Tindall's power the missing link

Tuesday February 17 2004

The Sunday Times' Stephen Jones was impressed by Jason Robinson's hat-trick against Italy, but he thinks one man's absence has left a gaping hole in the England line-up.

Clive Woodward will be thrilled by England's opening match of the Six Nations and their win over Italy. He will also be delighted at the clear evidence of the advantages to be enjoyed by the world champions in terms of refereeing - the South African official at the Stadio Flaminio was so slanted towards England that Italy were fortunate that he did not offer to shine Lawrence Dallaglio's boots as well.

It is always the case. When New Zealand ruled the roost as world champions and as the best team around, they were favoured with all the refereeing breaks. Ditto Australia after 1999, when the good old Wallabies managed to convince referees that the likes of George Smith was scrupulously fair and that every fight had been started by the other lot. It is not a conscious thing from referees - just that they imagine that a team as good as the world champions could not possibly commit transgressions and that they want to be seen to be up with latest trends in play.

Who can stop the 16 men? Well, maybe then can be stopped? There may just be a danger for England's future in the (richly-deserved) fanfares for Jason Robinson's appearance at outside centre, the hat-trick of steaming tries which Robinson scored, and for the whole interchanging structure of the England back division.

Robinson often seemed to have popped up from a hole in the ground, or else to be one of around four Robinsons who were on the field at the same time. He was marvellous, and you could only feel sorry for the Italian defenders who were found themselves isolated, one-on-one.

Woodward is fond of huffing and puffing a little when people take him very mildly to task about his assertions that jersey numbers mean nothing, that he merely picks the best seven backs available and, so it seems, throws them their jerseys at random. Here in Rome, it seems, was the proof of his pudding, evidence that rugby no longer has positional play, just blokes in white shirts popping up at what might be called a planned random.

I am not so sure. England have rarely looked less than convincing in the past two years. But when they have been struggling for their normal momentum (for example, in the first few games of the 2003 Six Nations) the reason has been the same - because their interchanging style has dipped towards incoherence.

It is all very well, as they sometimes do, appointing half the team as stand-in stand-offs. Sometimes you see Wilkinson (when fit) popping at 10, but also Robinson, Cohen, Catt, Greenwood, Thompson - anyone fancying a crack. Occasionally, you see interchanging to the point of incoherence and even, begging Sir Clive's pardon, for the sake of it.

There is no doubt that last season, one of the key factors in England re-discovering their best form for the Grand Slam climax against Ireland and the victories last Summer against New Zealand and Australia, was the emergence of the giant figure of Mike Tindall as an all-round centre of the highest class and as Woodward admitted, one of his most valuable senior players.

Tindall is by no means whatsoever a simple banger. He has a real talent for attacking. But he also gives England a reference point, he brings coherence so that the interchanging becomes less frequent, leads to less confusion, and if therefore far more effective. If the ball is dying behind the advantage line, you want someone big and mean to beast it up the field.

Italy did not have the ability to put the finger on England's new-style backs, to ask searching questions about their defence and to test their unstructured game. But there might be times when England's forwards are not playing with such authority, when the conditions are more difficult, when the idea that anyone can play anywhere has to be shelved in favour of increased specialisation.

No-one is suggesting that Robinson could be made to appear a weak link or that he cannot defend. Indeed, I felt genuinely sorry for the man that his magnificent contribution to the World Cup was slightly overlooked in the torrent of praise and media attention directed towards Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson.

But if I was coaching a team that was good enough, big enough and mean enough, I might just fancy my chances that they could be held by a team playing with skill and pace but with reference points, and a team good enough to find weak joints in a back division that is meant to be interactive and seamless.