WRITERS WANTED!

Do you have a passion for rugby, either as a player or a fan?

Do you feel like you have an opinion, view or story about rugby union?

Well then we want to hear from you!

ATU (Against the Uprights) currently has just 2 writers and as we finish up university we are struggling to find the time write material.

We are looking for aprox 3-5 new writers to publish on our blog and to get their voices heard.

If you are interested then please either comment on this post, tweet us @ATUBlog or message us on our Facebook page, Against The Uprights.

We're not looking for the next Shakespeare, just someone who can communicate well and put together a blog post.

We do this just for a laugh and to see if others agree with us or not.

We look forward to hearing from you!

ATU.

The man behind the Grand Slam.

Who'd a thought it at Christmas time that by mid-March England would have brushed off the huge disappointment from the World Cup and won their first grand slam 6 Nations title since 2003?

And what a feeling it is!

This year's tournament has by no means been the best to watch in terms of quality and big questions are being asked about whether the northern hemisphere can really compete with the big boys from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

But right now, we couldn't really care less.

Regardless of the quality of this year's tournament, a grand slam is a mighty big thing to win and extremely hard to do so. To be waking up and watching all the videos of the England team after the victory over France feels very nice indeed and it feels well overdue that England rugby fans can celebrate.

However, what's changed for this to all happen?

Mr. Eddie Jones.

He came into the coaching set-up after Stuart Lancaster was relieved of his duties after a disappointing 4 years in charge. What he's done in such a small amount of time is take the majority of Lancaster's squad and mould it into something rather brilliant.

There were a few eyebrows raised when the first squad announcement was made prior to the opening game versus Scotland and many were questioning why he had picked a very similar team. The media came out in voice and expressed their disappointment that after all the hype about the new man and the new dawn of English rugby, it all looked very much the same.

But what Jones has proven is that we had the team in the World Cup to do much better than we did and that if it had the right guidance would have not left an entire nation feeling deflated after 4 years of hope.

So, for me, Eddie Jones has got to be given the credit for our grand slam success because if it wasn't for him, there could might well have been very little to cheer about.

Don't get me wrong, the team played exceptionally well too and they deserve a lot of the credit.

I thought Billy Vunipola was outstanding and Maro Itoje lived well up to expectations. Anthony Watson continued his impressive score tally for the Red Rose and Mike Brown just did what Mike Brown does best; be a bloody good full-back.

Dylan Hartley as captain?

Well, I have to admit that though I thought he was the best man for the job when he was appointed, I did still have some doubts. Now, however, I can breath a sigh of relief and feel comfortable that he is the man for the job. His leadership was clear to see and it seems that the responsibility is keeping his head in the game and and yellow cards in the ref's pockets.

One player I think has been overlooked in this year's squad is Chris Robshaw.

It felt very odd seeing him in the team and not being the man to lead the team out.

I kept an eye out for Robshaw to see how he'd perform and whether he still had what it takes to be in the team.

He certainly does.

At 6 he's an exceptional player and the lessons he's learned from being captain could be seen throughout the tournament.

There were many times handbags were thrown and players went for each other, as is expected in rugby. Yet the one man I always saw in the mix was Robshaw, pulling players apart and keep everyone's heads cool.

For those who remember far back enough when Martin Corry was England captain, it was very much the same story. He was a quality back rower but as captain he seemed to not qutie fit the bill. When he was taken out of being captain though, he continued lead but was able to concentrate on his own game. The same thing can be said about Robshaw.

Overall, it's a great time to be an England fan and we have so much to look forward to when England travel to Australia this summer and go against the Wallabies.

There is still much to improve on in this team but with Eddie Jones at the helm, the only way is up.

No contact in school rugby would take more away from kids than the game itself.

Earlier this week it was reported that over 70 doctors and academics urged ministers to ban contact in rugby at UK and Irish schools. It was suggested that allowing children to play rugby with contact would put their health at risk in future years and that 'touch' rugby would be a far safer alternative. 

This report caught our eye and so we decided to put together a little post on why this report is completely ridiculous, massively stupid and for any rugby fan, infuriating.

I've had the pleasure of playing rugby since the age of 6. Back then (he says as if it were decades ago) we did not have the 'tag' rugby alternative which is played now by very young rugby players before they go onto contact at around 10 (I could be wrong on this age but it is around that). We played 'touch' rugby which means that instead of tackling someone to the ground you pat them on the hips with two hands and the tackle was made. 

I remember loving this form of the game, simply because I knew nothing different. 

I remember my last ever game of touch rugby and my dad saying to me, "next season's contact, that's much better". I didn't believe him. I could not comprehend anything being better than my beloved touch rugby. But how wrong I was...

The first training session of the following season we turned up all eager to see what all the fuss was about in contact rugby. We learnt how to tackle, how to fall and most importantly how not to tackle so that it could not risk the wellbeing of the opposition. 

It was tricky at first but we got the hang of it and by the time it came to game day we were rolling around in the mud, pulling players down and having the time of our lives. 

The feeling was incredible and all of a sudden I understood that my father had been so correct in his statement. 

And this is why it has irritated me so much that some imbeciles said contact should be banned from rugby at schools.

Most of my friends for whom I play rugby with now only learnt about the game at school. It was at school they learnt how to pass, how to score, where to run and how to tackle. 

It was only after the first game in PE that those who might have usually played football fell in love with the game and wished to give a club a go. Without these lessons I highly doubt rugby clubs would have half the players they do now. 

There's so much more to rugby than the contact and it's utterly bewildering to think that doctors know what rugby's about.

Discipline, teamwork, respect, enjoyment, leadership. 

These are words we take for granted when we talk about rugby but they are so true. Take away the contact and you take away the essence of rugby. 

