rugby sessions and 15 on 15 matches all of which will fuel selection decisions. My point is this: the final 31 will not please everyone however at this point in time blasting ‘incorrect’ selection decisions is counter-productive and branding those that make the decision as ‘knowing nothing’ in my view is disrespectful. 

Whatever blend or mix of England’s 31 man squad it will be a strong one and one that we can trust. The conundrums and selection headaches that the management will endure this week and have endured over the past two months are positive for it shows that our elite game is in a much stronger place than it was heading into the last world cup. 

England Rugby - Zut Alors !!

The emotions surrounding England Rugby are now running higher than ever courtesy of last night’s match in Paris. Needless to say it wasn’t an glorious eighty minutes of rugby and in spite of finishing with a bang today's mood, both inside and outside of camp, will be far from jovial. 

Before we delve into the areas that were unexpectedly off in Paris let's be very clear about the fact that there won’t be a single England player that will accept that performance. Prior to the match we all talked about this England side making a statement and sending out a thunderous message to their colleagues that played last weekend and to the wider rugby world and with respect they didn't do that. 

Across the park the effectiveness that we expected from key partnerships didn’t deliver and by all accounts the side looked "rusty" to use Stuart Lancaster's description. For the past International season, at least, we have discussed England’s pack as one of the best in the world however for the second week in a row France packed more of a punch in the set piece and at the breakdown. It is the fact that they did so with the personnel that we all hang in so high regard; Marler, Youngs, Cole and co that hurts the most. Last weekend we took the imbalance on the chin slightly knowing that these aforementioned players were waiting in the wings however last night's contrast hurts. 

Discipline cost England greatly in the opening half and the only positive is that it will be a valuable lessoned learned about the whistle of Jaco Peyper prior to him taking charge of their match against Fiji. The lineout didn't function strongly throughout and that with a less than solid scrum meant that England had little platform to work off and as a result very little ball to play with. The statistic that highlights this most clearly is that in the opening half an hour England made 54 tackles whilst France made just 4 and we all know you cannot build a performance off nothing. After the break England injected life into proceeding, they cleaned up their act, not wholly but enough, and then in the final ten minutes looked like the team that you and I know. From seventy minutes onwards upped the tempo which surely is a testament to their fitness levels and overall the ball was cleaner, the gain line was broken and there was invention however the damage had been done and they ran out of time. 

Unfortunately for Stuart Lancaster the selection conundrums that he had heading into the match are largely still up in the air and potentially new ones have come to the forefront. First, Danny Cipriani’s impact can’t have gone un-noticed however let's not forget about the performance of Alex Goode last week and we know that they are in a straight shoot out for one spot. Jamie George didn’t hit all of his arrows however he did do some effective carrying around the park and didn't looked overawed by a hostile French atmosphere - does that push him ahead of Luke Cowan-Dickie? Nick Easter showed that an experience head is always of benefit as he made a big impact off the bench and as for the Burrell/Burgess face off... well everyone will have a different opinion on that one. 

For all of the negativity that will be passed at England’s door now ourselves the message has to be that this match doesn’t automatically indicate a poor tournament. It was eighty minutes of rugby and eighty minutes that this side will wish to replay over and over. This performance, at this point in time, wasn't part of the plan however it cannot be changed. One incomplete, and dare I say it, poor performance does not define this squad however it will be a strong test of their character and one I expect them to pass. 

Now all eyes shift to Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team, the deadline for selecting their 31 man squad is fast approaching and with two contrasting warm up games and plenty of training performances that none of us have seen their decisions will make for extremely interesting reading come the end of the week. 

Urban Rugby Squad

One of the things that those of us immersed in the world of rugby are proud of is our sport’s ability to help shape individuals for the better. The core values of rugby; respect, teamwork, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship ring true at every level of the game and senior players honour their duty of ensuring that as every new generation arrives they stay true to these roots. By its very nature rugby is an explosive and dare I say it an aggressive game however it is always delivered with the utmost respect for opponents and officials – something that can’t always be said in other sports. These strong values mean that our sport has the ability to help people of any age grow and flourish.

This summer a man that has just hung up his boots after spending his life immersed in the professional game, Ugo Monye, has taken the time to be at the heart of a new programme. The programme is delivered by our Premiership Rugby Clubs and supported wholeheartedly by the broadcaster that is intrinsic to the competition; BT Sport and its charitable initiative, The Supporters Club.

In short the Urban Rugby Squad is aimed at young adults from challenging backgrounds and is about giving them the opportunity to grow as people, in exactly the manner I spoke about earlier. For any of you that have kids, cousins or nieces and nephews you will know about the power of having positive role models and the way in which young people often look up to those in the public eye. For many young people advice from teachers and parents can fall on deaf ears however advice from sports stars and sports coaches often permeate a little deeper and ‘life lessons’ are delivered more subtly to them. Ugo is a tremendously personable guy and from a young person’s perspective he is approachable and pretty cool for an adult! Chatting with me from Harlequins’ Urban Rugby session in Camberwell Ugo shared the admiration he has for those hosting this programme;

“First and foremost it is a fantastic initiative, it is great to see that even with so much focus on the Rugby World Cup there are still major companies that want to keep investing in individuals and putting energy into young people and rugby.”

Over the course of this summer all of our Aviva Premiership sides have been or will be hosting similar Urban Rugby Squad sessions and then the clubs are coming together in August for a Festival. Following that the whole programme will culminate in a National Festival that will be held at The Twickenham Stoop in October. For those delivering all of the training sessions and the more festivals the focus remains the same regardless of the stage or the location as Ugo shared;

“It isn’t about trying to create a whole host of international elite athletes; most importantly this is about having an impact on their lives and helping individuals to become better people in their communities. I met a young lad called Mitch today who was sharing with me how he is learning to use rugby to get rid of some of his frustrations and focus his energy on the pitch. We take the time to chat during sessions about what they are doing or learning and about how it can translate into their lives on a daily basis and it is just great to be a part of.”

The forthcoming Rugby World Cup will be a tremendous celebration of those at the very top of our game however as Ugo said it is great to see the support at the other end of the performance spectrum. Personally I know how much rugby can give you as an individual even though my background certainly wouldn't be classed as a challenging one I credit rugby for shaping me into the individual that I am today. Once again this is a great example of the superb power of our sport and why we are all proud to be associated with a game that can deliver so much, both on and off the field.

BT Sport Ambassador Ugo Monye was speaking on behalf of the Urban Rugby Squad, a partnership between BT Sport’s The Supporters Club, Restart Rugby, the Official Charity of The Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), and Premiership Rugby. The initiative is running across all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs throughout the summer and will see young people aged 14-16 from disadvantaged communities across England given the opportunity to participate in regular sporting activity and personal development workshops that use rugby as inspiration. For more information about The Supporters Club, visit www.thesupportersclub.org