The Ferrie Files: Day Five

Having failed to register a bonus point for the first time ever in a World Cup pool match last weekend they took just half an hour to ensure they took the maximum haul this time, so it was to Jacques Burger and his team’s credit that they stemmed the flow, conceding just one more first half score on the stroke of half-time and while New Zealand registered a sixth early in the second half the match highlight was unquestionably Johan Deysel’s try for the minnows soon after.

Just what New Zealand’s management took from the encounter was debatable after they required Julian Savea’s second try, late on, to get past the half century before Codie Taylor claimed their ninth touchdown in a 58-14 win.

However as they seek to build momentum there seemed greater urgency than they showed against Argentina, a performance that was sufficiently subdued to allow their Kiwi compatriot Milton Haig, Georgia’s head coach, to use it to try to heap the pressure on today’s opponents Argentina ahead of a match that could now decide who accompanies the All Blacks in getting out of Group C.

“I’ve looked at the footage quite a bit and it’s purely because New Zealand were pretty lukewarm,” he said of how long Argentina managed to stay in that match.

He also reckons, however, that his team have more to show than they did in beating Tonga last weekend.

“We know that if we’re going to have a chance at winning we’re going to have to attack more, so you will see that, and you will see us using the ball a bit more,” said Haig.

“If we can defend like we did against Tonga and create a few more opportunities, we’ll create some pressure. If Japan can beat South Africa, why can’t we beat Argentina?”

GOOD DAY

Sam Burgess has proved himself right and his doubters wrong, so far at least, by earning selection for a World Cup start just weeks after the rugby league convert made his international debut in the 15-a-side code.

“I believe in myself. I feel like I have the respect of my teammates and the staff. That is the opinion that counts for me,” he said, having made a significant impact as a replacement in England’s opening match against Fiji, in spite of questions having been raised about his apparent naivete on his only previous start in a warm-up match against France.

Such is Burgess’s self-belief that he has envisaged getting this opportunity to play in a rugby union World Cup just two years after taking part in the rugby league equivalent, pretty much since switching codes.

“I did have a vision of doing it. This is what I wanted to achieve, to be part of this squad,” he said.

“I don’t believe what people say. I believe in Stuart (Lancaster, England’s head coach) and what he has picked. My job is to deliver in the job he has given me. The exterior talk is that we move on and believe in ourselves.”

BAD DAY

Just when it seemed that they were running out of players injury-stricken Wales have found themselves in trouble with tournament blazerdom for having too many.

They were issued yesterday with an official warning for what was described as “an apparent breach of the spirit of the Rugby World Cup 2015 terms of participation regarding team training arrangements and specifically the inclusion of players from outside the selected 31 player squad for a training session yesterday.

Having looked into it World Rugby, the sport’s over-arching governing body, reported that it is satisfied that no deliberate breach was intended, however in addition to the formal warning to the Welsh team, all participating teams have been informed that additional players from their extended national team squad, including potential injury replacements, may not participate in any training sessions.

TALKING POINT

Heading into the supermarket around the corner from Twickenham yesterday it was a bit odd to be confronted by a full size and surprisingly lifelike cardboard cut-out of Stuart Hogg.

With Chris Robshaw in close attendance a scan of the foyer soon identified Welsh and Irish representatives, albeit the choice of Leigh Halfpenny was unfortunate given that the Welsh scoring machine did not even make it to the tournament.

No other national teams were represented, however and, as with some of the television advertising around this tournament it spoke to the confusion which so often prevails in terms of separating out English identify from Britishness, hinting at a lingering sense of continued Imperial ownership.

Admittedly, as was pointed out by my English host Dave Elliott (yes there’s Scottish blood in there somewhere): “There’s no confusion... if we win we’re English and if we lose we’re British.”

Just a variation on the old Andy Murray business of him being British when he wins and Scottish when he loses of course and Dave’s tongue was firmly in his cheek, but there should be no doubt that, regardless of a handful of matches being played in Cardiff, this is England’s World Cup and is all the better for it.

This is the third World Cup held within what are referred to as the Home Unions and the previous ones, in 1991 and 1999, both suffered from being spread across them.

Scotland, in particular, let the side down with poorly attended matches in each of them and having covered both there was a feeling of detachment from the competition until the last two weekends when we headed south, while there were far too many chiefs when it came to promoting the tournament. In emotional terms, too, instead of the desired effect of quadrupling the passionate support for the home teams, somehow the overall effect was to dilute interest.

Lessons have been learned from the Southern Hemisphere in particular with the best World Cups to date all having been staged there, in South Africa in 1995, Australia in 2003 and New Zealand last time around.

The 2007 tournament was also pretty decent, but only a combination of wizardry by the home team and a horrible blunder by Waynes Barnes, the English referee, prevented the most ridiculous of scenarios occurring as a result of the Celtic countries being allowed to stage games in exchange for votes, namely the host team being knocked out on foreign soil, when, having unexpectedly lost the opening match to Argentina and so come runners-up in their group, France found themselves up against pre-tournament favourites New Zealand in Cardiff in the quarter-finals.

No such mistake has been made this time around with England playing all bar one of their group matches at Twickenham, while they have ensured that as long as they manage to beat either Australia or Wales they will return to headquarters in the quarter-finals because the quarter-finals involving both the Group A pool winners and runners-up and both semi-finals as well as the final are all at Twickenham.

That banker victory against Group minnows Uruguay in Manchester may have a token look about it, then, designed to avoid the slur that, like their football team in 1966, they played all their matches on their usual home pitch – something that remains unique for a winning host team – but that is what home advantage is about and why should England fail to give themselves every chance?

The way things are shaping up there is, of course, every chance that Stuart Hogg will be playing there come the quarter-finals too but, particularly if Scotland find themselves facing the hosts there, cardboard cut-out or no cardboard cut-out he should be warned not to expect to be welcomed as some sort of local hero should that turn out to be the case.

AND ANOTHER THING. . .

It is a long time now since former Wales international John Taylor lamented: “Thank goodness we weren’t playing against the whole of Samoa.”

Back in 1991 the Pacific Islanders’ defeat of Wales rocked world rugby, but ever since they have been recognised as a force.

Now, however, their task is to continue the job started by this the new shock troops by edging South Africa towards an early exit following their defeat by Japan and Stephen Betham, Samoa’s head coach, believes his men are up to it.

““We can match anyone when that attitude is there in everything that we do… the line speed of chase, the tackling, the urgency to get back,” he said.

Wouldn’t it be something!

WHAT'S ON TODAY

With the weekend looming there is only one match today, albeit a fascinating encounter between a Georgia side that got off to a flying start by upsetting Tonga and an Argentina team that now cannot afford to lose after performing well but failing to take anything from their meeting with the All Blacks.

Scotland, who face the USA on Sunday, are meanwhile one of three sides naming teams for what should be one-sided Sunday matches when Australia will face Uruguay and Ireland will meet Romania.