As 2012 dawns, Ian Gilbert takes a look at what to expect in the months to come.
2011 was the year of the All Blacks, as they once again saw their name engraved on the Webb Ellis Cup. With another year of rugby upon us, the stage is set for the teams of 2012 to shine at international and domestic levels.
The early focus of 2012 will be on the Heineken Cup and European domestic leagues – already well advanced – before switching to the Super Rugby season.
A few months after the global gaze was on Eden Park for the RWC 2011 Final, the same ground sees the Auckland Blues kick off the Super Rugby season on home turf against the mighty Crusaders. The Christchurch side, beaten finalists in 2011 against the Queensland Reds, will look to make an early statement of intent.
Watch out for England’s James Haskell appearing in Otago Highlanders colours. The back row is one of only five overseas internationals playing in a New Zealand Super Rugby team, the others all being Samoan or Tongan.
Come 30 March, Haskell could be lining up against his England colleague Danny Cipriani, who is playing his second season for Melbourne Rebels alongside Wales and former Gloucester number 8 Gareth Delve. The recruitment of Wallaby stars Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor could help the Victorian side spring a few surprises in their second season.
European focus
The international season kicks off with the Six Nations on 4 February when France get their chance to avenge their defeat by Italy in Rome last year. England travel to Murrayfield, so often the graveyard of their Championship hopes, where Scotland will be desperate to avenge the Rugby World Cup pool match defeat that cost them a quarter-final place.
Wales v France on 17 March – the final weekend of the tournament – could be the title decider. Wales will want to prove their World Cup form, which saw them finish fourth, was no mere flash in the pan.
In the Women’s Six Nations, England will again be the side to watch, having lost just one match in the last six title-winning seasons. France, fresh from November wins over Italy and a youthful England side, will have their own title aspirations and the Italians will hope to build on their most successful season in the competition in 2011.
England’s hat-trick of Six Nations titles was completed by the Under 20s, who like the women completed the Grand Slam. Coming only four months before the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa, teams will be looking to get one over rivals they will meet again with England, Ireland and Italy drawn in Pool B and France to face Scotland in Pool C.
Stars of the future
The European Nations Cup may not have the same kudos as Stade de France or Murrayfield on the opening weekend, but its profile is growing. The multi-tiered competitions resumes with the top division as Romania tackle Portugal and Ukraine host Georgia.
Georgia will be out to show they are once again Europe’s best outside of the Six Nations by retaining the title, while Ukraine face an uphill battle to remain in Division 1A as teams battle for promotion and relegation in the other five tiers over the coming months.
The race to be crowned Asia’s best is expected to begin in April with Japan once again favourites to win the HSBC Asian 5 Nations, their biggest challenge likely to again come from Hong Kong, winners of the Emirates Airline Cup of Nations in December.
June will see the future stars of world rugby converge on Cape Town and Stellenbosch for the fifth edition of the IRB Junior World Championship, when the conundrum 11 teams try to solve is how to stop New Zealand keeping the trophy in their hands.
This year’s Under 20 class don’t have to look far for inspiration having seen 47 players who had played on the same stage graduate to the Rugby World Cup arena, including one of them, France scrum half Jean Marc Doussain who played at JWC 2011 in Italy before making his Test debut in the RWC 2011 Final defeat to New Zealand.
Dreaming of gold
The traditional June internationals throw up some mouth-watering clashes in June with Ireland in New Zealand, Wales in Australia, England in South Africa and France in Argentina.
The following month, the Tri Nations becomes The Rugby Championship when Argentina join the fold. New Zealand are well-placed to consolidate their stellar 2011, with veterans such as Richie McCaw at their peak and younger players such as Israel Dagg already Test-hardened stars.
South Africa will be rebuilding after the retirements of Victor Matfield and John Smit, while Australia’s young team are already building up impressive experience and will be eager to build on the Tri Nations crown in 2011.
2012 will also be a busy year in Sevens with qualification for RWC Sevens 2013 in Moscow the target for both the leading men’s and women’s teams. The popularity of the HSBC Sevens World Series continues to grow with Wellington, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Glasgow and London the remaining stops on the 2011/12 season.
The biggest event of the sporting calendar in 2012, though, is undoubtedly the London Olympics. While Rugby Sevens does not feature until Rio 2016, the stars of the shortened form will no doubt already be dreaming of gold.
