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Big guns can still misfire
(Yorkshire Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)England and France may be favourites for the Six Nations but Lions legend Ian McGeechan tells Sam Wheeler how the underdog will always have its day.
IAN McGEECHAN may be concerned that rugby union's superpowers will keep getting stronger in the professional era but the architect of one of the sport's great upsets is confident the underdog will continue to have its day.
Leeds-born McGeechan, who coached Scotland to the grand slam against the odds in 1990, feels England and France are increasingly likely to take advantage of their superior playing resources and dominate the Six Nations.
The former Headingley, Yorkshire, Scotland and Lions centre is not opposed to professionalism - in 1994, two years before the game went open, Northampton made him one of its first paid coaches, and he is also critical of the conservative elements in the Scottish game who yearn for the old amateur days.
Now Wasps' director of rugby, he simply believes that the advent of full-time rugby has enabled the larger rugby nations to select and marshall their troops more efficiently.
"Professionalism has benefited the big nations," said McGeechan. "It makes it tougher for the likes of Ireland and Scotland. The more organised the game is, the more it favours those countries with the highest numbers of players.
"England were never as good as they should have been - I played all my rugby here and I know how many good players they had, but the selectors used to change the team every time someone didn't have a good game. Geoff Cooke brought a bit more consistency and now in the professional game, they have that consistency of selection.
"The European Cup and professionalism have helped the French. They have always had the talent and now they have got themselves far more organised than before." However, McGeechan, 59, does not despair of the Celtic Nations' chances in the Championship. He would not have become one of the most highly-rated coaches in the history of rugby union if he did not have an enduring passion for the game and he still loves the Six Nations, even though his focus is solely with club rugby now.
"Everybody in rugby gets excited by it," he said. "I had the privilege of playing and coaching in it and it is always a special time of year. Rugby has just got bigger and bigger over the last decade or so and interest in the Six Nations is as great as it has ever been.
"England and France have the strongest squads, the biggest groups of players but you always get the odd surprise result thrown up. If a team grows together and players come together, that's when Scotland, Wales and Ireland can challenge.
"That's what I had in 1990, a very good group of players coming together at the same time. If you get momentum, you can achieve what other people think to be the impossible. That's why team sport is brilliant." When pressed, McGeechan's money is on France for the title.
"For me, they have the outstanding players at the moment," he said. "You wonder mentally how they will play but having seen some of their club sides play in Europe, they have an outstanding crop of players. And they have England at home, which gives them a slight edge.
"England are still finding themselves a bit, regrouping after the World Cup. But they will be better this year than they were last year. They will always be powerful. They have a lot of talent but it is about balancing the selection. Andy Robinson has a few choices to make.
"Wales will be confident after what they did last year but they have got some injuries, which will not help them. However, they have an inspirational captain in Gareth Thomas - who was very impressive with the Lions last summer.
"They know what they want to do and how they want to play. If it comes off in their first game they will grow again like they did last year.
"Ireland, with the likes of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy, have certainly got the backs, and there are young forwards coming through for Munster, Leinster and Ulster. Perhaps some of the players in the team stayed a year too long but they have made that change and they look a threat." From his Test debut in 1972 until last year, Ian McGeechan was inextricably involved with Scottish international rugby, as player, coach and director of rugby - he is a Yorkshireman by birth and upbringing but a Scot by ancestry, accent and inclination.
The latter role did not suit him: he is an apolitical animal who prefers tracksuit and training-ground to suit and boardroom, and he appears happier with his hands-on role at Wasps.
"The closer you get to the playing field, the more honest people are," he said.
However, he is still a fervent supporter and he is optimistic about Scotland's chances, even though they have won just one match in two seasons.
He said: "Scotland are coming back under (head coach) Frank Hadden. Matt Williams took all their confidence away by telling them they were no good - if you keep telling players that, they will eventually believe it. But Frank is doing a good job, giving them confidence and freedom to play - we are at our best when the game is more open and we put width on the ball and play with passion.
"That's what we are coming back to. There are some good players coming through. If we win our home games, we are doing pretty well, and if we can steal the odd one away, that's an outstanding season." A humanities teacher at Firtree Middle School in Leeds until he was forced to choose between the classroom and the Scotland job in 1991, McGeechan was a good enough player to have played eight Tests for the British Lions - including all four on the celebrated 1974 tour to South Africa - but it is as a coach that he will be remembered. As well as winning the 1990 grand slam, he led the Lions to a series victory in South Africa seven years later.
He started coaching at Headingley, the only club he played for, after retiring in 1980, aged 33. Three years later, after working with the Scotland Under-21s, he progressed to the Scotland B team, and was assistant coach to the senior side by 1985.
While he was teaching, he would take unpaid leave to coach Scotland - sacrificing "a third of my salary" - and in 1991 he moved north of the border, taking a job in insurance. In 1994, though, he took a full-time role with Northampton.
This week, he was struggling to coach any players - there are six Wasps in the England 22, plus two more in the A-team, four playing under-age internationals and two in the Ireland squad.
