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Gloucester softies!

On the surface, all will be well. But deep down, what will we find? Gloucester's tumultuous match against Munster at Kingsholm on Saturday is just one of four potentially wonderful and atmospheric quarter-final matches. But will it see Gloucester laid bare and exposed as, well, soft?

It won't be a pleasant thought in The Shed, but for me, Gloucester in the last five years have never quite been as good as they should have been because they have lacked a rock-solid hard core.

This is not simply a reference to their forward pack, though they are still two grim and world-class forwards away from being a truly dominant forward unit. It is just that in tight corners in massive matches, and up against teams packed with match-winning generals with hard noses, they have come unstuck.

On Saturday, they will be up against one of the hardest-nosed, winningest, most relentless teams around. Munster are not, in technical terms, the greatest. You sense that if they were admitted into the Guinness Premiership they would be mid table, purely because what they do cannot be replicated 22 times per season - only about six or seven times.

But Munster are pure Irish steel. They can get the job done in any way it takes and, for me, they are favourites for Saturday. Gloucester can talk all they like about their refreshing attacking skills and their boldness (and they should be proud of them).

But on Saturday they have to delve far below that gaudy surface, and they will learn everything about themselves that they need to know; everything about the power of sporting soul and harshness. It is also the test of Ryan Lamb's career at fly-half.

How good are Gloucester? Or more to the point, how hard are they?

Andy's not Goode - he's great

This is about the Goode God. It is amazing in a sport like rugby, where everyone has an opinion on anything, that sometimes a body of opinion seems to become a conventional wisdom.

I have always meekly gone along with the view that everyone else seems to hold about Andy Goode, the Leicester fly-half: flaky, not quite up to it, lucky to play for England. For heaven's sake, even Goode's own club agree - they have always been looking for another fly-half with quiet desperation.

Indeed, they have recently signed, subject to the small print, the sensationally brilliant Juan Martin Hernandez, the Puma described (quite accurately) as the Maradona of rugby. So next season Maradona will be vying for the Tigers jersey with Goode (the Nobby Styles of rugby?).

But something has struck me lately, watching good old Goode. The world is wrong. He is absolutely tremendous. He may be a little bulky for a 10, he did struggle a bit with England, but he was operating in a desperate side. Of course he has his brain-fade times, though not as often as people imagine, and now and again he has made dire errors at the wrong time in major games.

But that is partly because he is never, ever afraid to try things. His shoulders never drop, he can take the stick of the crowd and battle back. This is a contrast to those who will never make a big effort at the height of a game purely because they disappear in terror when it gets serious.

But there is more than his sheer guts. He is a quite magnificent striker of the rugby ball, especially out of hand. He is a booming artist of a kicker. He can run, defend, he is physical, he can pass long, he has uncanny powers of anticipation and he is a match-winner.

Welcome Juan Martin, but beware. You will not waltz into our Andy's sizeable jersey.

Dom dominant

I touched a nerve last week, it seems. I revealed that Big Dom, the flanker, was preparing for the big one - Maidenhead v Reading Abbey in the decider for the Berkshire Under14 league. All week, people have been asking me how Big Dom went. Very well, thank you. As predicted, Reading Abbey didn't like him very much.

What do you think? E-mail Stephen at rollingmaul@thetimes.co.uk with your opinion and he'll reply to the best of the letters next week.

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>>>>>LIST OF THE WEEK<<<<<

The five fly-halves whose careers have been set back most because some fool told them they were centres (or because they couldn't get a game at 10 and the coach lacked the bottle to chuck them out altogether!).

1. Toby Flood

Really fine and clever pivot, but lacking the power, defence and all-round vision to make it at 12 in Tests.

2. Shane Geraghty

Another mini-tyro shunted to the centre, but while clever, he still makes an easy target for the other team's runners.

3. Jonny Wilkinson

At one time, very early on, he was a very passable centre indeed but as the 2005 Lions tour graphically proved, he no longer has the gas or passing game to be an inside centre.

4. Mike Catt

"Can't read the game", they said, as they packed Catty off to midfield. Rubbish. He was so good that the game couldn't read him.

