Blue Murder says The Sunday Times. Apt. The beast that is top tier English Rugby has been dying for some times. It was put to the sword (or guillotine) yesterday. I actually enjoyed the game. Tibo was magnificent, should have had MotM, but the 'pundits' bottled that one and gave it to the highest scorer (I know it is a skill to kick penalties and conversions, but it doesn't take a rugby brain or stamina).
The backs couldn't perform because most possession they got was on the back foot. Our forwards were outplayed in every aspect of the game. Very few of them would have been in my team. Same goes for the backs. JvP is soooo slow.
But, we don't have the skilled players in the rest of the Premiership. We don't have much better coming through. You all know, I have been massively critical of the entire structure of the game, as the county youth programs and academy programs run by clubs are mostly controlled by the problem. The old boys network. The heavy reliance on private schools. No significant development program in to main stream schools, and no significant funding at grass roots. All that money spent on Twickenham and First Class/5 star expenses paid jollies around the world. Money talks they say. Well, the sugar daddy money is, and it is strangling our game. Money corrupts, and that corruption is spreading, year after year, crumbling the game from within, like wood rotten with termite damage.
Always a Wasp