For the psychological benefit of his club charges, McGeechan will be in the unusual position of hoping England do well, after so many years of plotting their downfall.
sam.wheeler@ypn.co.uk "England are still regrouping a bit after the World Cup. But they will be better this year." Factfile Ian McGeechan Born: October 30, 1946, Leeds.
Position: centre / fly-half.
Club: Headingley.
Representative honours: Yorkshire, Scotland, Lions.
Scotland caps: 32.
First Test: v New Zealand, December 1972.
Last Test: v France, March 1979.
Lions Tests: 8 (South Africa 1974, New Zealand 1977).
Coaching timeline: 1980: Coaches Headingley.
1983: Coaches Scotland B.
1988: Made Scotland coach.
1989: Leads Lions to series win in Australia.
1990: Leads Scotland to grand slam.
1991: Leaves teaching job.
1993: Coaches Lions to series defeat in New Zealand.
1994: Joins Northampton as director of rugby.
1997: Leads Lions to series win in South Africa.
1999: Appointed Scotland coach again.
2002: Takes job as director of rugby for the Scottish Rugby Union.
2005: Joins Wasps.
England Last year: 4th.
Captain: Martin Corry.
Star man: Andrew Sheridan.
Odds: 15-8 (Paddy Power) Expert view: Former England centre John Spencer, now a senior RFU figure.
"We would have preferred to have more quality preparation time - in terms of release hours, we have probably had less than any of the others.
"But I would still be confident, because England have some very good players.
"Our difficulty is that we have France away. To win four well and push France close would represent a major improvement on last year but we will be disappointed if we don't win a grand slam, following our performances in the autumn.
"There is no reason why we shouldn't do it." Sam Wheeler's verdict: Should win four out of five but may struggle again in Paris.
Prediction: 2nd (4 wins).
Scotland Last year: 5th Captain: Jason White Star man: Chris Paterson Odds: 50-1 Expert view: Former Leeds and Scotland lock Stewart Campbell, now a Radio Leeds pundit.
"We've got the best chance we've had for five years. I'm not saying we're going to wipe the board but we have a fighting chance in each game.
"Jason White is a good hard player, the sort of figure you want as captain.
"We've also got some exciting runners in the back division - Sean Lamont has real pace and an eye for the gap, and we've not had a winger like that for a while.
"I think we can win three games, which would be a real improvement on the last few years." Sam Wheeler's verdict: No longer pushovers but their only home games are against France and England.
Prediction: 5th (1 win).
Ireland Last year: 3rd.
Captain: Brian O'Driscoll.
Star man: Paul O'Connell.
Odds: 9-1.
Expert view: Rotherham's Irish prop Jarleth Carey.
"I've played with and against quite a few of the Ireland players in the All-Ireland League, and there are some bright young players coming through.
"They have realised that they have to build for the World Cup next year and get new faces in - they could have stuck with the likes of Anthony Foley and Shane Byrne. They will find it tough this year, having to go to Paris and Twickenham, and I think we would be happy with third place. But the future is promising. Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe are exciting young players." Sam Wheeler's verdict: On the way up again but unlikely to beat England or France away.
Prediction: 3rd (3 wins).
Wales Last year: 1st (grand slam).
Captain: Gareth Thomas.
Star man: Dwayne Peel.
Odds: 8-1.
Expert view: Leeds Tykes director of rugby and former Wales forward Phil Davies "With all the injuries, people back home are realistic and expectations have been tempered despite last year's grand slam.
"This Championship will highlight our strength in depth. It will be interesting to see if they can do the job.
"The first couple of games will be tough, particularly the first one against England. We are improving all the time: the regions are settling, and so is the Premiership underneath them.
"We have always had good young players and now they are emerging into the senior team." Sam Wheeler's verdict: Injury problems but could surprise France in Cardiff.
Prediction: 4th (3 wins).
France Last year: 2nd.
Captain: Fabien Pelous.
Star man: Yannick Nyanga.
Odds: 4-5.
Expert view: Sale director of rugby and former France wing Philippe Saint-Andre "I think France against England will be the pick of the Six Nations.
"England were the only team in the autumn who coped with the All Blacks over 80 minutes. France have so much quality, and I was very impressed with them when they beat Australia and South Africa quite easily.
"They have a large squad, and you could probably pick three teams from it. They won their games in the autumn without the likes of Serge Betsen, Damien Traille and, to a certain degree, Fabien Pelous.
"The fixtures also fall for them - with three games at home." Sam Wheeler's verdict: Invincible at home but unreliable and could slip up.
Prediction: 1st (4 wins).
Italy Last year: 6th.
Captain: Marco Bortolami.
Star man: Sergio Parisse.
Odds: 1,000-1.
Expert view: Leeds Tykes's former Italy full-back Roland de Marigny.
"It's going to be tough for them. Ireland away is a dificult start. The game they will be really looking at is Scotland at home on the last day.
"When they come up against teams like England, they are so much bigger physically and more powerful.
"If you don't experience that week-in, week-out, it is hard to cope.
"There are some good young players and it is good to see some of them playing in France. When they come back, the others can aspire to that level." Sam Wheeler's verdict: Likely to struggle again. Would be delighted with a victory.
Prediction: 6th (0 wins).
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