Gordon arrived with two squads and sent a message out to all Australian clubs that the Chiang Mai 11s is a perfect pre-season tournament to hone your skills and blood new players.
Gordon’s second choice team, the GRFC Stags, were also victorious as they won the bowl final, beating the Bangkok Southerners to complete a fantastic tournament overall for the club.
Chiang Mai is becoming a genuine hotbed of Rugby Union in Thailand and the region with both an 11s league and world class coaching courses available.
Elsewhere, on the international stage the latest round of the Autumn test series produced a cocktail of performances.
France produced a classy performance against a threatening Argentina to win 37-23. France has players who are both classy and very quick, and that is what excites. A youthful side building for both the present and the future. Argentina is playing with much confidence and any team having an off day will be beaten by them.
Ireland experimented against Fiji and ultimately triumphed 52-17. Sam Prendergast is a carbon copy of Jonny Sexton and may become one. He has good all-round skills and could become a game manager. I liked Ireland’s variety in attack close to the Fiji line which left Fiji’s coach Mick Byrne with his head in hands on more than one occasion. Fiji has the talent but is careless with its skills. And if you don’t learn from your mistakes there will be little improvement.
Wales don’t look like a team, as evidenced in their 45-12 loss to South Africa. Wales coach Warren Gatland indicated post-game that strength and conditioning is a major consideration. For the Springboks it was a training field game of attack and defence. Their replacements can change the style of performance and the depth of talent they have to call on is a definite worry for all 2027 World cup participants.
Italy set their defensive style out early and mounted great pressure, but this is a New Zealand side that doesn’t buckle. When in control you must score against the All Blacks or suffer the consequences. All Black full back Jordan is world class and scrum half Roigard will soon join him. There is a relentlessness in their performances, and they strangled the life out of Italy to comfortably win 29-11. However, Italy has matured and have overtaken Wales in the world rankings.
Scotland put paid to Australia’s recent improvement with a vigorous performance and robust defence with a 27-13 win. They could possibly have five Lions starting backs. Australia faded a little and now face the daunting task of facing Ireland in Dublin. The last game of any tour is usually the hardest to win.
The whole Eddie Jones saga is becoming a little boring. Japan is cannon fodder for the top tier teams and the Japanese league is full of overseas players cashing in. Steve Borthwick’s England selections are more and more mystifying as are his substitutions. Maybe he has a problem with selection? England clocked up the inevitable 50-point win, but we are still guessing.
The Global Rugby Coach, Mike Penistone, is a globally renowned professional rugby coach based in Phuket who is also an ambassador for the Asia Center Foundation, a charity for disadvantaged children. For more information visit: www.rugbycoachingconsultancy.com.