5. Olly Barkley

Ironically, he would have been my England No 12 all season but here is another talent messed about by being shunted back and forth across the line.

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The Stephen Jones Debate

Thanks for printing my contribution to last week's Rolling Maul - I'm afraid I will continue to fight you on the "big is best" issue. You asked: "why can't players have both creativity and size?". That would be a scenario approaching utopia, but life isn't like that, is it? My point is that the first basis of selection is size, bulk and strength. Creativity is very much a "maybe" consideration by comparison - that's what I will continue to argue against. I overlooked the issue of not picking Lee Byrne for the Lions also - on current form the lad would clearly be the best full back. After you acknowledged the error, you then asked: "but I got the rest right, didn't I?". No Mr Jones, you certainly did not. The Scots would justifiably give you a testy one-sided argument on your omission of Jason White - he's exactly the right sort of forward to front up in South Africa . ELVs: I very much stand four square with you on these. They are an aberration. For those in favour of ELVs I would respectfully suggest that if your thing is to see players simply running with ball in hand and little else, go and get involved with touch rugby. If you want to add contact to that with no rucks, mauls, lineouts or scrums then rugby league offers that. The embarrassing nature of the ongoing situation with Brian Ashton and the possibility of a team manager is almost at the point of debacle. The RFU shuffling and dithering is a clear demonstration of how not to do things. I feel that a figurehead such as Martin Johnson would provide some cauliflowered common sense together with a direct approach very unlike the fudge we have recently seen. However, the roles and responsibility of each individual involved has to be clearly laid out and understood. Seems to me the RFU have approached MJ with little idea of what they actually want him to do - little wonder he is taking time to work that out. Andy Hopper

SJ: Andy, I don't think I said that the fact that bigger players are almost always chosen these days is a good thing, but that it has become a fact of life. But I also don't see why size and skill is mutually exclusive. The players I do fear for at present are the likes of Geraghty, Tait and Flood who are smaller guys who, if you know what I mean, play small.

I fell asleep on Saturday morning watching a Super 14 game between, I think, a red team and a blue team. A bit like being back at school. I noticed that nobody managed to turn over a ball through actually wrestling it away at a breakdown: the ball only changed hands when the attacking side knocked on or somehow kicked the ball out of play. What struck me further was that nobody even bothered to pretend to push at the rucks. Is it now impossible to legally turn a ball over at a ruck? To relieve the boredom I watched the last Wales game of the Six Nations again. I realised that the last set of rule changes imposed on us by the Southern Hemisphere has already moved us down the league track. For all the wonderful attacking of the Welsh you realise that their defence also ignores rucks, mauls and, other than Williams, breakdowns generally. The defence lies across the field like in league and relies on fierce tackling and pressure to force the opposition into a mistake. Very effective but it makes me feel uncomfortable watching it. The Northern Hemisphere has to resist the further watering down of the game if I am to stay awake on Saturdays in the future. Brian Browne

SJ: Totally agreed, and what is worrying me more and more as I write elsewhere today, is that the IRB and fellow fans of the ELVs are not judging the new laws on their merits but as their own personal crusade that must not be stopped. We have gone quite far enough from what rugby is supposed to be and as for the dire idea of chasing a concept of non-entertainment instead of staying true to your sport and its ethos, I offer you two words. Chambers. Dwayne.

One good thing I can see in the new ELVs is that it reduces the number of games being won by penalties, many of which are quite controversial. It is very difficult for the referee to always get it right, especially round the scrummage and breakdown area, and with the benefit of television replays often a team is seen to be wrongly awarded a penalty and walk away with an undeserved three points which can lead to victory in the game. Many teams appear to play the game with tactics around gaining penalties, the idea being to kick the ball into the opposition's half and hope you get a penalty or con the referee into giving you one. Under the ELVs penalties are only awarded for the more blatant offences with the option of a free kick or scrum for the others. It could be argued that teams with less fear of being penalised will therefore offend more often, but I have seen the ref in the Super 14 penalise players for repeating a free kick offence and the yellow card can be used as a stick for the persistent offenders. Gareth Williams, Powys Wales

SJ: Gareth, these are wise words. In fact, when the IRB first presented the ELVs to me in Dublin they said they were simply to take the random reffing factor out of the sport. BUT, that idea has been submerged as Southern Hemisphere candy-floss salesmen hijack it with their prattling about the ball in play. In any case, if you want to make the reffing less random, then make the refs better.