Kids are not made of glass and paper. In fact they are usually made of glue, plastic and magic. They bend, they fall, they scrape their knees and hurt themselves all the time but they get back up with a huge smile on their faces and say "let's do that again!". Kid's might cry if they have to have an injection but fill them with adrenaline and put them on a grassy field and say "go", they will become much stronger than you give them credit for.

If you take away contact in school rugby you will not teach them how to fall when they get hit or where to put their heads when they want to make a hit. 

THAT is when injuries occur. 

It is only through ignorance of the sport that players get hurt in tackles. If they get a bump or a knock in a harder tackle it's not putting their lives at risk. It's simply teaching them to get back up even when you're hurt. That their team needs them and they can't roll around moaning. 

If a serious injury does happen, to which they do occasionally, they won't be in any life threatening position. In fact you will find that they will be itching to get back out on the field before they are even fit. 

Here's an example. 

The worst injury I witnessed on a rugby field was when we were around 11/12. A lad went into a tackle and somehow managed to break his collarbone. It was a serious injury and he was in qutie a bit of pain. He went to hospital and got the required treatment and we carried on as usual. The season later he was back with a grin on his face and big hello to everyone, ready for the first game.

I've seen more broken bones on people who don't play rugby than those who do, especially children! 

Children at that sort of age are still learning a lot. Take away the contact of rugby in schools and your taking away all the skills and attributes that make rugby players after a game meet up with the opposition, shake their hands and say "well played". 

Children are not precious artifacts that need to be preserved. They're little nutters that want to go out with their mates and play. Let them bloody do it!

ENG 21-10 IRE- The Billy Vunipola show!

Eddie Jones has had, arguably, the easier of introductions to England coach life having had Scotland and Italy as his two first opponents. This week, however, put him up against the reigning champions Ireland and I think the whole of Europe was looking at England to see if they can beat the big boys in the 6 Nations.

Well, they showed they could still play against the big teams, even if Ireland are riddled with injuries at the moment.

ENG 21-10 IRE.

It's a scoreline that probably is a fair evaluation of the match. 

Ireland did look a little lost without many of their usual starters and England did look inspired by the Twickenham crowd. 

But what can we take away from the match as whole?

Well I think the win is the first thing to look at. Regardless of Ireland's struggles in this year's 6 Nations, they are still the team to beat and England did this with relative ease. This isn't to say the win was easy but England certainly looked like the probable victors throughout the match. They looked creative, confident and powerful in defence and well structured. But regardless of the entire team's performance there's only one man who can be talked about.

Billy Vunipola.

What a performance from the Saracens number 8!

By the end of the match his carries added up to around 100 meters! That's to say that he single handedly carried, smashed, demolished and ran the entire length of the pitch in just carries. It was incredible to see. If you didn't see the game then watch it just for his performance. The Irish defence looked genuinely confused into how he was still powering through, even when they threw everything at him. There were moments when two or three players who assigned to taking him down but still he'd make 10 meters in gainage. I have to admit that I used to think that Ben Morgan was England's best number 8 but after that game there's only one man for the 8 shirt with England.  

Two other notable performances were from Anthony Watson and Mike Brown, the pair of them being massively influential on the scoreline having both scored tries. 

The highlight for me though was something that was slightly overlooked by the highlight reel as most, understandably, discussed Billy Vunipola's performance.

The tackle from Jack Nowell in the last quarter of the match, for me, sealed our win and was one of the greatest displays of defensive work I have ever seen in an England match. 

Jonny Sexton broke free on the right wing and then smartly offloaded the ball to Robbie Henshaw who looked to be in the clear as he past the 22 meter mark in a shot of green and white. But just as he approached the tryline Jack Nowell who had been on the opposite wing comes flying into view and smashes in Henshaw's waist and just does enough to force the Irishman to spill the ball just centimetres from the strip of white paint that was the tryline. There was a little confusion into whether it was a try or not at first but by looking at Henshaw's expression, the result was pretty obvious. 

If Nowell had not made that tackle then the last 5 or so minutes would have been a very different story and I could be here moaning about a loss rather than praising a win. 

Overall I was incredibly happy with the England performance. All that lacked was that cutting edge to them which if they did have would have meant the result could have been well into the thirties and beyond. 

A little tidying up and Jones' England could be the force he so wants them to be. 

Who is Maro Itoje?

At 10am this morning Eddie Jones announced the England squad to face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday. As expected Jones has picked a squad with plenty of experience on the international stage, but for one name - 21 year old Maro Itoje. Itoje came off the bench two weeks back in Rome in the 40-9 victory over Italy and was placed at blindside-flanker, however this weekend he has been picked to start at second row alongside Saracens teammate George Kruis.

Ahead of Maro Itoje's first England start this weekend, we've picked out a few key points on England's fresh-faced second row for you which should help you become more familiar with a player who will no doubt be on England team sheets for many years to come:

• Itoje captained the England Under 20 squad to the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in a 21-20 victory over South Africa. 

• Itoje also represented England at under 17 level in the shot-putt.

• He captained the England under 20 team during the 2014 Under-20 Six Nations tournament in which he scored a try in every match, resulting in Itoje being named England's Man Of The Tournament.

Eddie Jones has announced that Maro Itoje will make his
first England start against Ireland on Saturday.

• The Saracens lock was playing in National One with Old Albanians until he made his Saracens debut in the 2014/2015 season. Since then he has climbed up the ranks at the club and captained the first team and started a European Champions Cup semi-final in his first season.

• Camden-born Itoje started his studies at the same Hertfordshire school as Owen Farrell and George Ford, before finishing his studies at the same school as Billy Vunipola.

• As well as a professional rugby career, Itoje is currently reading for a degree in Politics at the School of African and Oriental Studies.

