- Rob Hodgetts
- 21 Oct 07, 06:38 PM
London - England's World Cup final brings to the end another era and there will be a new-look side when the team take on Wales in the Six Nations opener on 2 February.
Not wholesale changes, maybe, but has already retired, while others could follow in the coming months. Brian Ashton - or whoever is the coach by then - will have free rein to start again with his selection.
We asked you earlier on Mark Orlovac's blog from Paris to send in your ideas of England's Six Nations starting XV.
From a very rough survey of about 20 replies, we've compiled the following composite England side.
Continue reading "Picking an England team"
- Rob Hodgetts
- 16 Oct 07, 12:43 PM
London - Has England鈥檚 emergence in the World Cup final caught you by surprise? No, of course not, you cry. I always had faith.
But did you back your convictions by leaving the diary empty for 2000BST on Saturday, 20 October 2007? (If you are South African, you may have done just that)
Continue reading "Party or pooper?"
- Rob Hodgetts
- 7 Oct 07, 10:48 AM
Christchur-... I mean Cardiff - Well, well. So . And sometimes on the same day.
Not many of us thought France could emulate and beat the mighty Kiwis. (I have to confess I wrote the first take of this intro about lunchtime and it looked very different.)
Even fewer thought Les Bleus could surge from behind and pull off, if not quite a , then a very good second best.
Continue reading "D茅j脿 vu for KO'd Kiwis"
- Rob Hodgetts
- 7 Oct 07, 07:15 AM
Cardiff - What a night! Two shocks in one day is too much to take. Anyway, here are my ratings for France's quarter-final against New Zealand.
Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts!
Continue reading "New Zealand v France player ratings"
- Rob Hodgetts
- 21 Jul 07, 10:31 AM
I'm what's known in rugby parlance as a utility back. Rugby and golf are my main positions - I blogged from Ireland during the Ryder Cup - but you'll see me pop up in all sorts of other areas, too.
My fondest rugby memories are Five Nations Saturdays in the OVT at Birmingham University, and sitting in the press box at Twickenham covering the 1999 World Cup semi-final between France and New Zealand.
All impartiality went out the window when France began their famous comeback, as the hardened hacks, and me, leapt to our feet to cheer on Les Bleus.
Work over, the party in the pub in Twickenham that night was legendary, with a cocktail of French, Kiwis and British all celebrating a sensational game together.
Now then, call me old-school, but I reckon all modern backs should be made to watch videos of the likes of and back in the days when sidesteps (as well as sideburns) were as important as big muscles. Those guys knew how to beat an opponent one-on-one. England backs take heed.
