Brian Moore: for the first time under Martin Johnson England showed some balance

Brian Moore: for the first time under Martin Johnson England showed some balance

Martin Johnson will know that ultimately the stark recitation of statistics will be sufficient to justify either his deification or decapitation. For Johnson as a person and England as a team there can be naught else, unless we are going to wallow in another bout of that most invidious of English traits accepting defeat if we came near and tried jolly hard.

Argentina V England Hospitality

Johnson's frustration was apparent through his now trademark fits of simulated violence in his seat in the stand, which is not a criticism by the way, and his interview with Radio 5 Live yesterday morning. He is well aware that of the twin tasks of creating and finishing opportunities, the former is the harder, yet England failed at the latter.

Behind every successful monarch walks an equally effective Machiavelli and two sublime pieces of subliminal suggestion from McCaw showed his brilliant perception. If footballers want to know how to win referees and influence them they should study two brief exchanges between McCaw and the very competent French referee Romain Poite.

Following repeated uncomfortable scrums, when England's front row was starting to dominate and draw penalties, McCaw took the opportunity afforded while his opposite number, Lewis Moody, was prone receiving treatment. In a polite but graphic manner McCaw advocated the New Zealand case for this discomfort which, according to him, was the binding of England tighthead Dan Cole. After acknowledging this suggestion, yet making it plain he could only penalise something he had seen, Monsieur Poite then quietly spoke to Cole about his binding even before the next scrum engaged.

Later, McCaw took a cheap shot from England replacement hooker Dylan Hartley, which equalled out the earlier and even cheaper butt by the All Black hooker Kevin Mealamu on Lewis Moody. Instead of ranting or whinging or acting as though he had been shot, McCaw simply asked Poite if he had seen it; Poite said no and McCaw suggested a scrum knowing well that the first offence had been committed by one of his team-mates.

At a time when the All Blacks were under pressure and the home crowd increasingly vocal, the referee could easily have made a couple of penalties because of pressure. By helping to lessen this McCaw helped keep Poite on an even keel, which was crucial when his side were down to 14 men for the last 10 minutes.

Argentina V England Hospitality

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