• He was involved in the school choir and thoroughly enjoys writing poetry. With his family roots in Nigeria, Maro often gears his university studies towards underdevelopment in Africa.

Itoje captained the England U20 squad to the 2014 IRB Junior
World Championship.

• Itoje has been given the nickname 'FEC' by his England teammates, meaning 'Future England Captain'. He also has the less-imaginative nickname 'mophead' because of his haircut. 

• At 6ft, 5in and almost 19 stone, Itoje's mobility allows him to play either at second row or in the back row. 

• England's defence coach Paul Gustard has compared the 21 year-old to the likes of Martin Johnson and Paul O'Connell. 

Is the 6 Nations harming the domestic leagues?

The 6 Nations is the greatest annual tournament in the world.

End of.

But is it coming at a bit of a sacrifice for our leagues that the faithful fan still turns out for every week when they can't afford tickets for the internationals?

Now if you're a fan of a lower table club then maybe this post is a little irrelevant. And if you are a fan of a higher table club which is doing well throughout the 6 Nations period then you may think I'm wrong too. But to be frank, that's half of the fun of doing these posts; to irritate someone somewhere. 

So... where am I going with this.

Imagine you're a fan of Northampton, Leicester, Saracens, Bath etc... You have an abundance of quality players, plenty of which are internationals. 

When the squad announcement is made you see 5 or 6 of your club's players being selected for their respective nation. 

It feels great. You fill up with pride that one of your own is going out onto the world stage and prove why he plays, in your eyes, for the greatest club in the country, world, universe...

But then they scamper of to leafy Surrey for the England camp and you sit there thinking, 'wait, so if they're playing for them, then what about... oh bollocks'. 

You turn up on the Saturday and you look at your club's line-up and you realise that it's much, much weaker than it usually is. You have players coming in that aren't tested as much or bench players that are good impact subs but only that. Then you look at the opposition, a club in the bottom three of the table, for example, and they have a fully fit, well gelled squad with maybe 1 or 2 players missing, if that. They come out, play like a team that know each other's ins and outs, play you round the park and present to you why your bench players were only just good enough for that. You then return home to see that your lads from the week before are walking out Murrayfield, Twickenham, The Aviva Stadium etc and they play like the little legends you know they are. So then you drink a beer to get over the 'surprising' loss to the team fighting relegation as you slip to 3rd or 4th and think, 'maybe this isn't such a good thing.'

Been there? Of course you have! It's gut-wrenching, frustrating but worst of all understandable. You take an extra large gulp of the good stuff, sit back and realise you have another month of unpredictable results which usually, with a full strength squad, you could bet your house on winning. 

So, is this anyone's fault?

Well... it's hard to say really. 

The players certainly aren't to blame as they've worked hard to get to the test stage. The management have picked the best men for the job.  The RFUs have made sure the best players are available. The clubs have bought the best players for their clubs. 

So surely it's not fair on the clubs who buy well?

Well... again it's hard to say.

It does give the lower league clubs a little bit more of a chance and certainly makes it more competitive. 

You could also argue that the bigger clubs should be able to weather the storm and have the resources to keep on competing. 

But in my eyes, a fan of a certain 'higher' club, it is something that maybe should be addressed. 

For example, why doesn't the RFU start the season a little earlier and make the 6 Nations period a 'break' period? That way the players can patch up for the second half of the season and refuel. Then, when the 6 Nations finishes the break ends and the league gets back underway. 

Everyone will say that they want their respective nation to win, no matter what. It's spine tingling hearing your national anthem being blasted out by 70,000 fans and seeing them win against a national rival. But we all, mostly, have a club we hold dearly too. And to see them become weak due players missing is horrible. 

Is it impossible to have a 6 Nations without a weakened league and should it just be accepted or is there a way around it?

ITA 9-40 ENG: Don't be fooled by the scoreline!

Hmm,

This post is a little difficult to put together as it requires me to criticise a side that won by 31 points.

But it is necessary.

For those of you who did not watch the game on Sunday and think I have lost the plot then just hear me out. The scoreline was NOT a fair reflection of the game or England's performance.

Let's begin with the first half.

At half time the score ITA 9-11 ENG and how Italy weren't ahead I do not know.

Ford with a tidy finish against the Azzurri.

Something that has stood out for me in England's first two matches of this year's RBS 6 Nations has been the horrendous amount of penalties given away. Versus Scotland England conceded 12 which might not sound like too many but when I was watching the game it felt like England were constantly giving them away and it was the fault of England, not the work of Scotland. Against Italy it was 15 penalties conceded. 15! Again, most of these were due to poor England discipline and not Italy being exceptional. 


If Italy had the extra talent required and made most of those penalties, England would have been in real trouble.

The only reason England won this game was because of a handful of star performers, namely Jonathan Joseph who bagged a hat-trick and MOTM Ben Youngs who dictated play wonderfully, and Italy's legs running weak towards the end of the game.

JJ scoring 1 of his 3 tries.

After the Scotland game and in our review of that match we were quite pleased with Jones' first match in charge and saw promise, while understanding that fluidity was to come with time.

After that performance it is a little less promising.

England showed glimpses of world class play but our work at the breakdown was very poor.

Our scrummaging was, however, very good but our lineouts were usually OK with them not showing much consistency.

What England need is a much improved back-row, something we have discussed before, and much tighter discipline.

If you look at the bench mark of good rugby, the All Blacks, you see why England are not ready for world class teams to face them.

Something I adore about the All Blacks is how they have always stated that it's not just about how many points you score but how many you concede.

If England were playing the All Black, the Springboks, the Aussies or Ireland, France or Wales it would be a very different story.

