Back page betting: A high Noon battle with England's defensive demons

English Rugby / Ralph Ellis / 18 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

But the musical chairs culture must end if England are to recover the spirit of 2003 says Ralph Ellis.

It was on a summer tour to New Zealand that the steel defence behind England's heroic Rugby World Cup win of 2003 was first forged. It was there that Martin Johnson and his boys discovered they did have both the physical and mental strength to stand up to the most awesome attacking sides on the planet.

Right now, after last week's miserable 37-20 defeat by the Kiwis in Auckland, Johnson as manager-in-waiting looks a long distance from finding the same sort of resolve in a new team. Just to make matters worse the touring party are embroiled in the sort of scandals that have traditionally followed England football teams on tour, with four as yet unnamed players under police investigation over a complaint by a female about an alleged incident in a hotel room a few hours after the game last Saturday night.

Against that background it's hardly surprising that caretaker Rob Andrew is tearing up the team sheet among his backs and starting again for the Second Test this weekend. Scoring 20 points suggests a certain amount of progress, and there's only one switch among the forwards - and even that forced by injury with Tim Payne replacing Andrew Sheridan. But it's in the back line that the real drastic axe swinging has happened with five of the seven on duty last week getting dropped.

Andrew's aim is to bring in some strength defensively, so in comes the most abrasive defender of all in Jamie Noon. His task is to get a hold on the central areas so that if wing Topsy Ojo, one of the two survivors from last Saturday's team, were to follow up his two debut tries with another couple of scores it might actually count for something. Andrew tells all the papers this morning: 'It's about looking at the physical threats posed by New Zealand in that area of the field. There were lots of areas we matched them, but we felt the midfield was probably the area where the game was won and lost.'

Of course there are no guarantees that another lot of changes will make any difference. As the veteran rugby writer Peter Jackson points out in this morning's Daily Mail, England chop and change at such an alarming rate that anybody being dropped doesn't have to wait too long for another chance. That's certainly the case for Tom Varndell, back in the team on the left wing, and admitting to Jackson that he got too big for his boots when his initial chance as an international started so brilliantly with a try against Samoa at Twickenham from his very first touch of the ball. Varndell was the Premiership's top scorer last season so could give Andrew's team a threat from both flanks.

But for those willing to trust in Andrew's aim of finding a new line-up that can settle down and put an end to the constant game of musical chairs that seems to be played in England's Rugby team pictures, there are some betting opportunities to be had. Bearing in mind that last week's winning margin was 17 points, it only needs the tougher new defence to save one try and a New Zealand win of more than 12.5 points looks a useful lay at [1.4]. England to be ahead at half time before the strength of the All Blacks takes over is an attractive [8.2] in the Half Time/Full Time market. And if you're really feeling patriotic in the absence of English interest in Euro 2008 then [15.5] for an England win is the longshot price.

Five things you didn't know about Jamie Noon

1. Despite playing for Whitby while he was still at school he was missed by the scouts for
the Yorkshire representative sides. It took a letter from a teacher for Newcastle Falcons
to give him a chance.

2. In 2003 he broke the record for consecutive Premiership appearances by playing 50
games in a row

3. He's got a degree in sports science from Northumbria University

4. He was left out at the last minute from England's 2003 World Cup squad so Mike Catt
could come in

5. Saturday night's Test at Lancaster Park in Christchurch will be his 33rd England cap