Regarding your list of "the five most dangerous men in the sport", may I suggest Springbok and Quins centre and enforcer De Wet Barry. This is in honour of his horrendous challenge on Matt Tait at the Stoop on Saturday: so late the contact happened after Tait's kick had hit the ground and so hard and high I was shocked that he got back to his feet afterwards. Reminded me of a WWF-style "clothesline" manoeuvre. Horrible and one of the nastiest hits I've ever seen in person - and I'm a Quins fan. Richard Lennon

SJ: Odder and odder Richard. I totally agree and was staggered to see that Barry escaped punishment, which sent out worrying messages.

Thanks for your enjoyable column and refreshing views. I don't see much criticism of Rob Andrew, who seems to have an elevated position with a good salary and yet takes no responsibility for the dire coaching situation of the last few months, which he has largely arranged and observed on his own. How did he achieve such a status? Surely not because of the indifferent achievements of Newcastle ? But I can't feel sorry for Ashton, no matter what a nice chap he is. England have been disappointing right back to those miserable warm-up games against France last summer. The World Cup team only started to rumble when the players took control. It has been quite obvious that clear and decisive leadership was needed, but that's not Brian Ashton's way. And his team selection smacked too much of cronyism. Sorry, but he has to go. Please, please, let's not have some mish-mash solution again. Let's get down to choosing the best coach and the best specialist trainers, from whatever origin, and make them work tightly together to reward the supporters for their patience. John Knott

SJ: John, I am in total agreement. Brian has not produced a coherent England team and Rob has not produced anything like a vision for the present or the future. New men are needed and I stand by my choice of Martin Johnson.

I'm a passionate Springbok fan recently moved to the USA after 20 years in the UK . In that time I was a regular visitor to Twickenham and supported England against everyone else, and Northampton Saints in the Premier league. I was fortunate to grow up and play some decent rugby in Natal during the 70s and was privileged to meet Willie John's '74 Lions. I have Gareth's no 9 jersey on my wall. As my adopted team, I was very disappointed with England in this year's Six Nations and from my standpoint the fault lies entirely at Brian Ashton's door. I know you know and like him and I think your affection for him sometimes clouds your normally excellent judgment. This "accidental" coach has not once in his tenure put the strongest England combination on the field and the World Cup heroics had nothing to do with the coach. His international record is not impressive (he failed in Ireland ) nor are his skills as a backs coach translating to the field. Iain Balshaw? Blind loyalty. Chris Sysum, Wake Forest, North Carolina

SJ: Chris, first of all, best of luck in the States and second, you have one of rugby's foremost icons on your wall. Yes, I do like Brian very much and respect his honesty and his engaging nature and I have personally found it very hard to express the opinion that he has not measured up to the supremo job. But it is true.

This area of the e-mail is reserved for your views and boos. E-mail Stephen at rollingmaul@thetimes.co.uk and he'll either agree, disagree, add some insight or come back firing...

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>>>>>HERO OF THE WEEK<<<<<

Dave Walder (Wasps and now, North Harbour)

It seems a fair exchange. European rugby has hoovered up Carl Hayman, Rico Gear, Luke McAllister, Aaron Mauger, Chris Jack and scores of other great All Blacks. New Zealand has claimed in return Dave Walder, the former England fly-half, who is joining for the provincial cup event. Fair swap.

Walder is my hero because of his sheer resilience. He picked a great time to be at Newcastle Falcons, at a time when Jonny Wilkinson was at his towering best as a fly-half. He picked a great time to switch to Wasps, just as Danny Cipriani was fulfilling his frightening potential.

But he stuck it out, he became a great clubman and over the past few weeks with Wasps reviving strongly, he has been massively influential, even shoving young Danny back to full-back in the starting line-up for the win at Leicester last week. Great man and fine player and worth recruiting at almost any price.