Teams will be better at making the most of penalties than the Italians. Teams will be better at forcing penalties at the break down from England. Teams will not run out of steam at 60 mins, unlike the Italians.

The game against Ireland on the 27th will truly show whether these issues have been patched up or not.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good win. Just not as good as the scoreline showed.

SCO 9-15 ENG- A solid and promising win

It was arguably the most anticipated game of the weekend and the Calcutta Cup clash certainly didn't disappoint.

It wasn't filled with tries or flashy feet but what we did see were two teams going hammer and tong at each other, both trying to set an underlining message to the rest of the tournament.

Scotland as ever looked resilient from the first hit to the last and understandably looked mentally and physically exhausted and disappointed at the end after losing 15-9.

England on the other hand looked like a typical Eddie Jones side; solid and doing the basics well.

Mako Vunipola getting to grips with the Scots

Anyone who expected to see England coming out and looking like world beaters would have been wrong to think so.

Eddie Jones has had a very short amount of time to instil his philosophy and it showed as the Red Rose looked to play direct rugby without trying anything too fancy.

What we saw was a very solid and very promising set piece from England with Dylan Hartley's throwing being perfect and the scrum looking consistent.

The only criticisms of England were the issues with discipline at the breakdown and the Ford-Farrell partnership.

During one period in the first half England were giving Scotland penalties left right and centre and if they had capitalised on them the scoreline would probably have looked very different.

The Ford-Farrell partnership looked a little forced at times but this wasn't so surprising with this being their first game together. Whether it was just first game blunders we will have to wait and see but I'm hoping to see a more fluid display next week against the Italians.

All the eyes were on Dylan Hartley as the pantomime villain took charge in his first game as captain and I think most England fans went away thinking that it was the right appointment. He kept his cool but kept his aggression. He was vocal with his players and lead from the front. Winning his first game as captain will have given himself a massive confidence boost and he can be very pleased with how he and his squad played.

All in all it was a good and solid win for the visitors.

Scotland is a team you should win but won't necessarily will win, especially at Murrayfield.

It was a tough test for Jones' men and England passed with next week's game being eagerly anticipated to see what they could next in Rome.

'New era' for England? Not with that XV!

As we predicted, bar two that is, the line-up for England's opening 6 Nations encounter with Scotland is very much a familiar site.

1. Joe Marler.
2. Dylan Hartley (C).
3. Dan Cole.
4. Joe Launchbury.
5. George Kruis (we predicted Courtney Lawes).
6. Chris Robshaw.
7. James Haskell.
8. Billy Vunipola.
9. Danny Care (we predicted Ben Youngs).
10. George Ford.
11. Jack Nowell.
12. Owen Farrell.
13. Jonathan Joseph.
14. Anthony Watson.
15. Mike Brown.

But with there having been so much promise for this England side to warp into something fresh and new, we ask why are we seeing much of the same?

When Jones made his original squad announcement last month he brought in 7 uncapped players into the fold. This lead fans to believe that Jones had acknowledged that things weren't working with our current squad and a new approach was needed.

Yet as we look over the announced XV to face Scotland we feel bitterly disappointed that Jones has named a squad that is very similar to the one named by his predecessor, Stuart Lancaster.

England's potential answer to the 7 position, Matt Kvesic.

We're gutted that players like Maro Itoje didn't even make the bench and that Elliot Daly was not given a chance either.

Matt Kvesic has once again missed out on a place in the squad as Jones opts for Haskell for 7.

We're still missing out on a quality openside. Chris Robshaw had been our number 7 under Lancaster but he never really looked like the openside we needed. All Jones has done is swap Lancaster's 6 and 7 around and I believe this massively wrong. Haskell, as good as he can be, is not the 7 England need.

Farrell at 12 is another interesting call but not a surprising one. What we can't have is another constant change of midfield. If you look at any top side in world rugby you will see that they keep the 12+13 partnership consistent. Lancaster did not do this and it showed on the big stage. However, it is widely considered that when powerhouse Manu Tuilagi is fully fit, he will be in the midfield. Who will be partnering him? That's a whole other debate.

Scotland are luckily a very good side now and they had a tremendous World Cup. What this means is that England will be thoroughly tested and it will very interesting to see if Jones' selection has been the right one.

Obviously, as England rugby fans we want the answer to be yes. But will it be?

All I'll say is don't expect fireworks from this England side as it just looks like a re-jingled Lancaster XV. A XV that didn't even make it out of the group stages of their own World Cup.

Predicting England's Starting XV Against Scotland

This weekend see's the first time Eddie Jones takes charge of England in the Six Nations against Scotland at Murrayfield. Scotland, as we all remember are coming off the back of a frustrating, yet promising World Cup campaign in which they narrowly and controversially lost to Australia at the quarter-final stage. This is by no means an easy to introduction to life in England for Jones, which means he will need to be thinking long and hard about the fifteen players he will send out on to the Murrayfield pitch on Saturday evening. We've picked fifteen players who we believe could start for England on Saturday.

Eddie Jones will take charge of England for the first time
this Saturday at Murrayfield.

1. Joe Marler
Many people will think that Mako Vunipola will deserve to be ahead of Marler on the team sheet for this weekends Six Nations opener as he has had an impressive season at Saracens and his scrummaging has improved massively in recent times. However with 37 caps to his name, 34 of which have been starts we feel that Jones will give the nod to Marler simply because of his experience at international level.

2. Dylan Hartley
Without a doubt the first name of Eddie Jones' team sheet for Saturday's match, Hartley will have the eyes of the country on him, not only analysing his performance on the pitch, but also paying close attention to how he leads the squad.

3. Dan Cole
With the appointment of Eddie Jones as head coach Cole will be looking to re-cement his place in the England starting line-up and looks set to start on Saturday at Murrayfield. However the latest inclusion of Kieran Brookes, who returned from a knee injury at the weekend, may provide some stiff competition for Cole in the tighthead position for the other matches in the tournament.

