19 November 2006

By Paul Morgan, editor of Rugby World Magazine

A win at last! The horrendous, record-equally run of seven defeats is finally over as England finally won and turned a losing streak into a winning one…albeit a one-game run!
Coaches are often the first to take the blame when the defeats arrive and last to take the praise when the wins appear. But it was clear from this victory that Andy Robinson and his management team played a huge role in overcoming South Africa.
Criticised from every corner – some of it merited – Robinson came out fighting after the defeat by Argentina and it worked a treat.
When Robinson first met the media, on the Tuesday before the South Africa match, he was in remarkably bullish mood, a state of mind, which continued all week and clearly transmitted itself to the rest of the coaches and the players.
He certainly didn’t look like the dead man walking portrayed in most sections of the media.
After losing to the Pumas – the weekend before - many presumed Martin Corry would be axed but the faith Robinson showed in him was repaid in a huge way by the Leicester man.
Corry, like Robinson, came out swinging and the attitude became infectious around the squad.
“Andy’s leadership qualities have been superb,” said defence coach Mike Ford.
“You talk about pressure but he didn’t show it once in the build-up to the game against South Africa and I believe it was therefore quite easy for Martin Corry and players to follow.
“Everybody showed a lot of character and Andy started that on Monday morning.”
It would have been so easy for England to capitulate when they trailed 18-6 at the start of the second half. They’d started the half in the worst possible way, conceding a try to Akona Ndungane and there looked to be no way back.
The Twickenham crowd – who booed England during the Argentina game – played their part. The strains of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, rang out from the stands and England clawed their way back into the match, finally sealing the victory with a 78th minute Phil Vickery try.
Vickery’s score followed around five minutes of pressure on the South Africa line, when scrum-half Shaun Perry resisted the temptation to move it wide, instead inching his forwards closer and the closer to the line. The forwards certainly valued the faith Perry showed in them.
After the game Lewis Moody explained in his column for the Mail on Sunday that England had been practicing for those final few inches with some old fashioned training in the run-up to the game.
“Of course I was bitterly disappointed to be left on the bench but delighted when I saw the sort of training sessions we had planned,” said Moody.
“Forwards coach John Wells – who I know so well from my Leicester days – led everything.
It was real old school rugby and I have longed for that from Wellsy. At Leicester he was hardcore to the bone and this week it was the same with England.
“Back to basics and back to big forwards hitting lumps out of each other at training. It is what we had been missing as a forward pack. With a 30-man squad in camp we could do a lot of eight on eight bosh and we certainly did!
“I love seeing that side of Wellsy. Proper aggressive training, that we managed to carry into the game with an old-school five minutes that ended in Phil Vickery’s try. This was part of Welsh’s trademark as a player and you have to have that.
“We’d said all week we wanted to put our mark on the game as a forward pack.”
It wasn’t of course just a forward effort, Josh Lewsey completing three try-saving tackles on his return to the England No 15 jersey, the first on Jean De Villiers, stopped the centre sprinting 60 yards to the line after an interception just inside his own half.
And Mark Cueto touched down in the second half, picking the ball up inches from the line and dotting it down after Andy Goode knocked the ball back when stopped inches short.
Robinson was delighted to see his plan come to fruition despite having to watch both Charlie Hodgson and Andrew Sheridan depart on stretchers – with serious injuries – either side of half time.
“Above all I am really pleased for the team," said Robinson. “The character and sheer doggedness to get back in the game was great.
"They are passionate about playing for England and that last 20 minutes we really lifted our game.
"That was for everyone involved in English rugby. It has been tough but everyone kept their composure. Martin Corry has been superb as captain."
Everyone knows that South Africa arrived at Twickenham with an inexperienced side but they believe players like Butch James, Francois Steyn and Jean De Villiers could be stars of next year’s World Cup.
No-one would suggest this win means that England are back. But it was a victory that came from the character and spirit within the squad and it is, quite evidently, a win on which they can build.
They’ll need more than passion and character at next year’s World Cup but it is certainly a start.