Matt Dawson column: Rugby has some big calls to make after Wales saga

1 year ago 57

England's triumph successful Cardiff connected Saturday was significant, but radical whitethorn beryllium devaluing it somewhat due to the fact that of the turmoil that Wales went done successful the build-up.

For me, that was a grounds of wider problems successful rugby. One of the things the Wales players wanted was practice connected the committee that oversees nonrecreational rugby successful Wales and thankfully they got it.

Player practice astatine unions and governing bodies is truthful important. A concern cannot recognize its merchandise without the input of specialists. The glaringly evident specialists successful rugby are the players.

Rugby is an tremendous merchandise but we request innovative reasoning to crook it into an attractive, lucrative and commercialized sport.

Until radical are agreed connected that, we are ever going to travel up against issues similar Wales person experienced recently.

It is astir 3 decades since rugby national went professional, successful 1995. It is precise unsafe to comparison it with football, which has been nonrecreational for truthful overmuch longer, but I deliberation we tin comparison it with the Premier League, which started successful 1992. With the Premier League, shot looked to the future.

Then you look astatine cricket. Things are not cleanable successful cricket and determination person been immoderate monolithic sacrifices. Everyone hated the Indian Premier League initially but present it is an integral portion of the calendar. The players privation to play successful it and the fans privation to spot it.

It volition beryllium the aforesaid with LIV Golf. There is so overmuch furore astir that breakaway contention astatine the moment, but astatine immoderate signifier it is each going to travel unneurotic and determination play to a wholly antithetic level.

You request that fractious and innovative thinking. It volition upset radical on the mode but it is for the bully of the sport.

Rugby has needed that for galore years and it has immoderate large calls to marque now.

'England showed definite progress'

Looking astatine the existent rugby, I deliberation England caput manager Steve Borthwick volition beryllium truly blessed with that 20-10 victory.

There was definite advancement from the erstwhile 2 games and England looked much similar they understood however they privation to play.

It was not conscionable a forward-oriented, kicking crippled and that made it truthful overmuch harder for Wales to defend.

England made Anthony Watson's opening effort look truly casual but it was a fantastic determination - clever and precise.

They had truthful galore options successful onslaught and Wales had to effort and screen each of them. It showed that England are susceptible of manipulating their opposition.

Wales are yet to triumph a lucifer this Six Nations but nary substance however good they are playing, winning successful Cardiff is large and it is bully for England to person that successful their locker going forward.

'Confident England tin situation France'

France - Grand Slam champions past twelvemonth - are a precise antithetic proposition to Wales but I deliberation England volition person much assurance than they person had for a portion going into that adjacent game.

They volition beryllium nether unit astatine the set-piece due to the fact that France volition not marque the errors that Wales did successful that area.

But the fig 1 takeaway from Saturday's triumph was England's defence, which they volition decidedly request against a talented French team.

Discipline has been an contented for England implicit the past mates of years. Their decision-making implicit erstwhile to marque the assertive antiaircraft tackle and erstwhile to get successful the enactment was noticeably better.

Every clip Wales looked up to onslaught determination seemed to beryllium much achromatic shirts than red. New defence manager Kevin Sinfield has decidedly made a large content with England.

I would emotion to deliberation that, playing astatine Twickenham, England could bash thing against France.