4. Courtney Lawes
The Northampton second row looks set to regain his place in the squad under Eddie Jones despite missing the open training session due to a slight hamstring strain at Twickenham on Friday.

5. Joe Launchbury 
At only 24 years old and with 28 international caps to his name Joe Launchbury was one of the frontrunners to succeed Chris Robshaw as England captain before Eddie Jones appointed Dylan Hartley as captain. Nevertheless this will give Launchbury time to develop further and become one of the key players in England's squad, and who knows, he may well be the man to lead England in the years to come.

6. Chris Robshaw
Despite appointing Dylan Hartley as England captain, Eddie Jones looks set to pick Robshaw in his preferred and without a doubt his best position at number 6. The Harlequins flanker has been playing at number 6 all season and has put in some very impressive performances.

Chris Robshaw looks set to keep his place in the England
squad despite Dylan Hartley taking over as captain.

7. James Haskell
With Matt Kvesic having been sent back to Gloucester last week meaning that he will not be included in Jones' match-day squad, James Haskell seems the obvious choice to play at 7 on Saturday at Murrayfield, providing bags of international experience within the squad. However as we see the tournament progress we may see the inclusion of Harlequins back-row Jack Clifford over Haskell.

8. Billy Vunipola 
The younger of the Vunipola brothers looks set to regain his position at the rear of the England pack after his inclusion in England's World Cup campaign was cut short due to a knee injury.

9. Ben Youngs
A lot of people will feel that Danny Care will deserve a place in Eddie Jones' starting fifteen at Murrayfield as he has been in blistering form for Harlequins this season, however Ben Youngs can offer England a lot more than Care when it comes to the crucial defensive and physical side of the play. Nevertheless, we would expect to see Care come on at some point in the match and use his brilliant pace from the breakdown.

10. George Ford
With Owen Farrell seemingly being the only first choice Centre to play along side Joseph in the midfield, we would expect Jones' to pick George Ford who has, despite Bath's poor season been in good form in recent weeks.

11. Jack Nowell
The Exeter winger has been on fire for the Chiefs this season and looks certain to be included in the starting XV to face Scotland.

Owen Farrell looks set to start at Centre for England
on Saturday alongside Jonathan Joseph.

12. Owen Farrell
Without a doubt the most experienced inside Centre selected by Jones in his 22-man squad to face Scotland. With no place in the squad for Luther Burrell or Brad Barritt and Henry Slade injured Farrell looks like the only option really. We would expect to see the likes of Sam Hill and Ollie Devoto come in to the fray as the tournament progresses however Jones will almost certainly start at 12 on Saturday.

13. Jonathan Joseph
Elliot Daly has been in sparkling form for Exeter this season and will no doubt get his chance in the Six Nations, but with Jones hesitant to blood new players in such a testing first game up at Murrayfield, Jonathan Joseph will no doubt get the nod.

14. Anthony Watson
Hands-down the standout player during a stuttering season for Bath, Watson had a very promising World Cup and looks set to keep his place in the England starting XV this weekend.

15. Mike Brown
England's best player during the dismal World Cup campaign, Brown has to keep his place in the No.15 jersey this weekend. Despite Alex Goode's great form for Saracens this season, Brown can offer a fair bit more attacking threat than Goode.

The secret to any good rugby side.

Rugby sides are funny old things.

You have the 20 stone, face for radio, beer guzzling and usually stupid props all the way to the gym fanatic, hair perfected and protein guzzling wingers.

The array of personalities and physiques is something to be admired but this post is looking to focus on one particular position. It is a position that we think is one of the most underrated positions in the game.

It is the flanker. 

When you think of rugby 'superstars' you think of your Wilkinsons, Carters, Sextons, Saveas, Lomus etc...

But you don't, with the exception of one Richie McCaw, think of your flankers and here's why you should be. 

Who remembers last year's rugby world cup?

As an England fan I remember it for all the wrong reasons but something quite clear came out of that tournament. That if you're team does not have a quality set of flankers, you're going to struggle to compete, let alone win. 

Want an example?

Australia. 

They were, and this is with no disrespect, not thought to be getting that far in the tournament. Their team since 2011 had been disorganised, lost a lions tour, and frankly confusing. 

The Aussies are known for being at the forefront of world rugby and they hadn't been for quite some time. 

But at RWC 2015 something changed and the whole world watched them in awe.

Michael Hooper and David Pocock were, for me, the two standout players in that tournament and at the heart for their incredible performances. 

Every breakdown they hit they won, every turnover possible was achieved and every tackle was made. 

They dominated every game and as a pair they allowed the backs to attack and the fly-halves kick. 

Let's contrast that to England's back row. 

We had, usually, Robshaw at 7 and Haskell at 6. 

Haskell was very poor and looked a little all over the shop and Robshaw was once again being played on the wrong side of the scrum. Luckily Jones has acknowledged this and looks to be playing him at a much better 6 at next week's starting 6 Nations. 7 should have been Steffon Armitage but let's not get into that... I've had many disputes over the overseas selection process and can only describe it as bullsh*t.

England's lack of quality in the backrow meant that we struggled at the breakdown and found it almost impossible to win turnovers against the head. 

This meant that when England played Australia in the game that HAD to be won for the hosting nation, it was men against boys and England deservedly lost. 

If you think of all top sides don't go straight for the fly-halves or the wingers but think of the pack and most importantly the flankers. 

If your team has a good set of 6s and 7s you'll have a great base. That way you know that turnovers are strong possibility and tackles are a given.

I challenge you to give me a good side with a poor back row. 

Tigers' back-line is looking unstoppable from next season.

