Tour of duty

SO that's another mission accomplished - our biggest test so far on tour and we have come away with a big win and no walking wounded. All in all, a very satisfactory day for us.

We knew this would be a tough game, and it most certainly was. They tried to get in among us early on and to confront us physically, but all things considered I think we handled that aspect pretty well. Nobody lost their cool and there were no yellow cards, which is a result in such an important and confrontational game.

Our plan was to weather those early exchanges and then wear them down by scrummaging very hard. We wanted to tire them out at the set- piece and create some space out wide for our backs. We knew that if we could apply pressure at the scrums and lineouts, and combine it with aggressive defence then we could really cut down their space and make life really difficult for them.

That sort of aggressive defence is something we have worked on since the first day that we got together. Every training session has a time at the end dedicated to defensive work and Phil Larder, our defensive coach, doesn't just work with the team as a whole, but also with individuals. He has spent a lot of time working with the front five in particular, and he keeps emphasising to us that we need to put in at least 10 tackles each per game.

I think that philosophy showed through against the Reds. Players like Jonners and Danny Grewcock put in an enormous number of big hits, and it was no accident that three of our five tries came directly from turnovers forced by the weight of tackling from our big men.

I think we were helped in the first half by the fact that they seemed to get up too tight on us when they were defending. That meant it was pretty easy for us to step outside, and once we did that we were away. In the second half they took a step back, and that made it a lot more difficult to break through.

I think that accounts for the slowdown in the second half. We thought at half-time that we could put 70 points past them, but they really stuck in at their task and began to play intelligent rugby. It also didn't help that we brought on several players in the second half. No matter how hard you try or how desperate you are to make an impact, it is always difficult to come on cold.

The loss of Rob Howley in particular made a difference, although the decision to take him off was purely precautionary. Graham Henry told us before we arrived that if there was any sign of a problem, players would be pulled off. Rob took a knock on his ribs early on, but we do expect him to be fit for training tomorrow.

From a personal point of view, I was very pleased to be able to get some game time, especially as I was only drafted on to the bench at the last minute when Scott Quinnell's knee swelled up again. There are only three matches left before the First Test, so it's very important indeed for me to get a chance to get out there and impress the selectors.

With Jonners as captain, there are four of us fighting for that one second row spot, and I have to say that I thought Danny Grewcock was just awesome against the Reds. Not only did he put in a huge number of big tackles, but he also played very well in the lineout. That was an area that went better than we could have expected, and it was an important factor in the win. That said, I still feel I have a good chance of forcing my way into the Test side.

I expect to be in the side to play Australia A on Tuesday night and that will be an even harder game than the one against the Reds. On Tuesday there will be 14 Wallabies on the pitch, and they will all have a huge incentive to do well against us as they try to force their way back into Rod Macqueen's thinking.

But we are ready. Personally, I have been through two sessions a day, with lots of contact, but it's proving to be the experience of a lifetime. The intensity of training is very high, and I'm learning a vast amount. The coaching team is obviously very experienced, but Graham Henry is also keen that the players have an input.

Guys like Jonners and Keith Wood have brought a lot of ideas, and I get a real sense that I'm learning things on a daily basis. Although we have to keep a lot of tactics and moves up our sleeves until the Test series, we have developed a gameplan which we believe can deliver us a series win.

Everybody now understands what we're trying to achieve and how we expect that to translate on to the pitch. Defence is the key to our gameplan, and I think yesterday showed that we're on the right track.

I hope to show on Tuesday that I can play to that gameplan and produce a performance every bit as impressive as Danny's was today. From here on in, it is all about opportunities, and I have to make sure that I take mine. I've been really pleased to see that Gordon Bulloch has made the most of the opportunities he's had. With Phil Greening injured and Robin McBryde still suffering from a dead leg, Gordon's getting a lot of game time in which to impress. That's a stroke of good luck for him, but I've been very impressed with how well he's taken the chance. I don't think he can believe his luck.

Another player who has shown just how you can seize opportunities has been Martin Corry. He came on the tour as a replacement for Simon Taylor, and within a week he has established himself as a real contender for the Test No 8 slot. With both Scott Quinnell and Lawrence having injury concerns, he knows how important it is that he continues to impress. He was just brilliant against Queensland.

So, for that matter, was Rob Henderson, who is a player many people thought came on tour as a makeweight. He has proved them wrong: his two games this week have been excellent, and especially with Mike Catt struggling with fitness he is now looking like a real possibility for a place in the line-up to play Australia in Brisbane a week on Saturday.

All of us now have a sense of where we are going. We have three big wins under our belts and morale is very good indeed. We have no major injury worries and competition for places is becoming intense.

People are saying that the side which started against Queensland was the shadow Test side, but nobody in the squad believes it, which is why the training remains so intense.

We have had opportunities to do other things, but everybody just wants to train, to get one chance to impress the selectors. We know that it's all to play for. The next week sees two chances to impress Graham Henry and make him play me against Australia.

This could be one of the most important weeks of my rugby career. I don't intend to waste this opportunity.

Copyright 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.