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The week in 60 seconds

Thursday

GLOUCESTER LET TINDALL DECIDE WHETHER HE IS FIT FOR MUNSTER QUARTER-FINAL

The England centre is close to a return for the Heineken Cup after liver and lung damage threatened his career

Report by David Hands

SARACENS DRESSING TO IMPRESS FOR CANCER CHARITY

Premiership play-off hopefuls will be in the pink for their next clash with London Wasps - and so will the referees

Report by Patrick Kidd

Wednesday

JONES EMERGES FROM 'DARK TIMES' TO LEAD OSPREYS INTO THE LIGHT

Grand slam-winning captain is eager to repay his Welsh region by leading their assault on two cup competitions

Report by David Hands

Tuesday

DALLAGLIO ABLE TO RESUME PLAYING AFTER RFU RULING

Wasps captain given only a one-week ban for punching Julian White in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final

Report by Mark Souster

Monday

HEWAT PUNISHES BRISTOL AS IRISH FIND FORM BEFORE EUROPEAN TEST

Exiles head into Heineken Cup quarter-final against Perpignan imbued with confidence after result

Report by David Hands

SUPERB JACKSON TO THE FORE AS SARACENS DELIVER TEN-TRY SALUTE

Saracens 66 Leeds 7: Early Francisco Leonelli hat-trick upsets injury-ravaged Leeds as Glen Jackson fuels romp

Report by Mark Baldwin

Sunday

SHANE REACTION

England's forgotten man, Shane Geraghty, hopes London Irish success will propel him back into the big time

Report by David Walsh

INSPIRED OSPREYS READY TO SPREAD THEIR WINGS

The Welsh club must seize the opportunity to create a legacy by winning the Heineken Cup

Comment by Jeremy Guscott

ARTIST ON THE WING

Gloucester will have to stop arch finisher Doug Howlett when Munster march into town on Saturday

Report by Denis Walsh

TITLE RACE SWUNG BY MOMENT OF GENIUS

Danny Cipriani's latest trick could give Wasps unstoppable momentum

Comment by Stuart Barnes

Saturday

HARD GRAFT PAYS OFF FOR RESURGENT ELLIS

The scrum half had surgery using hamstring tendon to strengthen his knee, but faces other challenges to regain his England place

Report by John Westerby

HARLEQUINS TAKE CARE AND ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS

Danny Care has forced his way past Andy Gomarsall at his club and into the England squad, now the next challenge is Europe

Report by David Hands

Friday

PRESSURE GROWS ON JOHNSON TO END SILENCE OVER HIS FUTURE WITH ENGLAND

The game awaits the former captain's return from holiday and an end to speculation that is damaging to coach Brian Ashton

Report by David Hands and John Westerby

CLUBS TO BE REWARDED FOR EUROPEAN CONSISTENCY

The ERC's new ranking system attempts to keep consistently successful clubs apart in the pool stage of the Heineken Cup

Report by David Hands

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Things you need to know about rugby: No 9

WE NEED TO FIGHT THE LAW

The debate about the Experimental Law Variations has, in the evidence I have seen and heard and in the views of many key members of the national rugby unions in Europe, changed significantly and worryingly.

At one stage, and however bogus and dangerous the idea, the ELVs were meant to try to improve rugby. That was bad enough, especially when nonsensical concepts of the length of time the ball was in play and the amount of candy-floss consumed were deemed to be important.

Now, and especially amongst some members of the IRB and the committee which originated the experiments themselves, all sense of the good of the game has gone out of the window - to be replaced by a crusade to further the careers of certain people of their number by driving through the laws at any price, so the time spent was not wasted.

Admit it gentlemen: most of the game does not want your nonsense, and the significance of your own crusades is minuscule compared to the good of the sport.

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10

The number of Heineken Cup quarter-finals Munster have reached - a record and one more than Toulouse, who are appearing in their ninth on Sunday

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Suggestions, fan mail and complaints: rollingmaul@thetimes.co.uk