Leicester Tigers have a made a huge statement of intent for next season with J.P Pietersen and Matt Toomua being primed for a season in the Aviva Premiership.

The 34 year old boasts 109 international caps

And if ex-Springbok captain Jean De Villiers signs an extension to his contract so that he stays on for another season, their back-line will be one to admire but fear.

JDV is yet to play for Tigers this season as he recovers from a severe leg injury that shortened his World Cup in September but Tigers fans, and I think secretly all rugby fans, cannot wait to see him pair up with Manu Tuilagi in the centre.

In our eyes, the JDV-Tuilagi pairing is almost perfect.

Why?

Manu Tuilagi is one of the hottest properties in world rugby and rightfully so. This meant that when he signed his new contract extension earlier this season, it was a massive middle finger to the French clubs which were circling to snap him up on a massive wage.

He has power, speed and not bad feet either for such a big man. His only criticism has been his kicking and distribution, not surprising when he needs neither to smash through defences.

The All Blacks getting to grips with Manu

What JDV will do is give that centre partnership the mind and feet of an experienced and world class centre so that if Manu is pulling players to one side so that they can get ready to bring him down, JDV will be able to rip them apart with skill and vision. Visualise it as if it were the perfect storm. It is hard to visualise how any team can defend against that.

But with next season already having players like Luke Charteris, Toby Faletau, Greg Holmes, Louis Picamoles and Schalk Burger joining from overseas, the competition will be the most fierce it has ever been.

But I think no back-line, noting that the players mentioned above are all forwards, can come close to what Leicester's could potentially be.

Leicester's back line could consist of 9-Youngs, 10- Toomua, 11- Pietersen, 12- JDV, 13- Tuilagi, 14- Veainu, and 15- Tait. And that's not even, arguably, their best line either!

All that can be said is that the Tigers will have the best back line from next season and their forwards won't be too far behind either.

Next season is looking to be the most competitive yet with each team boasting a few world class players. However ,I think next season is the season to watch the Tigers in terms of attacking play and I for one cannot wait!

Why Dylan Hartley's appointment as England Captain is the right one

In case you missed it earlier England Rugby announced on social media that Eddie Jones had selected Dylan Hartley as Chris Robshaw's successor as England captain, a decision that, as expected was met with a mixed reaction from England fans. Many people have slammed the Northampton hooker, who has spent a total of 54 weeks of his sidelined for offences such as gouging, verbally abusing a referee and biting, as being a poor example for younger players. However others are commending Jones on his decision to name Hartley as captain due to his proven leadership qualities from his time as Northampton captain. This is without a doubt a huge period of transition for English rugby, so here's a few reasons why we believe Jones has made the correct decision in appointing Dylan Hartley as England captain.

Dylan Hartley has been announced as England's new captain for the
2016 Six Nations replacing Chris Robshaw.

Proven Leadership Qualities
There's absolutely no doubt that Hartley possesses the skills required to lead a team at international level, having been captain of Northampton Saints from 2009 to eventually leading them to the Premiership title in 2014, a captaincy that is also the longest in the club's 130-year history. Hartley also became the youngest ever captain in Premiership history when he was named Saints captain in 2009 at the tender age of 23. Hartley has also shown he can lead an England team, filling in for Chris Robshaw in 2012 in England's 14-all draw with South Africa in Port Elizabeth. Hartley will certainly command respect from his teammates and shows all the credentials of being a great leader on the international stage.

Hartley captained Northampton Saints to the Aviva Premiership
in May 2014.

Bags of International Experience
With 66 England caps to his name Hartley is one of the most experienced players at international level in Eddie Jones' current England squad. This was a huge talking point when Chris Robshaw was named England captain in 2012 with only a single international cap to his name. However experience on the international stage is not something Hartley lacks in, making his official England debut against the Pacific Islanders XV in 2008 and making his first start in an England jersey in June 2009 against Argentina.

Perfect Fit for Jones' New Playing Style
It's no secret that Eddie Jones wants to bring in a new playing style to the England squad which will hopefully fire England back to the top of International Rugby, particularly in the forwards, and Dylan Hartley fits in perfectly with this new, aggressive and dominant style of rugby Jones is planning on bringing to the squad. It's also no secret that the forward pack was a huge problem for England during last years World Cup, so Jones will be hoping that Hartley can spearhead this England pack during the Six Nations and dominate the opposition in the scrum, line-outs and at the breakdown.

Fatherhood
A few of you may be scratching your heads as to why we have factored in that Dylan is a father in to this article, however having become a father to a baby girl in August 2015 this may have been the kick up the backside Hartley needed in proving his doubters wrong, turning his career around and rebuilding his repuation. There's no question that Hartley wears his heart on his sleeve and his disciplinary record doesn't make for good reading and this will no doubt have many people wondering whether he is the right man for the job. But, and this is a big but, one of the main responsibilities in being a father is being a good role model for your children. With this in mind Hartley will most likely think twice about biting, headbutting, elbowing and verbally abusing a referee on the pitch, we'd like to think so anyway.

Hartley became a father in August 2015, he celebrated by
posting this picture on Twitter.

It's time to wipe the slate clean and look forward, this is a fresh start for English rugby with a new-look squad, new coaches and now a new captain in Dylan Hartley, it's time for us as fans to stop bringing up and dwelling on things that have happened in the past and get behind our country and our new captain and look forward to the Six Nations next month.

Toulon to the Prem? No thanks!

Have you heard the rumour?

According to various sources across the UK this morning RC Toulonnais, or Toulon for short, have made an approach to join the Aviva Premiership and leave the French Top 14.

According to one source Toulon President Mourad Boudjella is 'serious' about moving his side over the channel, not literally that is, and play in the English league.

