No running today but attended a great session hosted by Hugo MacNeill (colleague and ex Ireland Union player as well as Lions) with Joel Stransky (kicked winning WC drop goal in 95), Nick Farr Jones (winning captain at the 91 WC) and Will Carling (3 time grand slam captain).
Very insightful and they did not hold back. Lots of subjects covered:
1. Why England were so poor? You cannot win WC with bulldozers (Andy Farrell's fault), no leaders on pitch and Burgess pick bizarre. Lancaster treating them as school children.
2. Why the southern hemisphere better? Not a lot of difference but mental side is the main reason probably given SH players are used to playing highly competitive Super15s and the rugby championship (Argentina improvement being a case in point). All agreed that is crazy that England's best player Armitage was not allowed to play given his French club. The Australians let Giteau back and look at the impact he has had.
3. What will fix English rugby? Player talent there in Joseph, Watson, Ford, Armitage et al. Needs a very experienced coach who has seen it done it.
4. What went through Stransky's mind when kicking his drop goal? Nothing other than just that.
5. Was the final penalty a good call in the Scots Australia game? Carling 'yes' as otherwise Scotland would be in the semis, nothing worse.
6. Is this the best world cup ever? Unanimous yes.
7. The main faults of WC? Firstly that World Rugby threw one of their own under a bus (SA ref) and the pooling system which created the group of death and beacuse of that the host got knocked out early on.
8. Who will win? NZ if they play to their potential. Aussie have a sneaky chance if Pocock and Hooper fit. McCall does not like to play against both.
9. Question to Carling: how did you cope with becoming captain at 22? Became a great listener in order to understand all individuals and then did everything to help them assuming they were one of 15 best players in England.
There was plenty more.
* I bottled my Mandela q to Stransky. You only live once.
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