The Voice From the Stands
For the English, Twickenham was a quiet and desolate place on Saturday. There was no rousing rendition of 'Swing Low', and even the national anthem was sung without so much as a degree of conviction. Alas, England's performance reflected as much, a side screaming for mercy but unable to utter their plea.
For the English Twickenham was a quiet and desolate place on Saturday. There was no rousing rendition of 'Swing Low', and even the national anthem was sung without so much as a degree of conviction. Alas, England's performance reflected as much, a side screaming for mercy but unable to utter their plea.
I myself, after England accounted for the Pacific Islands, stressed the importance of patience with Martin Johnson's England. After his first Test in charge Johnson would have been reasonably pleased, two weeks later and he is rapidly searching for a dark corner to hide in.
We still must afford Johnson time, but conversely we want to see progress in the way England are playing. Sadly this is not the case. Rather England have gone backwards of late, and at quite some speed too, leaving us all wondering 'where now?'
Take a look at the last two Tests and the deficiencies, of which there were more than English points, are there for all to see. To make a mistake once is human nature, to continue making the same mistake over and over is sheer stupidity. To make them against New Zealand is suicidal.
Jonno is far from dim-witted – the same can't be said of his team, of whom to say they looked clueless on Saturday, would be a compliment. One thing he is though is inexperienced, much like the side he fields at present, and whilst the fear of the unknown can often act as an advantage, as far as England are concerned it is a crippling fact they can't escape.
Had Johnson been playing on Saturday you can rest assured there would have been, if nothing else, a huge display of pride and honour in the shirt. Sadly for England this was as non-existent, as their ability to score tries, a vital facet of the game if you wish to win Test rugby.
With New Zealand next up, a side who have yet to concede a Test try on tour, not to mention five successive second-half clean sheets, England's woes are about to be ruthlessly compounded. Even if New Zealand opt for a second-string (don't bet against it) England will need a near-miracle to turn their situation around.
What me must remember is that rugby is a team game, you win as a team and you lose as a team. Why then every Englishman feels the need to attack Danny Cipriani is beyond me. Yes his errors were numerous, but then he puts himself in a position to make mistakes in an effort to do better.
I am not saying he is perfect, far from it, or that he should be ditched at the first possible opportunity, but he does need protecting. It can't be easy, two years into your rugby career, to suddenly have to lead England out of the dark. Even more so when there doesn't appear to be any light at the end of a very long tunnel.
The blame for defeat should lie at the feet of all those involved, that is what team sports are about. It is all too easy to find a scapegoat, especially a four-cap 21-year-old who has just returned from a career-threatening injury, and ignore the real problems at hand.
England can't buy a try for love nor money, and apparently this is all down to Cipriani. If, and this may seem like a dream at the moment, England were running the tries in I can guarantee people would not only be talking about Cipriani. So why do they when England lose without even coming close to scoring a try?
You could argue, given his slightly egotistical nature, that Cipriani brings praise, and conversely criticism, upon himself. Or you could argue that he just isn't good enough to play Test rugby – in which case you really don't know your rugby.
Cipriani's talent is undisputed, even if it is in a very raw state at present. What is not certain is if he is being handled in the right manner. Would it not be better to ease him into the rigours of Test rugby, rather than fast-tracking him back from a major injury to stand as his country's scapegoat.
The hope is that by suffering such hardships now he will become a stronger individual for it. Worryingly the alternative is a boy with a broken belief beyond repair, which reflects England's current state, with the biggest test, for player and team, yet to come.
By Marcus Leach