The Aviva Premiership has also confirmed that they have received a bid from the European champions and that there is some consideration being made.

But let's really think about this for a moment.

Is it right that a club that as wealthy as Toulon can just hop on the ferry and come over?

Is it not slightly disrespectful towards the Top 14, a league I should add is filled with world class talent?

My opinion on the matter is that the Aviva Prem is improving drastically with names such as Schalk Burger, Matt Toomua and J. P. Pietersen to name a few coming over next season to compete in the English top division.

It does NOT need a club like Toulon coming over disrupting the ebb and flow of it.

Yes, they have a squad that would fill stadiums.

Yes, they would provide real stiff competition.

But having a team as massive in our league would take something away from the European Champions Cup.

That competition needs the special nature of playing foreign clubs, especially a club like Toulon.

Keep the Aviva Prem an English league and let the incredible rivalry stay fresh and fierce.

Stay in France Toulon, we will see you in the EPCR!

Wilkinson to coach England? Yes please!

Who would've thought it?

Just 13 years ago Jonny Wilkinson was slotting over the world's most important and now famous drop-goal to secure the RWC for England against the Aussies in their own backyard. And who was the coach that was in charge of the Australia in that game? One Mr. Eddie Jones, the new head coach of England.

They do say time is the best healer and it certainly seems to be the case for Mr Jones with the RFU in talks with the retired fly-half to become a member of his coaching staff and we couldn't be happier!

If you think of the world's greatest ever fly-half's, Wilko is well, well up there.

His mastering of the game was out of this world and his ability to improve with age and not decline with it was something to be admired.

It has been reported that in the last couple of weeks Eddie Jones and Jonny Wilkinson met in a supermarket by chance and Jones suggested whether Jonny would be interested in joining his set-up.

Now whether anything materialises, that's another question.

Wilkinson was once before asked to join the England coaching team when Lancaster was in charge and he politely declined.

So what would be different this time?

Well...

England need a kicking coach at the moment with Steve Borthwick in charge of the forwards, Paul Gustard coaching defence, and Eddie Jones being the one to orchestrate our attack.

Jonny Wilkinson would slot wonderfully into this group and would make up a solid English group of coaches, something the RFU were keen on having with an Australian as main decision maker. What's more, Wilkinson would know that he'd be working for one of the most experienced and respected coaches in world rugby. This maybe being something he didn't feel he would be doing under Stuart Lancaster.

Jones is the first foreign coach the RFU have appointed for the top job and there was a lot of questioning on whether this was the right call.

We believe it absolutely is and having three former premiership players, (this including Wilkinson) being under his control, you'd have a brilliant knowledge of the English game working with the players as well as a master of the international game instructing from the top.

Exciting times for the Red Rose!

Who To Look Out For In This Year's RBS Six Nations

Now that the dust has settled following Eddie Jones' squad announcement yesterday, here at Against The Uprights we thought we'd take a moment to look at the some of the most promising English players named in Jones' EPS squad.

A lot of the talk on social media following the announcement was directed towards the players who Jones had left out of the squad, players such as Brad Barritt, Tom Youngs, Tom Wood, Geoff Parling and most controversially Danny Cipriani and since the announcement Eddie Jones has quite rightly said "there should be a lot of disappointed players when you're naming your national squad". However it's time to start looking forward and not think about what could have been had those players been included but what we have to look forward to from the players that are there. It's obvious that Jones is building a squad for years to come, naming seven uncapped players with an average age of 22.

Obviously, those uncapped players, bar perhaps one or two, will not be thrown in to the starting XV straight away but the experience of training and working in the England camp will be crucial for those young men. It's time for a new era of English rugby, so who can we, as fans, look forward to seeing in this years Six Nations?

Matt Kvesic
After what seems like an eternity, it seems that England have realised the need for an out-and-out openside-flanker and it seems that we may have one or two in our midst. The obvious first choice for the English Number 7 role would be Toulon's Steffon Armitage. However, with the RFU's somewhat controversial decision to stick with the policy of only selecting home-based players, this is not an option. Nevertheless, this has paved the way for Matt Kvesic. With three caps to his name and still only 23 years of age, Kvesic, who currently plies his trade at Gloucester, looks a great all-round number seven and very rarely gets caught the wrong side of the law.

Can Matt Kvesic be the number seven England need?

Part of England's problem in recent times has been the breakdown, a part of the game which Kvesic excels in greatly. Conor O'Shea recently praised his relentless work at the breakdown after his man of the match performance against Harlequins back in December. Generating quick-ball and sapping opposition ruck speed are the main concerns for a number seven and Kvesic seems to be the perfect fit. Let's just hope that Jones gives this promising young talent the game time he deserves.



Josh Beaumont 
It's clear to see that Jones has recognised the need for a solid back row in the English pack, the part of the team that over the last couple of years has never seemed to have a definitive line-up. As we said previously, Jones has really started looking towards the future with his recent squad selection and we couldn't be more excited to see how 23 year old Sale Sharks number eight Josh Beaumont fits into this England squad. Josh, son of former England captain Bill Beaumont, has excelled massively in recent years and has been one of Sale's standout performers this season. Since making his debut only three years ago, Beaumont has developed in to destructive back-row operator and looks to be a real force to be reckoned with.

Josh Beaumont, son of former England captain Bill, has
impressed during his time at Sale Sharks.

Having played as a back until the age of 17, Beaumont is incredibly confident with ball-in-hand,. However, he is not afraid to get stuck in to the "tight, nitty-gritty stuff, that's [his] first priority". Beaumont is also incredibly skilled in the line-out and may be able to finally offer stability in the English line-out. It's highly doubtful that Beaumont will start at number eight with Billy Vunipola looking to be the obvious first choice but training and playing for England, even if it is from the bench, will give Beaumont an enormous amount of confidence and will further his development into a world class back row.

