Resolutions for the rugby elite

Wednesday 6 January 2010
Published By: Ben Welch
International Rugby > Australia

With the 12 Days of Christmas coming to a close, thoughts have well and truly turned to new year's resolutions. Most of us are likely to have already failed in our efforts by this stage, but what can we expect some of the rugby world to be prioritising in 2010?

England: Sort out the coaching crisis

There can be little doubt that England's current coaching setup simply isn't working, with the team in apparent disarray. Blame injuries all you like for their most recent failings, the fact is that Martin Johnson's side - who played in the 2007 World Cup final, although it's easy to forget - are on a rapid downward spiral.

And the RFU needs to wake up and reconsider the immunity it appears to have given Jonno. Yes, he was a great player and a fine captain, but that does not automatically make him the right man to have at the helm!

Australia: Find a way to beat the Boks

The Wallabies are clearly the third best team in the southern hemisphere right now and with so much ground to make up on New Zealand and South Africa, fans at Green and Gold Rugby have suggested that Australia should be making the defeat of the Springboks their new year's resolution.

Beating the world champions is easier said than done, but IRB stats showed that South Africa won twice as many opposition throws in the lineout as Australia and the All Blacks combined during the 2009 Tri-Nations. Clearly that's the place to start.

IRB: Get your house in order

A failed drugs test, a cheating scandal and an international star appearing in court on a burglary charge - it's been a tough year for rugby as a PR exercise. But the IRB have hardly helped endear themselves to the public with the disastrous recent law changes.

Rather than burying their heads in the sand, the powers-that-be need to take note of a simple fact: fans don't want to watch games in which players feel they're better off not having possession at all.