Rugby union: talking points from the weekend’s internationals

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/nov/24/rugby-union-talking-point-weekend-international

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England need to keep their cool

The contrast between the last quarter of an hour of the games in Cardiff and Twickenham was striking. The All Blacks kept calm, even when they fell behind, and were rewarded with the three tries which guaranteed their victory over Wales. England, dominant at the set-piece against Samoa, could not muster a single point in the final 28 minutes, wasting several obvious try-scoring opportunities. The worst was the last one, when Marland Yarde could not quite decide whether to sidestep the last defender or put Mike Brown away. In the event he did neither, stumbling into contact and throwing the ball wastefully at Brown’s ankles. It was symptomatic of the difference between England and the southern hemisphere’s finest. Until Stuart Lancaster’s side can convert those sorts of chances nine times out of 10 they will struggle to win any significant trophies. Robert Kitson

Samoa show enough to offer World Cup optimism

Just turning up was a victory of sorts for Samoa. They may have been threatened with being thrown out of the World Cup if they refused to play at Twickenham in protest at the way the Samoan Rugby Union was running the game on the islands, but all that was striking about them was their defence with some trademark hard hits. Their set-pieces were poor, costing them the opportunity to sustain pressure, and they were caught out when the defended too narrowly, but with more time together before next year’s World Cup and players to return, they should be contenders for a place in the quarter-finals. Their chief misfortune, the drizzle apart, was the presence of George Ford in the home line-up. They would probably have dealt with the England attack of the previous two weeks but found themselves having to contend with the element of surprise. Paul Rees

All Blacks show strength yet again

New Zealand: team of the year. Steve Hansen: coach of the year. Brodie Retallick: player of the year. What’s still to learn? They go the full 80 minutes as Ireland learned last autumn, Australia discovered in the summer and Wales found out on Saturday night in Cardiff. It isn’t just a physical thing. After being No1 since 2011 they know that anything is possible and are mentally strong. As Hansen said, they weren’t “rattled” as the Welsh coaches had claimed, just “tested”. Mike Averis

Wales

There were no surprises. Not in the five-fold improvement of Wales from the Fiji debacle; not in the result now against the All Blacks, the team they have not beaten in 26 encounters over the course of 61 years. In this latest version of the oft-repeated tale of heartache, there was a loss of control in the final ten minutes, a familiar closing chapter. The management of weariness is obviously an issue, and worryingly, sending on the subs doesn’t seem to be working. Fresh bodies didn’t stop, for example, the sharp drop in possession from the line-out. Without an injection of something novel, this might appear to be turning into a gruesome autumn. Why not aim to finish - injuries permitting - with the same fifteen that start? So that more players acclimatise to the end-game of pain. In the pursuit of the small improvements that make a difference, suffering fully for 80 minutes in November 2014 may yet be the making of a seriously - and surprisingly - good team in 2015.

Eddie Butler

Awesome O’Connell epitomises Ireland’s spirit

This autumn series does not want for world class second-rows. Brodie Retallick has just been named IRB player of the year and his partner in crime, Sam Whitelock, is no cart-horse either. South Africa mix old and new with Victor Matfield and Eben Etzebeth to impressive effect, both Wales and England have some fine athletes at their disposal and the emergence of Jonny Gray is among the major plusses for Scotland. Few however, are as important to their team as Paul O’Connell. Australia’s late siege at the Aviva Stadium was about 15 minutes but with memories of last year’s agonising near miss against New Zealand still fresh, it felt an awful lot longer. That was until O’Connell, with a minute left on the clock, blitzed out of the line to produce a colossal tackle on Ben McCalman – it was a clear statement that this time Ireland’s defence would not wilt. Matfield and Ireland’s head coach, Joe Schmidt, have been glowing with praise for O’Connell of late and rightly so. Whisper it quietly but even without Brian O’Driscoll, Schmidt’s men are establishing themselves as the north’s strongest challengers for next year’s World Cup. Much will depend on if 35-year-old O’Connell can stay fit however and it remains a big if. Gerard Meagher

Match report: Ireland 26-23 Australia

Beale’s cameo hints at Twickenham start

It did not take very long for Kurtley Beale to demonstrate precisely why Michael Cheika removed him from the naughty step and flew him out to join the rest of the squad. Entering the fray against Ireland early in the second half, Beale, with his very first touch, took Matt Toomua’s inside pass and cruised through a hole in the hosts’ defence. A slightly forward pass denied him some headlines for the right reasons but Cheika has made it pretty clear that despite all those for the wrong reasons, Beale’s talents are too good to pass up. England at Twickenham will be Australia’s 15th Test in 25 weeks but their response to going 17-0 down to Ireland inside 15 minutes suggests Cheika has succeeded in circling the wagons and restoring some bite to his side rather than allowing minds to turn to sun, sea and sand back home. Beale is also fresher than most in the Wallabies squad so do not be surprised to see him given a shot a redemption from the off against England. Gerard Meagher

Australia have score to settle in final tour match against England

Scotland’s autumn gives them a spring in their step

Beating Tonga on Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch may not lead to national rejoicing but Vern Cotter’s reign as head coach is beginning promisingly. Scotland have scored 11 tries in their three matches this month which will please their attack coach Duncan Hodge and in the Glasgow Warriors fly-half Finn Russell they have a playmaker of great potential. There will be some cause for optimism when Scotland visit Paris for their Six Nations opener in February. Scotland have beaten Argentina this autumn which is more Philippe Saint-Andre’s side could manage at the weekend. Ian Malin