Maro Itoje
For those who have had the pleasure of watching Maro Itoje at Saracens this season, you will know that the 21 year old is nothing short of a rugby machine. He is an incredibly strong tackler, very rarely misses tackles, he is confident when carrying the ball and his timing and decision making is incredibly impressive. However, where the Saracens lock really stands out and makes his presence known is at the breakdown. His awareness at the ruck is fantastic and is constantly disrupting possession. Standing at 6ft 5in Itoje is very impressive in the line-out and may be able to offer England something a little different.

Itoje was named the Aviva Premiership Player of the Month
for December.

There have been a few stories suggesting that Maro Itoje could emerge as a surprise candidate to take the England captaincy under Eddie Jones. Personally we believe that is too much pressure on an uncapped 21 year old's shoulders. However there is no doubt that Itoje can lead a national team, having captained the England Under 20's team to a Junior World Cup in 2014. Itoje also revealed recently that his nickname from his England teammates is 'F.E.C' which, unsurprisingly stands for 'Future England Captain'. We would love to see Itoje starting for England against Scotland, alongside Launchbury in the second row, however at 21 his place in the starting XV may not be secured just yet. But one thing is for certain, Itoje seems to have all the credentials to go and be a world class international rugby player and we can't wait.



As we said previously, it's clear that Jones' EPS selection is more about developing a strong squad for the future and bringing through the finest young talent that this country has to offer. Of course there will be players who will be disappointed that they have missed out but that shows the competitive nature of English Rugby.

So, it's time to forget about last Autumn's diabolical World Cup campaign and get behind this new-look England squad and coaching team and see how the new boys do in the white jersey.


AP

Eddie Jones' exclusions and what they mean.

Danny Cipriani, Ben Morgan, Brad Barritt, Tom Wood, and Tom Youngs are all players that new England head coach Eddie Jones has decided to leave out of his eagerly anticipated EPS, announced earlier today,

But what does it mean? Is it a sign of faith in new talent or a sign of poor selection from his predecessor, Stuart Lancaster?  Are his actions justifiable or is he just trying to put down a marker at the expense of those mentioned above.

Well... just to be really annoying, I think it's a bit of everything.

Eddie Jones is a man of exceptional experience having coached in two world cup finals, one of which he won with the Springboks and one he lost because of a certain drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson. He's coached in England with Saracens and made Japan look like world beaters in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

So it does seem that he knows what he is talking about. Arguably more so than Mr. Lancaster ever did.

But still, I sit here looking over the EPS squad with a sort of mixed reception.

Danny Cipriani is one of those players who is just unlucky enough to be competing against two players are pushing world class, Owen Farrell and George Ford. I think for him to get into that England he has simply got to carry on as he has been doing for Sale Sharks and wait out for a dip in form from either of his positioned rivals.

Brad Barritt's absence I think is one which leaves a strange taste in your mouth.

He is an unbelievable players with outrageous defence capabilities but I think Jones is looking for his team to be all about going forward and not going backwards. Barritt gives very little in terms of attack. This isn't to say he is a bad player, as he is not, but when looking at the others selected instead of him you can see far more attacking threat than you would from him.

Tom Wood is an aging player who, though is consistent and possesses quality leadership skills, is just not one Jones sees for the future. His drop from the team is one that I can understand from both Jones' point of view and Tom's. He is certainly good enough to be in the team if injuries crop up but maybe there are more exciting players out there to pick.

Now...

If there is one decision I cannot understand, it is the dropping of Ben Morgan and Tom Youngs.

Ben Morgan, in my eyes, is England's best number 8 and certainly better than Vunipola.

Why?

Watch any England game and see what he does when he comes off the bench. His ball carrying power is something to be frightened of and his overall presence on the field is felt even through the television screen. He is a player that should be in that team and Jones' decision to drop him is one that makes me scratch my head out of frustration and curiosity.

The same can be said with Tom Youngs.

The Leicester man has been a consistent starter for England with Hartley mucking about with his atrocious disciplinary record.

Granted his throwing has never been that consistent but what he lacks in that department he makes up in his power on the field.

He is an exceptional carrier of the ball and runs far quicker than any other hooker I have seen, this not being that surprising with him being a centre at the start of his career. Did you know that?

I think that dropping these two players is maybe a step too far in terms of 'changing things up'.

But what it does show is that Jones is a man of his word and certainly is starting fresh. He comes across as a man who will hold no prisoners and I for one can't wait to see how he moulds this England team to what he describes can be the most dominant side in world rugby.

MJ

Jones' first EPS; What to expect?

First of all, a huge apology on the sheer lack of content put on ATU in the last few months. There isn't really a clear explanation for why this happened but we can promise that we WILL be providing regular updates from now on.

Right, now onto the juicy stuff!

We will be publishing a post soon after the squad is announced and reviewing Eddie Jones' selections.

But for now, here's a short and sweet post about what to expect from the announcement at 2pm.

It won't be the inclusions that will grab the limelight but the exclusions.

There have been reports of players like Tom Wood, Danny Cipriani, Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond missing out.

Losing a player as solid as Barritt would be, for me at least, the biggest shock but this isn't to say it is the wrong call.

He is arguably the best defensive centre in the world and usually doesn't miss a tackle, even when his face is bloodied up and his eye-sockets have as much vision as I do after a night out.

However, by not picking him it shows real determination in playing attacking rugby and not defensive.

I believe that the EPS will throw up more surprises than we might have first expected and I truly believe that Jones will announce a squad that is looking for a wholesale change and not a quick fix. Not only in fortunes but in style also.

Who do you predict to be in and out of the squad?

MJ

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